Chinese people during the beginning of the 19th century had suffered a serious setback in the process of the collisions between the Western and Japan. In particular, the defeat from the Sino-Japanese War brought them to have a sense of crisis that Chi...
Chinese people during the beginning of the 19th century had suffered a serious setback in the process of the collisions between the Western and Japan. In particular, the defeat from the Sino-Japanese War brought them to have a sense of crisis that China may perish with a great disgrace to the nation. Around this time, Liang Qi-Chao(1873-1927) who became the influential leader of the Chinese leadership had attempted to fundamentally reform the nation in order to get over the crisis. The ‘Shangwu Jingshen(尙武精神)’, Martialism had been especially emphasized as the national characteristics in the process of the reform of the national traits, which was considered as one of the most important tasks.
Liang Qi-Chao with the perspectives of the Enlightenment and nationalism had reflections on the current status of China and the Chinese spirit, namely, the national character and had detailed discussions about insufficient national traits and supportive national traits. In this process, he examined national characteristics of the Western and Japanese Empires that were invading China, including their evolutionary advanced skills and techniques among which the most important trait he particularly emphasized in his consideration was The Shangwu Jingshen, Martialism in addition to patriotism and strong willpower. During the time of his political asylum in Japan, he had great stimuli and attention to the effects of the martial spirit on the development of the Japanese special national spirit which made it possible for Japan to gain control over China and Russia and achieve Chosun Annexation. As a result, many of his literary works illustrated the great emphasis on The Shangwu Jingshen, Martialism and he examined and conducted case studies on how this spirit had a positive impact on the development of many other nations in the world; in contrast, he had deep reflections about the effects of the deficiency of the spirit on Chinese people and thus investigated the cause and effect relationship in relation to Chinese historical humiliation and embarrassment. Moreover, on the basis of these reflections and examinations, he had concrete and practical suggestions for the ways of encouraging The Shangwu Jingshen, Martialism from now on. Furthermore, as Liang Qi-Chao made a great use of education and media, considering his stance and position as a poet and a novelist, an educator, and a journalist, he greatly emphasized the martial spirit as part of developing new literary contents through the literary revolutionary movement including poems and novels within the framework of the theory of the Enlightenment and made great attempts to encourage the spirit.