Language: English
ISBN/ISSN: 7119013394
Published on: 1990-01
Hardcover
This is the first comprehensive collection of letters and telegraphs from the confidential archives of China’s Imperial Maritime Customs Service. These documents bring to light previously unpublished details of the workings of China’s Customs Service in the late Qing Dynasty. All together 3,528 letters and 4,496 telegraphs between Robert Hart and J.D. Campbell have been collected, along with an additional 426 telegraphs between Robert Hart and his brother, James Hart.
Robert Hart (1835-1911), an Englishman, held the post of Inspector General of the Maritime Customs for 50 years (1861-1911). James Duncan Campbell (1833-1907), a confident and close friend of Robert Hart, was selected in 1874 to be Director of the London Office of the Maritime Customs, a post he held for 34 years. He became an important assistant to Robert Hart. During their 34 years of regular correspondence, Hart wrote Campbell about China’s political situation, the diplomatic policies of China’s rulers, business of the Maritime Customs and the general circumstances in China, as well as his personal matters. He also directed Campbell to carry out various secret activities in Europe and Britain for the government of the Qing Dynasty – in diplomatic affairs, in the procuring of foreign loans, arms and warships, as well as in arranging his personal investments and other private matters. Campbell, in return, reported to Hart details of the political and economic situation in Britain and Europe and the coverage by the foreign press on China. The telegraphs between the negotiations and signing of the India-Tibet Treaty.
The information found in this correspondence will, in a broader sense, fill in our understanding of the political and economic situation in late Qing Dynasty. As Hart once wrote to Campbell, “Should these letters … ever be published to the world, they would certainly yield an interesting picture of Chinese and European history from 1874 to 1907.”
ISBN of Volume I: 7-119-01339-4
ISBN of Volume II: 7-119-01389-0
ISBN of Volume III: 7-119-01430-7
ISBN of Volume IV: 7-119-01490-0
【Contents of Four Volumes】
Vol. I
Editor's Note
Preface I
Preface II
Introduction
Years 1874 Letters 1 – 123 Years 1879 Letters 557- 645
1875 124 – 226 1880 646 – 764
1876 227 – 310 1881 765 – 895
1877 311 – 410 1882 896 – 1018
1878 411 – 556 1883 1019 – 1150
Vol. II
Years 1884 Letters 1151 – 1279 Years 1890 Letters 1801 – 1903
1885 1280 – 1383 1891 1904 – 1997
1886 1384 – 1487 1892 1998 – 2108
1887 1488 – 1588 1893 2109 – 2223
1888 1589 – 1695 1894 2224 – 2344
1889 1696 – 1800
Vol. III
Years 1895 Letters 2345 – 2448 Years 1902 Letters 3025 – 3110
1896 2449 – 2558 1903 3111 – 3218
1897 2559 – 2661 1904 3219 – 3318
1898 2662 – 2752 1905 3319 – 3415
1899 2753 – 2839 1906 3416 – 3507
1900 2840 – 2930 1907 3508 – 3528
1901 2931 – 3024
Telegraphs
Years 1874 Letters 1 – 76 Years 1891 Letters 1917 – 2011
1875 77 – 163 1892 2012 – 2069
1876 164 – 252 1893 2070 – 2133
1877 253 – 350 1894 2134 – 2369
1878 351 – 413 1895 2370 – 2598
1879 414 – 480 1896 2599 – 2859
1880 481 – 608 1897 2860 – 3184
1881 609 – 681 1898 3185 – 3430
1882 682 – 765 1899 3431 – 3548
1883 766 – 863 1900 3549 – 3692
1884 864 – 1032 1901 3693 – 3867
1885 1033 – 1453 1902 3868 – 4020
1886 1454 – 1536 1903 4021 – 4149
1887 1537 – 1696 1904 4150 – 4253
1888 1697 – 1914 1905 4254 – 4334
1889 1815 – 1856 1906 4335 – 4414
1890 1857 – 1916 1907 4415 – 4496
Appendix: Telegraphs between Robert Hart and James Hart
Vol. IV
Notes to the letters
1874 1891
1875 1892
1876 1893
1877 1894
1878 1895
1879 1896
1880 1897
1881 1898
1882 1899
1883 1900
1884 1901
1885 1902
1886 1903
1887 1904
1888 1905
1889 1906
1890 1907
Chronologies of Robert Hart and J. D. Campbell
Official Ranks in the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service
Index I Letters
Index II Telegraphs
