Henan - the model: from hegemonism to fragmentism ; portrait of the political culture of China's most populated province

Abstract

"Henan is China's most populous province. It has long played a strategic role in Chinese history and in more recent decades has played a prominent part in the country's politics. In this paper we explore aspects of the history and political culture of Henan, particularly the collective memory or consciousness of its people, and trends in its recent political history. We focus in particular on specific cultural features and local patterns of socio-economic development, both to highlight important features of provincial life and also to provide an interpretive strategy for approaching recent developments in the province. In identifying specific cultural features, we focus heavily on the egalitarian heritage of the province - in some cases bordering on communitarianism - and how this heritage relates to a deeply-rooted sense that Henan has lost its central role in China's national life. These two patterns converge, today, to produce a phenomenon of 'modelism' in Henan - a tendency to identify and promote apparently unique local social and political structures as though these provided models for the rest of the country to emulate." (author's abstract)

Contents: 1 Introduction; 2 The Geographical Dimension: Yellow River, Loess and Natural Calamities; 3 The Historical and Cultural Dimension: Henan as the Cradle of Chinese Culture and as an Ancient Power Center; 4 The Rebellious Dimension: Secret Societies and Banditry; 5 The Political Dimension: History of a Revolutionary Model; 5.1 The Collective Tradition; 5.2 From Imperial China to the Republic of China; 5.3 The Pre-Revolutionary Development in Henan; 5.4 The Development After the Founding of the PRC; 5.5 Outlining Henan's economic development; 6 Henan: Model of Fragmentated Authoritarianism - A Case-Study; 6.1 The "Communism" of Nanjie: Patterns of Distribution; 6.2 Material and Symbolic Support; 6.3 Objectives and Mechanisms of Enforcement; 6.4 Mao-Cult as a Substitute for Religion; 6.5 Nanjie: A Model Directed from Above?; 7 Conclusions.

Henan ist die am dichtesten besiedelte Provinz Chinas. Die Region hat in der chinesischen Geschichte eine strategische Rolle gespielt und ist auch aktuell von herausragender Bedeutung. Die Verfasser setzen sich mit Geschichte und politischer Kultur Henans auseinander, vor allem mit der kollektiven Identität der Bevölkerung und der politischen Geschichte der Provinz. Kulturelle Eigenheiten und lokale Entwicklungsmuster sollen ein Licht auf aktuelle Entwicklungen werfen. Hier geht es besonders um ein schon fast an Kommunitarismus grenzendes egalitäres Erbe und in diesem Zusammenhang auch um den Eindruck, dass Henan seine zentrale Bedeutung für China verloren hat. Beides zusammen hat in Henan zu der Tendenz geführt, offenbar einzigartige lokale politische und soziale Strukturen als Modell für den Rest des Landes zu propagieren. (ICEÜbers)