| This study attempts to explain the political developments of Qing China and Tokugawa Japan of the late 19th century from a new perspective, one focused on the elite structure. I argue that neither Marxian nor Weberian cultural perspective is adequate for explaining why a revitalization movement took place in China, as compared to Japan where a revolutionary movement occurred during this period. Rather, the fact that Qing China had a homogeneous elite structure and Tokugawa Japan a heterogeneous elite structure can better explain the two contrasting social movements in response to the Western challenges they faced. |
