The New-style Associations and the Evolution of the Power Structure of Rural Society in Late Qing and the Early Republic

From the late Ming Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty, civil society organizations such as clans, Yicang (“义仓”), and Wenhui (“文会”) formed the power network of rural society. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the “New Deal” led to the rise of new associations such as education associations, chambers of commerce, and self-government associations. Driven by the rural elites, the new-style associations not only became a new source of power in rural society by virtue of their status as auxiliary officials, but also absorbed civil society organizations and realized comprehensive intervention and control over rural society. The formation of the rural power structure centered on new-style associations, and the blending and conflict between new-style associations and civil society organizations, reflect the continuity and complexity of the transition from traditional Chinese society to a modern state.