论辛亥革命与东南地区社会结构的变迁--兼论中国近代史的开端

东南地区是晚清经济、文化最发达的地区,也是社会转型机制准备相对成熟的区域.辛亥革命为其社会转型提供了契机.从政治结构看,辛亥革命否定了君主专制政体,开启了近代中国政治构架、政治规范和政治运作程序的转型,东南地区随之成为民国时期全国政治民主化运动的高亢之区.从社会群体结构看,东南地区在辛亥革命后,传统的士农工商群体分野被冲破,新的社会阶级阶层产生.从社会经济结构看,辛亥革命有力地促进了东南地区民族工业的发展,加速了农村经济的变化和城乡经济的联动.因此,从上述东南地区社会结构的变迁看,辛亥革命对社会转型的界标意义,明显超过1840年的鸦片战争.辛亥革命不仅是近代中国社会转型的重大转折,而且也是中国近代史的真实起点.

On the Revolution of 1911 and Changes in Social Structure in Southeastern Areas--A Concurrent Study of the Beginning of Modern Chinese History

China's southeastern areas were the most economically and culturally developed areas in the late Qing Dynasty, where mechanisms of social transformation were comparatively mature. The Revolution of 1911 provided a good opportunity for this transformation. With regard to political structure, this revolution negated the dictatorial system of constitutional monarchy and introduced changes in the political framework of modern China, political norms and operation. As a result, the southeastern areas witnessed the upsurge of national movement of political democracy during the period of the Republic of China. With regard to the structure of social groups, traditional division into intellectuals, peasants, workers and businessmen broke down, and new social classes and strata came into being. The new social and economic structure shows that the Revolution of 1911 vigorously promoted the development of the national industry in the southeastern areas, and accelerated rural economic changes and the interaction between urban and rural economy. Therefore, the changes in social structure in these areas indicate that the Revolution of 1911 has a more obvious epoch making significance than the Opium War of 1840. It is concluded that the Revolution of 1911 is not only a major turning point of the social transformation of modern China, but also the real beginning of the modern history of China.