A study of banditry in Republican China, describing the cycles whereby banditry spread from the impoverished margins (geographically and socially) of late Qing society into entire provinces by the 1920s.

Leading scholars review many aspects of contemporary research on Chinese politics, ranging from the influence of fascism on Chiang Kai-Shek to the transition from the Qing dynasty to the Republic. Relevant for all interested in the key period in China between Monarchy and Communism.

To understand how this extraordinary meeting came about requires a consideration of the economy of violence during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Here, for the first time in any language, is a detailed look at the role of illicit violence during the Ming.".

Chinese Literature: Lydia H. Liu

This book is the culmination of a lifetime of research into Chinese development, situated in a global historical context. The author explores the irreplaceable role of state capacity, state-owned-enterprises and five-year plan in China’s transformation from an agricultural state to an industrial state and then to the world's economic powerhouse, as well as the remarkable achievements of social policy to reduce the rural-urban gap and regional gap. This book will be of interest to China scholars, development economists, political activists, and general readers who would like to know more about China's growth miracle.

This book is a richly textured social and cultural study exploring the profound effects and lasting repercussions of superimposing Western-derived models of repentance and rehabilitation on traditional categories of crime and punishment.

The rural county of Poyang, lying in northern Jiangxi Province, goes largely unmentioned in the annals of modern Chinese history. Yet records from the Public Security Bureau archive hold a treasure trove of data on the every day interactions between locals and the law. Drawing on these largely overlooked resources, Tiger, Tyrant, Bandit, Businessman follows four criminal cases that together uniquely illuminate the dawning years of the People's Republic. Using a unique casefile approach, Brian DeMare recounts stories of a Confucian scholar who found himself allied with bandits and secret society members; a farmer who murdered a cadre; an evil tyrant who exploited religious traditions to avoid prosecution; and a merchant accused of a crime he did not commit. Each case is a tremendous tale, complete with memorable characters, plot twists, and drama. And while all depict the enemies of New China, each also reveals details of village life during this most pivotal moment of recent Chinese history. Together, the narratives bring rural regime change to life, illustrating how the Chinese Communist Party cemented its authority through mass political campaigns, careful legal investigations, and sheer patience. Balancing storytelling with historical inquiry, this book is at once a grassroots view of rural China's legal system and its application to apparent counterrevolutionaries, and a lesson in archival research itself.