The iron house in turmoil: Modernity, political economy, and urbanism in the foreign concessions of Shanghai

This thesis examines the unique historical period of the foreign concessions emerging from the signature of the Opium War treaties in 1842; specifically, this period announces the origins of Chinese modernity. The central focus falls on the political and economic modernization led by foreigners and Chinese merchants, starting roughly around the turn of the twentieth century and ending with the tail of the economic expansion in 1927. Building upon the masterpieces of Marshall Berman, Sun Yat-Sen, and Lu Xun, the theoretical tone of the thesis situates its focus squarely within their analytical framework on the experience of modernity. The findings illustrate in three well-defined sections the life altering experience striking the foreign concessions in Shanghai. The first part addresses the economic modernization of the concessions by drawing on key events of early twentieth century: namely, the rise of finance, commerce, and industries. The second part looking at political modernization demonstrates how political strategies---the role of the merchant class in urban political organizations, the boycott of Japanese goods, and the responses to the events of 4th May 1919---find philosophical roots in the political thoughts of modern thinkers Sun Yat-Sen and Lu Xun. In the last section focussing on the modernism of the built environment, the pith of the argument suggests the metamorphosis of the linong housing form accounts as direct evidence of the economic and political modernization of the foreign concessions. An underlying theme in all three sections is the notion of class, where all examples illustrate how the Chinese merchant class and foreigners exerted a sustained influence on the nature of the political and economic activities in the concessions.