Yuan Shikai and the Tongcheng School

Abstract

Yuan Shikai had deep-rooted ties to the Tongcheng School, the silhouette of which appears at several important junctures in Yuan Shikai’s life. After being appointed as the Viceroy of Zhili in the late Qing Dynasty, Yuan Shikai established a Scholars’ Examination Hall and a Hall of Literature, and recruited scholars from the Tongcheng School as dedicated instructors of classical Chinese; he also personally wrote prefaces to works by members of the Tongcheng School, powerfully promoting the Tongcheng style of classical Chinese. Yuan continued to provide this support upon becoming President of the Republic of China in 1912: for a time, the Tongcheng School occupied an important position within Peking University and the Office of Qing History. In addition, Yuan Shikai also recruited a number of luminaries from the Tongcheng School to join his administration and assist in governance: due to their strong advocacy and the active involvement of other members of the Tongcheng School, certain policies of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period had a distinct impact on education, the economy, politics, and other aspects of early modern China.