Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t13: Ma Jianzhong
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t13
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Ma Jianzhong
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Ma Jianzhong (1844-1900 CE) was a Chinese scholar, official and diplomat in late Qing Dynasty, and was the first official envoy sent to India in modern China.
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Ma Jianzhong, from Dantu (present-day Zhenjiang), Jiangsu, was born in a Catholic family, mastered the scriptures and history since the childhood, and went to Catholic school - Xuhui Public School for learning French and Latin when
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*Ma Jianzhong*
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he was nine. In 1860, English and French allied forces captured Beijing and burned The Old Summer Palace. According to the '*Draft History of Qing*', angered by the foreign aggression and weak national strength, Ma Jianzhong abandoned the imperial official career, turned to the western learning, studied English and Greek, read the translation works of Western learning, and finally became a scholar mastering Chinese and Western knowledge. In 1870, he became a member of Li Hongzhang's secretariats to deal with foreign affairs. In 1876, with the qualification of Langzhong (ancient official position), he was sent to France for studying international law. He was also the interpreter of Guo Songtao who was Chinese envoy in France, receiving high praise from him. After Guo Songtao left office, Ma Jianzhong continued to serve as the interpreter of the new envoy Zeng Jize, also winning good reputation. When in France, he travelled through many countries, and conducted study on Chinese and western cultural differences to seek for the poor and weak causes of China. He found the drawback of the system in Qing Dynasty, and submitted written official documents to the
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*Image of Ma Jianzhong's Book, Basic principles for writing clearly and coherently by Mister Ma*
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emperor repeatedly to put forward many suggestions such as road building, commercial intercourse, mine exploration, education and cultivation of talents. He advocated the winning of popular support and establishment of parliament, and believed that manufacturing, army and navy emphasised by the westernisation group was outdated. He returned to China in 1880, and Li Hongzhang hired him again with a special letter, and he helped to deal with foreign affairs and became Li's valuable assistant.
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In 1881, Li Hongzhang sent him to India for negotiation with the British on opium selling, with his good friend Wu Guangpei accompanying him. The British government disregarded the damage to Chinese, and conducted opium trade in China, which was universally condemned at the late 19ᵗʰ century. Even British people also had objections. The Chinese Government hoped that the direct trade shall be conducted between the country and Britain, or contracting company designated by the government and Britain, and that the trade quota shall be decreased year-by-year, and "totally prohibited" 20 and 30 years later. Ma Jianzhong was ordained to India. He first visited the Governor Yasanyideng in Calcutta, and met with Fobes being in charge of opium affairs, and then met Governor-General Ripon (George Frederick Samuel Robinson) in Simla, expressing his purpose of coming. After that, he met Beileng, the official of governor counselor department being in charge of internal affairs for the specific negotiation. Ma Jianzhong proposed that opium income was not legal, and traffickers had angered all people, so opium trade should be banned. But due to the huge profits, it could not be cancelled in one day, but be gradually decreased. Though Beileng had no objection in principle, he still put forward a lot of difficulties, for instance, annual decrease was too fast, and every five years was better. There were too many work personnel, and it was hard to provide other jobs for them. Opium income had close relationship with finance, and it could not be made up with other methods in short time, and other obstacles and risks on the operation. In fact, they evaded and prevaricated with them, and finally refused the proposal of Ma
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Cover of Ma's 'Textbook Reader'
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Jianzhong. He tried to explain that the proposal was feasible with many reasons, but Beileng was opinionated, so he had to find other plans gradually. Due to the pause of negotiation, Ma Jianzhong and Wu Guangpei had to return without accomplishing anything, except for a letter from Ripon to Li Hongzhang. After negotiation, both travelled widely in India, knew the different life of Indian people of different classes, and thought about the lessons of India becoming a British colony, and that where is the way of China, so their determination of making the country stronger by reform was more solid. Ma Jianzhong made detailed records of what he saw and thought in his diary *Journey to the South*, and from his diary, we could also know the living condition of Indian people, especially people of the upper class, and the social reality of polarisation of the rich and the poor in the second half of 19^th century.
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Ma Jianzhong’s works include *Suitable Ideas and Behaviors* (1896) and *Basic Principles for Writing Clearly and Coherently by Mister Ma* (1898), and the latter is the most famous. The author writes in the epilogue that “because there are existing rules in the western language, this book is to seek for the difference from the similarity. Numerous references are used in order to explain its meaning. Children can learn it in the school, and the achievements we can gain will not worse than westerners”. This method of discussing the Chinese grammar rule by grammar rules of western language is epoch-making in the history of Chinese language. Yang Shuda’s ‘*Correction of Errors of Basic Principles for Writing Clearly and Coherently by Mister Ma*’ Preface says that “Ma Jianzhong’s ‘*Basic Principles for Writing Clearly and Coherently by Mister Ma*’ is the first grammar book in China”. As the first systematic Chinese grammar book, this book lays the foundation for the later establishment of Chinese grammar system.
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(Ge Weijun)