T'an Ssu-t'ung, 1865-1898: Life and Thought of a Reformer

This text provides an analysis of the life of T'an Ssu-t'ung, a well-known scholar-reformer in late-Ch'ing China. Based on a variety of primary sources, it traces T'an’s progress from his early years to his summary execution during the palace coup in 1898. The introduction explains the premises and sources pertinent to this study, while the epilogue provides an overall interpretation of T'an’s life. The remaining eight chapters are organized in such a way as to allow a chronological and thematic appreciation of the book’s subject matter. By placing T'an’s personal experience in the larger social and political contexts, it also sheds light on an emergent intellectual community in modern China.