HU HAN-MIN: A SCHOLAR-REVOLUTIONARY IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA (KUOMINTANG, COMMUNIST, REPUBLICAN)

China in the first half of the twentieth century witnessed the rise of numerous revolutionaries, among whom Hu Han-min received relatively obscure attention in the historical literature. Hu, once considered Dr. Sun Yat-sen's successor, worked closely with Sun for two decades. He acted many times as Sun's deputy when the latter was away from the revolutionary bases. Hu's prominence in the Chinese revolution warrants him a fuller biographical study. In 1905 he joined United League, the Sun-led revolutionary body. From then to 1907, as editor of the revolutionary organ Min pao, Hu contributed well-grounded treatises championing the revolutionary cause. Next Hu engaged himself in organizing armed uprisings, that finally overthrew the corrupt Manchu regime and founded the Chinese republic in 1912. Yuan Shihk'ai's usurpation of power forced the revolutionaries to take up arms again. In 1919 and 1920 Hu devoted his time to the study of historical materialism and its interpretation of Chinese philosophy. The intellectual pursuit made him a prolific scholar on the subject. Between 1921 and 1925, Hu helped Sun to chart a new course for the Chinese revolution by allying with the Soviets and the Chinese Communists. In 1925 he travelled to Moscow and stayed in Russia for about half a year. There Stalin's ambitions on China confirmed Hu's earlier suspicions of Russia's motive in aiding the Chinese revolutionaries. Hu returned home a man staunchly opposing Communist movement in China. He played a major role in the Communist purge in the summer of 1927. From 1928 to 1931 as the first president of the legislative house of the republic, Hu enacted a series of new codes, bringing China's legal and judicial systems in line with modern practices. In February 1931 he was placed under house detainment for his outspoken criticisms against government corruption and malpractices. He was set free in October the same year, one month after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. In the following years Hu wrote championing for resistance war against Japan, the downfall of Chiang's militarist dictatorship, and liberation of the people from stark impoverishment. He later died in May 1936, five months after he was elected chairman of Kuomintang.