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term “militia” to translate tuan lien (). Wakeman uses this term and, to my mind, strays further from its real meaning when he differentiates between tuan lien and "genuine tuan lien". I would prefer to use Siang-tseh Chiang's term "local corps" for all "tuan lien”, whether "genuine" or not. In English this is a more accurate, because more loose-fitting, term, and it does not abuse the word "militia” which in Britain at least has a precise meaning. Militia were auxiliary troops not on full-time service except when embodied in time of war for home or overseas service. These forces were totally under government control, and indeed were an integral part of the military forces of the English Crown and as such subject to considerable constitutional constraint. This led Cardwell, the 19th-century Army reformer, to describe the militia as "the constitutional force of England.. a force ever dear to the people of England from constitutional antecedents".* Thus the circumstances of the existence and mode of use of the British militia after the establishment of the Standing Army in 1660 were quite different from those obtaining in China during the Ching dynasty; which surely strengthens the case for selecting another term to describe "local forces" that were not financed by government and might never have had official blessing.
That the appearance of tuan lien might be deceptive is, however, certain. The Kwangtung Viceroy commented as follows on Hong Kong Governor Sir Henry Blake's theory that Chinese regular troops might have taken part in the disturbances that followed the occupation of the New Territories of Hong Kong in 1899:
The Governor of Hong Kong suspected that they were regular troops from the fact that they had guns, cannon, and uniforms. He was not aware that the villagers of Kwangtung, in their constant fights with each other, are always erecting forts, and use guns and cannon, and wear uniforms. This is a matter of common notoriety.
This quotation is borrowed from Mr. Groves' article, printed elsewhere in this number of the Journal, in which he uses Wakeman's book to put together an interesting essay on the interaction of market, lineage and militia (local forces) during the opposition to the British occupation of the New Territories in 1899.
Secondly, this reviewer found the discussion of "local schools"
* Quoted in The Spectator, 14th March, 1969, p. 331.
172
BOOK REVIEWS
term “militia” to translate tuan lien (). Wakeman uses this term and, to my mind, strays further from its real meaning when he differentiates between tuan lien and "genuine tuan lien". I would prefer to use Siang-tseh Chiang's term "local corps" for all "tuan lien”, whether "genuine" or not. In English this is a more accurate, because more loose-fitting, term, and it does not abuse the word "militia” which in Britain at least has a precise meaning. Militia were auxiliary troops not on full time service except when embodied in time of war for home or overseas service. These forces were totally under government control, and indeed were an integral part of the military forces of the English Crown and as such subject to considerable constitutional con- straint. This led Cardwell, the 19th century Army reformer, to describe the militia as "the constitutional force of England.. a force ever dear to the people of England from constitutional antecedents".* Thus the circumstances of the existence and mode of use of the British militia after the establishment of the Standing Army in 1660 were quite different from those obtaining in China during the Ching dynasty; which surely strengthens the case for selecting another term to describe "local forces" that were not financed by government and might never have had official blessing.
That the appearance of tuan lien might be deceptive is, how- ever, certain. The Kwangtung Viceroy commented as follows on Hong Kong Governor Sir Henry Blake's theory that Chinese re- gular troops might have taken part in the disturbances that follow- ed the occupation of the New Territories of Hong Kong in 1899 :
The Governor of Hong Kong suspected that they were regular troops from the fact that they had guns, cannon, and uniforms. He was not aware that the villagers of Kwangtung, in their constant fights with each other, are always erecting forts, and use guns and cannon, and wear uniforms. This is a matter of common notoriety.
This quotation is borrowed from Mr. Groves' article, printed elsewhere in this number of the Journal, in which he uses Wake- man's book to put together an interesting essay on the interaction of market, lineage and militia (local forces) during the opposition to the British occupation of the New Territories in 1899.
Secondly, this reviewer found the discussion of "local schools"
* Quoted in The Spectator, 14th March, 1969, p. 331.
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