Chinese famine of 1906–1907
Chinese famine of 1906–1907 | |
---|---|
Country | Qing China |
Location | northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu |
Period | 1906–1907 |
Total deaths | 20 million - 25 million |
Theory | 1906 China floods, poor harvest |
Relief | Thousands of tons of food donated via private donations[1] |
Consequences | Contributed to the causes of the 1911 Revolution[1]
|
The Chinese famine of 1906–1907 struck the middle and lower course of Huai River in Qing China from Autumn 1906 to Spring 1907, administratively in northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu provinces.[3] This Chinese famine was directly caused by the 1906 China floods (April–October 1906), which hit the Huai River particularly hard and destroyed both the summer and autumn harvest.[4]
Affected area
Northern Anhui
On 21 December 1906, Shen Bao reported 16 counties in northern Anhui to have particular high mortalities.[5] The edict by Emperor Guangxu on 9 February 1907 waived agricultural taxes to 40 counties in northern Anhui.[6] The 40 counties were:.[7]
Northern Jiangsu
On 29 November 1906, Duanfang, the Viceroy of the Two Yangtze Provinces requested Emperor Guangxu to permit Jiangsu to redirect the imperial taxes to disaster relief. He cited 13 counties to be disaster-stricken.[8]
Death toll
The primary sources only report fatalities in selected villages or counties.[3] On 21 December 1906, Shen Bao, a leading Shanghai newspaper, reported "a precise death toll has become clear recently in 16 respective counties in Anhui" and amounted to 23,300.[5] Another newspaper[which?] reported that victims amounted to 5,000 daily.[2]
Anhui and Jiangsu had a combined population of 42.1 million as of 1911.[9][10] Two modern commentaries estimate the total famine deaths in the range of 20–25 million, implying that most of the population of northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu population were wiped out, but offering no explanation on how the calculation is made.[1][2] As author Bas Dianda commented:
It is very difficult to distinguish fatalities due to the famine from deaths caused by the violence; however, some estimate placed the excess of lethality of the period at 20–25 million dead [...] Such a figure, though including deaths from starvation as well as repression, are appalling."[2]
Relief work
It is the first time in Qing dynasty history when the government formally acknowledged and collaborated with private organizations in disaster relief work ("
Most of the foreign relief fund came from American missionaries. The American Red Cross and the American newspaper Christian Herald furnished over two-thirds of foreign funds sent to China.[13][14] The Central China Famine Relief Fund Committee was established to coordinate foreign efforts.[15]
On 26 June 1907, The Argus reported that the crisis was at an end.[16]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Kte'pi, Bill (2011). Encyclopedia of Disaster Relief. SAGE Publications. pp. 69, 70. ISBN 978-1-4129-7101-0. Also as Kte'pi, Bill (2011). Chinese Famine (1907). doi:10.4135/9781412994064. ISBN 9781412971010. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
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ignored (help) - ^ a b c d Dianda, Bas (2019). Political Routes to Starvation: Why Does Famine Kill?. Vernon Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-62273-508-2.
- ^ a b c Yuan, Fei (2014). "
光 绪三 十 二年苏皖水灾中的救济差异及皖北困境" [Favor One More Than Another: Differences in Relief Efforts in Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces’ after the Flood of 1906]. The Qing History Journal (4): 62–63. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. - ^ Li, Zhuohua [
李 灼华] (Guangxu 33-2-15 [28 March 1907]). "奏 為 皖北賑 款不敷 擬 請截留 練兵 經費 賑 撫 事 ". In Grand Council Copies of Palace Memorials [军机处录副 奏 折 ], First Historical Archives of China #03-5610-006. "入 秋水 退 , 趕種秋 禾, 乃中秋 前後 雨 勢 傾 盆 ,不 減 於夏,河水 復 相 灌注,晚 稼掃蕩 一 空 ,遍 野 源 嗷,流亡 相 屬 ...近 聞飢民 餓 斃者,日 凡四五 十 人 ,有 閹家男 婦 投 河 自盡 者 ,有 轉 徙出境 沿途倒 斃者,道 殣相望 ,慘 不 忍 聞". As cited in李 文海 ;林 敦 奎;周 源 ; 宫明 (1990).近代 中国 灾荒纪年 [Disaster Annals in Modern China]. pp. 724–725. - ^ a b "皖北
水 災 節略 ". Shen Bao. 21 December 1906. p. 1.
As cited in Yuan, Fei (2014). "近来 死亡 人口 尤 确,计涡阳、蒙 城 、亳州三 处男女 死亡 四 千 余 口 ,颍上、阜阳两处死亡 三 千 余 口 ,太 和 男女 死亡 六 百 余 口 ,霍邱较少,凤阳、怀远、凤台三 处男女 死亡 三 千 余 口 ,灵壁、宿 州 两处男女 死亡 七 千 余 口 ,寿 州 、定 远两处男女 死亡 二 千 余 口 ,五 河 、泗州两处男女 死亡 三 千 余 口 ,盱眙男女 死亡 七 百 余 口 光 绪三 十 二年苏皖水灾中的救济差异及皖北困境" [Favor One More Than Another: Differences in Relief Efforts in Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces’ after the Flood of 1906]. The Qing History Journal (4): 62–63. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. - ^
李 文海 ;林 敦 奎;周 源 ; 宫明 (1990).近代 中国 灾荒纪年 [Disaster Annals in Modern China]. pp. 724–725. - ^
大 清德 宗景 皇帝 实录,卷 五 百 六 十 八 [Veritable Records of Guangxu Emperior, Volume 568]. 1921.蠲缓
安徽 宿 、灵壁、泗、五 河 、凤阳、临淮、凤台、颍上、当 涂、和 、建 平 、无为、怀远、亳、涡阳、全 椒 、宣 城 、寿 、定 远、含山、芜湖、太 和 、盱眙、怀甯、铜陵、建德 、东流、巢 、霍邱、蒙 城 、滁、阜阳、贵池、合 肥 、潜 山 、宿 松 、繁昌 、庐江、桐 城 、来 安 、四 十 厅州县。新旧 漕 粮田赋有差 。 - ^ Duan, Fang [
端 方 ] (Guangxu 32-10-14 [29 November 1906]). "奏 為 江蘇 各州 縣 被災 極 重 賑 撫 需款截撥新 漕 等 事 ". In Grand Council Copies of Palace Memorials [军机处录副 奏 折 ], First Historical Archives of China #03-5609-059.徐 州 所属 之 宿 迁、睢宁、邱州,海 州 及所属 之 赣榆、沐阳,淮安所属 之 安 东为最 重 ”, “淮安所属 之 清河 、桃源 次 之 ”,“徐 州 所属 之 铜山、萧县,淮安所属 之 山 阳、阜宁……又次 之 ” As cited in Yuan, Fei (2014). "光 绪三 十 二年苏皖水灾中的救济差异及皖北困境" [Favor One More Than Another: Differences in Relief Efforts in Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces’ after the Flood of 1906]. The Qing History Journal (4): 62–63. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. - ^ "
一 、中 华人民 共和 国 成立 前 的 人口 调查和 普 查".江 苏省志 ·人口 志 [Jiangsu provincial gazette: Volume on Population].男女 合 计:25883336 - ^ "
第 二 节清朝 时期".安徽 省 志 ·人口 志 [Anhui provincial gazette: Volume on Population]. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.1911
年 :口 16229052 - ^
王 丽娜 (2008).光 绪朝江 皖丙午 赈案研究 . School of History, Renmin University (PhD thesis). - ^ 樊超杰 (2014).
光 绪三 十 二年苏北水灾赈济研究.山 东师范大学 (Master thesis). - ^ "CHINESE EXHUMING CORPSES FOR FOOD", San Francisco Call, Volume 101, Number 128, 7 April 1907, p.39.
- ^ Curti, Merle (1963). American Philanthropy Abroad: A history. p. 216.
- ^ Darroch, J (1907). Report of the Central China Famine Relief Fund Committee. Shanghai: North China Daily News and Herald Ltd.
- ^ "CHINA'S FAMINE". Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954). 1907-06-26. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
External links
- Dianda, Bas (15 March 2019). Political Routes to Starvation: Why Does Famine Kill?. ISBN 9781622735082.
- CHINESE FAMINE A PERIL.; American Consul Predicts Dangerous Outcome of Terrible Conditions.
- "FAMINE IN CHINA". Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 1907-02-25. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-06-17.