VILLAGE GOVERNMENT IN CHINA, 1933
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traditional authority. They form a new and disruptive element in village political life. But their importance seems to be growing.
The emergence of this group is significant as indicating a slow but certain shift in rural group values. The traditional values such as custom and precedent, age, family status and scholarship of the old sort are losing ground, under the impact of new ideas, to the values of practical success, individual prowess, youth and new education. It is Kulp's opinion that in the new complex of social values, although learning will remain as a criterion for leadership, age is sure to disappear. How quickly and how thoroughly the familist value of status will be overridden it is difficult to guess.
These new leaders gain importance from a connection they are often able to make outside the village with the Kuomintang party and with the National Government. The new government of China is eager to introduce a modern republican form of politics in rural districts. Often it is these natural leaders who most eagerly accept the new idea. When they are able to get the support of the party and organize a local unit they can exert a great deal of power to the severe detriment of traditional polity. This subject will be discussed more completely below; at present only the traditional village leader will be considered.
Called by many different names,2 performing different functions in different areas of the country, and enjoying varied degrees of influence and authority, yet these village elders are a thoroughly Chinese phenomenon with a long history and a fairly constant set of rights and duties. They form the core of village government in China, and it is due to their generally high standard of character that the system of self-government has so long been in effect and effective. Under all sorts of political disruption, in the midst of civil wars they have carried on the government of rural districts, oblivious to changes of dynasties, invasions of "barbarians" and national disasters.
The Ti-pao (*) is a semi-official government officer who is usually to be found in large villages or in those near administrative
Kulp; op. cit., p. 116.
2 Among the more common names listed by Giles as referring to the village elder are Hsiang lao (**), Hsiang ch'i (**), Hsiang chang (**), Hsiang hsien-sheng (£), Li chang (LA), and Hsiang cheng (RE). There are also many others which refer more definitely to semi-official government positions but are used interchangeably, Giles, Herbert A.; Chinese English Dictionary, passim., especially, p. 530.