Struggle for Democracy

Struggle for Democracy: Sung Chiao-jen and the 1911 Chinese Revolution by K. S. Liew offers a penetrating study of one of the central yet often overlooked figures of modern Chinese history. Sung Chiao-jen, revolutionary organizer, party founder, and political visionary, emerged as a leader during the tumultuous decade that culminated in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty. His assassination in 1913, just as the fledgling Republic sought stability, symbolized both the promise and fragility of China’s democratic experiment. Liew situates Sung within the broader sweep of revolutionary thought, factional politics, and the struggles between reformers, militarists, and constitutionalists. In doing so, he sheds light on the competing currents that shaped the 1911 Revolution and the fragile institutions that followed. Drawing on extensive archival research across China, Japan, and Taiwan, as well as a wide range of Chinese and Western sources, Liew reconstructs Sung’s intellectual formation, his organizational strategies, and his vision for parliamentary governance. The book also engages with the enduring historiographical debate over whether Sung’s pursuit of cabinet government and party politics represented progressive foresight or dangerous moderation in the face of Yuan Shih-k’ai’s ambitions. By tracing Sung’s short yet pivotal career, Struggle for Democracy illuminates both the internal contradictions of China’s first republic and the wider historical trajectory that would lead away from democratic aspiration toward authoritarian rule. It is an essential resource for scholars of modern China, revolutionary movements, and the challenges of democratic institution-building. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1971.