Adjustment And Restructuring: The Early 20th Century Local Gentry And Local Community

Since Ming and Qing Dynasties, the social-ecological system has been formed and become mature and stable in Changshu. Favorable natural and geographical conditions promoted the economic prosperity in cities and twons. Under the influence of traditional culture, a huge class of gentry and strong families became the main forces to maintain social stability and development in Changshu. Modern times has come, the traditional social system had been challenged. Since the20th century, with the abolition of the imperial examination system and the development of local government, the society in Changshu was beginning to increasingly change. The year of Xinhai of Xuantong period led to a large-scale famine of the county. Affected by the impact of regime change, the political situation became unstable. Meanwhile, the riot of thousands of people completely broken the traditional social order of Changshu.In face of growing social disorder of Changshu, Ding Zuyin, as the gentry community leaders of late Qing Dynasty, took various measures to maintain social order and safety in Changshu. Ding’s efforts in the reconstruction of political order in Changshu vigorously promote social development, and also carried out the ongoing adaptation of old and new cultures. Specifically, through regional integration during the social disorder, Ding Zuyin realized the reconstruction of the local political order and solved the food shortages, the ravages of war burst and public crisis. By forbidding smoke and irrigating water conservancy projects, the daily life of the social order of Changshu gradually stepped into order.As a strategic response to changes in the current situation, Ding Zuyin’s adaptation in the field of culture is worth praising. He is devoted to writing local records, collecting books and other local literature, by which he could control the power of discourse, reconstruct social and moral evaluation system.Meanwhile, Ding also vigorously promote the new science, enlightenment; What’s worth noting is that he concerned women. He tried to rebuild the image of women through the women newspapers. The adaptation in the cultural field by Ding tried to achieve the soft control of social and cultural order by gentry. The depth and breadth of social transformation of modern times in Changshu went beyond the control range of traditional gentry such as Ding. In1927, with the establishment of new state power, the KMT began to conduct a comprehensive penetration on the local society of Changshu. At this point, Ding resigned, and gradually faded out of the local power structure. The life experience of Ding Zuyin is a miniature of the gentry group of Changshu during the social transformation period. Through his activities of adjusting and restructuring social order, it isnot difficult to find that in modern times and in a major change of the situation, the class of gentries could not avoid the final defeat, though they were trying to adjust and restructure the local social order, however, it is difficult for them to get rid of the final defeat.