Zheng Zhen and the Rise of Evidential Research in Late Qing Northern Guizhou

Wu, Guo

doi:10.1017/jch.2017.15

Zheng Zhen and the Rise of Evidential Research in Late Qing Northern Guizhou

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/45219

Author(s)

Wu, Guo

Date Issued

August 7, 2017

Abstract

This article investigates the formation of the Shatan scholarly group and the contribution of its leader, Zheng Zhen. Zheng benefitted from a vigorous trans-regional cultural network of returned local scholars such as Li Xun and Mo Yuchou and prominent scholar-officials from outside such as Cheng Enze and He Changling. Zheng Zhen remained true to the approaches and research topics of evidential research, i.e., historical philology and exegesis of pre-Qin classics, bibliography, and an inquiry into ancient institutions and technology, in an era when the general intellectual trend turned toward statecraft studies and the politicized Modern Text School, promoted by scholars like Gong Zizhen and Kang Youwei. The contribution of the Shatan group, Zheng Zhen in particular, embodies the rise of evidential research, a passion for facts, as well as concerns about society. More importantly, it prompts us to rethink Guizhou as an active agent in the late Qing Chinese cultural landscape.

Journal

Journal Of Chinese History

Department

History

Citation

Wu, G. (2017). Zheng Zhen and the Rise of Evidential Research in Late Qing Northern Guizhou. Journal Of Chinese History: 1-23. doi: 10.1017/jch.2017.15

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Version of Article

Published article

DOI

10.1017/jch.2017.15

Subjects

Late Qing

evidential research

Zheng Zhen

Mo Youzhi

Guizhou

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