Sun Yat-sen

Tom Giles History 420R Sun Yat-sen

I Sun Yat-sen am a unique figure in China’s history. I became president of the Kuomintang party at the age of 45, having only lived in China for a short period of my life. From a young age, I was exposed to diverse cultures and would continue through out my life to be influenced by western social and political ideas. As a result of my increased exposure to other cultures I began to question certain superstitions and dogmas taught in Chinese society that I felt was stunting China’s social and political progression. It is unclear if I would have been a successful statesman and policy maker because I never had an opportunity to lead a unified China; however, what is clear is that I did not use my position to gain wealth or affluence. My desire to break from tradition and help China attain high goals towards becoming a more independent and powerful nation would cause many hardships in my life, but would eventually allow me to become incredibly influential on Chinese society even today. I was born the son of a struggling farmer on 12 November 1866 in the Kwangtung province, which is approximately 26 km from Macao. For the first 13 years of my life, I grew up working on the farm having little opportunity of acquiring a formal education. In 1879, my successful brother Sun Mei who was currently living and working in Honolulu as a store owner and land developer requested that I come live and work with him in Hawaii. Shortly after his request I boarded a ship headed for Honolulu. While on my voyage I would be impressed by the ships advanced technology and the crew’s superior knowledge of travel, but would be bewildered by their ignorance and lack of knowledge about Confucianism. Once in Hawaii, I began working for my brother as a bookkeeper in his store. Although there was a relatively great deal of money to be made following in my brother’s footsteps, I found little joy in my new job. I requested an opportunity to attend school, which at the time was a practical decision because of the prospective jobs I could have in the future if I knew English and understood western ideas. I would eventually enroll in the Iolani School probably the 2nd most prestigious private school on the island at the time. Iolani was a Christian school directed by the Anglican prelate, Bishop Willis. Although I spoke little to others about my experiences at Iolani, it undoubtedly changed my life forever. At Iolani, although un-baptized at the time, I would become converted to Christianity. I would meet powerful Caucasian leaders who respected my culture and ethnicity unlike those who were in China during the Opium Wars. Most importantly, I would see Hawaiians progress socially, economically, and educationally by disregarding certain superstitions in their society, and becoming open to western and European cultures. Eventually I would approach my brother for permission to be baptized into Christianity towards the end of my education at Iolani. This request incensed Sun Mei, who was ultra-conservative at the time, and although lacking in understanding of the classics still had great respect for Chinese tradition. As a result, Sun Mei would send his me back to China after my graduation to hopefully overcome the poor influence the foreigners had on me during my time in Hawaii.

Once in China, many viewed my new behavior as radical and disrespectful. I challenged the many idols and gods that my village had been worshiping to the point that the elders responsible for the protection of the temple banished me from the community. It is apparent that I saw my village as naïve, backward, and content on living subsistence lives, and I became frustrated by their lack of motivation to search for something better. What is so impressive about me is that I was an eternal optimist always willing to act. I may not have been the greatest political mind of my time, and there were many other leaders in my day with better philosophies and ideas of how to lead China that would eventually fall by the wayside, because they lacked my tenacity, humility, and vision. Not long after I had been banished from home I traveled to Hong Kong where I was baptized and in due course would enter medical school at Queens College. I would become one of two students to complete training, and would take with me the vast majority of the awards and honors offered by the school board at the time. While attending college I began to make contacts with others who were anti-dynastic, and unhappy with the lack of opportunity that the majority of the population had during this period of time as a result of deficient exams and a corrupt political system. I claimed later in life to have only attended medical school to begin planting the seeds of revolution. Whether this is true or not, it is clear that my time in Hong Kong became a formative era in my life, full of influential acquaintances and increased knowledge that would help shape my political ideals and my desire to lead a revolution for a more independent, socialized, powerful China. Although I would continue to be fascinated by medicine my entire life, I left my practice which was a combination of Eastern and Western medicine to pursue a political career. After several failed attempts to gain the attention of Li Hung-chang, a respected and somewhat liberal gentry, I sailed back to Hawaii to begin forming a secret political assembly called the Revive China Society. my vision was that the Revive China Society would eventually spread to China, and that they would become the means to the “over throw of the Manchus,” the catalyst that brought back “the restoration of China back to the Chinese” and the leaders that “established a Republican Government in China.”(Schiffrin 43)

Following my campaign in Hawaii, I returned to Hong Kong and continued working towards political progression and the establishment of the Revive China Society in Asia. Although I favored assistance from certain demographics, I would be well known for my ability to work with all social classes towards my objectives. My family’s social background gave me the humility to work with citizens from similar origins, and my education and brothers wealth helped me maintain an image of capability and relative respect to those from higher social stations. Still progress and the realization of my aspirations was an up-and-down process that required extreme patience and resilience. I would have to bare the usurpation of power by Yang Chu-yun a competing power in the Revive China Society. I would be forced into exile after several failed attempts to over throw the Qing dynasty. While in exile I would live in America, Japan, and Great Britain. During my time in Great Britain, I was arrested by Chinese officials for 12 days and would have been executed had the British Government not intervened and coordinated my release. Soon many revolutionaries began to question my leadership ability due to the numerous failed attempts to unite China under a republican government. Despite these, and various other difficulties, I maintained an optimistic outlook and continued to champion my ideals. Although I had little success in leading an uprising that unified China, I was able to keep the revolutionary flame burning in China and unite diverse parties towards similar goals.

I eventually co-founded another political party in China called the Kuomintang and would became their first leader. I returned again to China with another unsuccessful attempt to unite China, but as a result of my continued efforts I was able to counter the warlords quest for power. Even in death the communists and the Kuomintang claimed to be the rightful heirs of my legacy.

I had an incredible impact on society. In many ways my life reflects the complexities of Chinese society. The difficulty they have experienced in trying to blend Western ideologies with Eastern culture, the struggle for power with in their government and the establishment of social equality. Although I saw little resolve towards my lofty ambitions for China I am considered one of the most influential leaders in Chinese history for my persistent endeavor to achieve them.

Bibliography

Schiffrin, Harold Z. Sun Yatzen and the Origins of the Chinese Revolution. Berkley and Los Angeles: Universit of California, 1968. Print.