#Chosen-Korea 118 CHINA BECOMES A REPUBLIC December 30, 1932 WE have seen how Japan's victory over Russia pleased and flattered Asiatic nations. The immediate result of it, however, was to add one more to the small group of aggressive, imperialistic Powers. The first effect of this was felt by Korea. Japan's rise meant Korea's fall. Ever since her reopening to the world, Japan had marked out Korea, and partly Manchuria, as her own. Of course she declared repeatedly that she was going to respect the integrity of China and the independence of Korea. The imperialist 465 Powers have a way of giving fulsome assurances of good-will even while they rob the party concerned, of declaring the sanctity of life even as they kill. So Japan declared solemnly that she would not interfere in Korea, and at the same time carried through her old policy of taking possession of her. Her wars with China and Russia both centred round Korea and Manchuria. Step by step she had advanced, and now with the defeat of China and Russia, her way was clear. No scruple had ever troubled Japan in the pursuit of her imperial policy. She grabbed openly, not caring even to over her designs with a veil. As early as 1894, just before the China War, the Japanese had forcibly entered the royal palace at Seoul, the capital of Korea, and removed and imprisoned the Queen, who would not do their bidding. After the Russian War, in 1905; the Japanese Government forced the Korean King to sign away his country's independence and accept Japanese suzerainty. But this was not good enough. In less than five years this unhappy king was removed altogether from the throne, and Korea was annexed to the Japanese Empire. This was in 1910. After a long history of over 3000 years, Korea passed away as a separate State. The king who was thus removed belonged to a dynasty which had driven out the Mongols 500 years before. But Korea, like her elder sister China, became fossilized and stagnant, and had to pay the penalty for this. Korea was given its old name again—Chosen, the land of the morning calm. The Japanese brought some modern reforms with them, but they ruthlessly crushed the spirit of the Korean people. For many years the struggle for independence continued and there were many outbreaks, the most important one being in 1919. The people of Korea, and especially young men and women, struggled gallantly against tremendous odds. On one occasion, when a Korean organization fighting for freedom formally declared independence, and thus defied the Japanese, the story goes that they immediately telephoned to the police and informed them of what they had done Thus deliberately they sacrified themselves for their ideal. The suppression of the Koreans by the Japanese is a very sad and dark chapter in history. You will be interested to know that young Korean girls, many of them fresh from college, played a prominent part in the struggle. Let us go back to China now. We left her rather suddenly after the orushing of the Boxer movement and the Peking Protocol in 1901. China was thoroughly humiliated, and again there was an attempt at reform. Even the old Dowager Empress seemed to think that something should be done. During the Russo-Japanese War, China remained a passive spectator, although the fighting was taking place on Chinese territory—Manchuria. Japan's victory strengthened the reformers in China. Education was modernized, and many students were sent to Europe and America and Japan to study modern sciences. The old system of literary examinations by which officials used to be appointed was abolished. 466 This amazing system, typical of China, had lasted for 2000 years— ever since the days of the Han dynasty. It had long outgrown its utility, and was keeping back China; so it was well that it was abolished. And yet, in its way, it was for long ages a wonderful thing. It represented the Chinese outlook on life, which was neither feudal nor priestly, as in most other countries of Asia and Europe, but was based on reason. The Chinese have always been the least religious of people, and yet they have followed their system of an ethical and regulated life more strictly than any religious people. They tried to develop a rational society, but as they limited this within the four corners of the ancient classics, progress and necessary changes were prevented and there was stagnation and fossilization. We in India have much to learn from this Chinese rationalism, for we are still in the grip of caste and dogmatic religion and priestcraft and feudal ideas. The great Chinese sage Confucius gave a warning to his people which is worthy of remembrance : " Never have anything to do with those who pretend to have dealings with the supernatural. If you allow supernaturalism to get a foothold in your country, the result would be a dreadful calamity." In our country unfortunately many a man with a tuft of hair on his head, or matted locks, or long beard, or intricate markings on the forehead, or saffron cloak, poses as an agent of the supernatural and fleeces the common people. But China, with all her old-time rationalism and culture, had lost grip with the present, and her old institutions gave her little help in her hour of difficulty. The march of events had vitalized many of her children and made them seek diligently for light elsewhere. They had shaken up even the old Dowager Empress, who talked of granting a constitution and self-government, and sent a commission to foreign countries to study their constitutions. The Chinese Government under the old Dowager was moving at last. But the people were moving faster. As early as 1894 Dr. Sun Yat Sen had founded the " China Revival Society ", which many joined as a protest against the unfair and one-sided treaties— the " unequal treaties " they are called by the Chinese—which the foreign Powers had forced on China. This society grew, and attracted to it the youth of the country. In 1911 it changed its name to the Kuo-Min- Tang—the " People's National Party "—and became the centre of the Chinese Revolution. Dr. Sun, the inspirer of the movement, looked to the United States for his model. He wanted a republic, not a constitutional monarchy, as in England, and certainly no emperor-worship, as in Japan. The Chinese had never made a fetish of their emperors, and besides, the reigning dynasty was hardly Chinese. It was Manchu, and there was a good deal of anti-Manchu feeling. It was this ferment in the people that had moved the Dowager Empress. But the old lady died soon after her proclamations about the coming constitution. Strangely enough, both the old Dowager and her nephew the Emperor, whom she had removed from the throne, died within twenty-four hours of each other in November 1908. A babe now became the nominal Emperor. 467 Again there were loud demands for the calling of a parliament, and anti-Manchu and antimonarchical feeling rose higher. The revolutionaries gathered strength. The only strong man who might have faced them was the viceroy of a province, Yuan Shih-Kai. This man was a wily old fox, but he happened to control the only modern and efficient army in China, called the " model army". Very foolishly, the Manchu rulers irritated and dismissed Yuan, and thus lost the only man who might have saved them for a while. In October 1911 revolution broke out in the valley of the Yangtze, and soon a great part of Central and South China was in revolt. On New Year's Day in 1912 these provinces in revolt proclaimed a republic with its capital at Nanking. Dr. Sun Yat Sen was chosen as President. Meanwhile Yuan Shih-Kai had been watching the drama ready to intervene when it would be to his advantage to do so. The story of Yuan's dismissal by the Regent (who was acting for his son, the infant Emperor) and his subsequent recall is interesting. Everything was done with all courtesy and politeness in the old China. When Yuan had to be dismissed it was announced that he was suffering from a bad leg. Of course everyone knew that his leg was in excellent condition, and that this was just the conventional method of sending him away. But Yuan had his revenge. Two years later, in 1911, when mutiny and revolt had broken out against the Government, the Regent summoned Yuan in alarm. Yuan had no intention of going unless his terms were granted. So he replied to the Regent that he regretted that he could not possibly leave home just then, as his leg was not yet well enough for him to travel! His leg recovered with remarkable speed when his conditions were accepted a month later. But it was too late to check the revolution, and Yuan was clever enough not to compromise himself by committing himself to either side. Finally he advised the abdication of the Manchus. With a republic facing them and deserted by their own general, the Manchu rulers had little choice left. On February 12, 1912, an Edict of Abdication was issued, and thus disappeared the Manchu dynasty from the Chinese stage, after over two and a half centuries of memorable rule. According to a Chinese phrase : " They had come in with the roar of a tiger, to disappear like the tail of a snake." On this same day, February 12, there took place a strange ceremony in Nanking, the new Republican capital, and also the place where stood the mausoleum of the first Ming sovereign—a ceremony which brought together the old and the new in vivid contrast. Sun Yat Sen, President of the Republic, went with his Cabinet to this mausoleum and presented offerings in the old way. And in the course of his address on this occasion, he said : " We are initiating the example to Eastern Asia of a republican form of government; success conies early or late to those who strive, but the good are surely rewarded in the end. Why, then, should we repine to-day that victory has tarried long ? " For many a long year, at home and in exile, Dr. Sun had laboured 468 for China's freedom, and success seemed to have come at last. But freedom is a slippery friend, and success demands full payment before it comes, and often it mocks us with vain hope, and tests us with many a hardship, before it can be secured. China's and Dr. Sun's journey were far from over. For many a year the young Republic had to fight for its life, and even to-day, twentyone years later, when it should have come of age, the future of China hangs in the balance. The Manchus had abdicated, but Yuan still stood in the way of the Republic, and no one seemed to know what he would do. He controlled the North, the Republic the South. For the sake of peace, and to avoid civil war, Dr. Sun effaced himself, retired from the president ship and had Yuan Shih-Kai elected as president. But Yuan was no republican. He was out to gain power to exalt himself. He borrowed money from foreign Powers to crush the very Republic which had honoured him by electing him President. He dismissed Parliament and dissolved the Kuo-Min- Tang. This led to a split, and a rival government, with Dr. Sun as its head, was set up in the South. The split which Dr. Sun had sought to avoid by all the means in his power had come, and there were two governments in China when the World War broke out. Yuan tried to become emperor, but he failed and died soon after. jawaharlal_nehru_glimpses_of_world_history (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of