Jian Bozan
Encyclopedia
Jian Bozan was a prominent Chinese
Marxist historian.
born in Hubei
province. However, other reports identify him as a native Uyghur of Taoyuan County
, in Hunan
province. In 1916, he entered school in Beijing, where he studied and conducted research concerning China's economic history. His graduation thesis was a 50,000 character study of the history of China's currency system. Believing in the ideal of industry as China's savior, he travelled to the University of California
in 1924 to research economics. During this time, he closely read Anti-Dühring
, The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State
, The Communist Manifesto
, and other famous Marxist works. He returned to China in 1926. Jian was a patriot, and participated in the protests leading up to the March 18 Massacre
of that year. He published his first Marxist interpretation of Chinese history during the 1930s, and joined the Communist Party of China
in 1937. In 1934, while serving as secretary to Tan Zhen, deputy head of the Judicial Yuan
, Jian went on a tour of numerous countries around the world. As a close ally of the Party, Jian became professor of history at Peking University
after the party's rise to power in 1949, and later served as dean of the faculty of history and vice-president of the university.
. During the early 1960s, Jian began to advocate historical accounts that utilized a combination of the methodology of class analysis with that of historicism
. For this, Mao Zedong
criticized Jian at the end of 1965. Qi Benyu
, a prominent Party figure of the time period, also criticized Jian on four counts: opposing the theory of class struggle, denigrating peasant revolutions, praising emperors and kings, and applauding conciliatory policies. These criticisms drove Jian to commit suicide. He, along with his wife, took an overdose of sleeping pills and died on December 18, 1968.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
Marxist historian.
Early years and education
According to reports, Jian was a sinicized UyghurUyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
born in Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province. However, other reports identify him as a native Uyghur of Taoyuan County
Taoyuan County, Hunan
Taoyuan County is located in Changde, Hunan Province of the People's Republic of China. The Yuanjiang river, a tributary of Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. Taoyuan covers 4441 square kilometer area, among which the arable land is 895 square kilometers...
, in Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
province. In 1916, he entered school in Beijing, where he studied and conducted research concerning China's economic history. His graduation thesis was a 50,000 character study of the history of China's currency system. Believing in the ideal of industry as China's savior, he travelled to the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in 1924 to research economics. During this time, he closely read Anti-Dühring
Anti-Dühring
Herrn Eugen Dührings Umwälzung der Wissenschaft, commonly known as Anti-Dühring, is a book written in German by Friedrich Engels, published in 1878. It had previously been serialised in a periodical. There were two further editions in German in the lifetime of Engels...
, The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State
The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State
The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State: in the light of the researches of Lewis H. Morgan is a historical materialist treatise written by Friedrich Engels and published in 1884. It is partially based on notes by Karl Marx to Lewis H...
, The Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto, originally titled Manifesto of the Communist Party is a short 1848 publication written by the German Marxist political theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It has since been recognized as one of the world's most influential political manuscripts. Commissioned by the...
, and other famous Marxist works. He returned to China in 1926. Jian was a patriot, and participated in the protests leading up to the March 18 Massacre
March 18 Massacre
The March 18 Massacre was a massacre that took place on March 18, 1926 amid an anti-warlord and anti-imperialist demonstration in Beijing, Republic of China...
of that year. He published his first Marxist interpretation of Chinese history during the 1930s, and joined the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
in 1937. In 1934, while serving as secretary to Tan Zhen, deputy head of the Judicial Yuan
Judicial Yuan
The Judicial Yuan is one of five branches of the government of the Republic of China in Taiwan and serves as the highest judicial organ in Republic of China. Its Justices of the Constitutional Court , with 15 members, is charged with interpreting the Constitution...
, Jian went on a tour of numerous countries around the world. As a close ally of the Party, Jian became professor of history at Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
after the party's rise to power in 1949, and later served as dean of the faculty of history and vice-president of the university.
During the Cultural Revolution
Jian was heavily criticized during the early stages of the Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
. During the early 1960s, Jian began to advocate historical accounts that utilized a combination of the methodology of class analysis with that of historicism
Historicism
Historicism is a mode of thinking that assigns a central and basic significance to a specific context, such as historical period, geographical place and local culture. As such it is in contrast to individualist theories of knowledges such as empiricism and rationalism, which neglect the role of...
. For this, Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
criticized Jian at the end of 1965. Qi Benyu
Qi Benyu
Qi Benyu is an ultraleft theoretist und propagandist, mainly active during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. He was member of the Cultural Revolution Group, Head of the Xinfang-Department and Vice-Chairman of the General Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China...
, a prominent Party figure of the time period, also criticized Jian on four counts: opposing the theory of class struggle, denigrating peasant revolutions, praising emperors and kings, and applauding conciliatory policies. These criticisms drove Jian to commit suicide. He, along with his wife, took an overdose of sleeping pills and died on December 18, 1968.
Abridged list of publications
- Treatise on Chinese History (中国史论集)
- Discussions of Historical Questions (历史问题论丛)
- Anthology of Historical Works by Jian Bozan (翦伯赞历史论文选集)
- Historical Data and the Study of History (史料与史学)
- Recent Capitalist Economy of the World (最近之世界资本主义经济)
- A Course in the Philosophy of History (历史哲学教程)
- An Outline of Chinese History (中国史纲)
- History of the Qin and Han Dynasties (秦汉史)
- Timeline of Chinese and Foreign History (中外历史年表)
- General Reference on Chinese History (中国通史参考资料)