Shaping Modern Shanghai: Colonialism in China's Global City

Shaping Modern Shanghai offers a fresh perspective on colonialism in China by examining the International Settlement in Shanghai, which was managed by the Shanghai Municipal Council from 1854 to 1943. This study defines transnational colonialism as the unique form of colonial urban governance in Shanghai, revealing the Council's impact on the lives of residents and its contribution to conflicts of the period.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2019
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Shaping Modern Shanghai offers a groundbreaking perspective on colonialism in China by delving into the International Settlement in Shanghai. This historical site played a pivotal role during the Republican period, witnessing significant economic growth, escalating Chinese nationalism, and the Sino-Japanese conflict. Managed by the Shanghai Municipal Council (1854–1943), the International Settlement operated beyond the jurisdiction of both Chinese and foreign imperial governments. Jackson defines Shanghai's distinctive form of colonial urban governance as transnational colonialism, highlighting its blend of colonial structures and influences, particularly from the British empire, while maintaining autonomy in its operations and a transnational workforce. This comprehensive study is the first to examine in depth how this unique body functioned at the local, national, and international levels, shedding light on its profound impact on the daily lives of Shanghai's residents and its role in shaping the conflicts of the period. Its findings have significant implications for the fields of modern Chinese and colonial history.

Shaping Modern Shanghai provides a new understanding of colonialism in China through a fresh examination of Shanghai's International Settlement. This was the site of key developments of the Republican period: economic growth, rising Chinese nationalism and Sino-Japanese conflict. Managed by the Shanghai Municipal Council (1854–1943), the International Settlement was beyond the control of the Chinese and foreign imperial governments. Jackson defines Shanghai's unique, hybrid form of colonial urban governance as transnational colonialism. The Council was both colonial in its structures and subject to colonial influence, especially from the British empire, yet autonomous in its activities and transnational in its personnel. This is the first in-depth study of how this unique body functioned on the local, national and international stages, revealing the Council's impact on the daily lives of the city's residents and its contribution to the conflicts of the period, with implications for the fields of modern Chinese and colonial history.

Weight: 434g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108411639