Kang Youwei

Kang Youwei

 or K'ang Yu-wei

(born March 19, 1858, Guangdong province, China—died March 31, 1927, Qingdao, Shandong) Chinese scholar, a key figure in the intellectual development of modern China. In 1895 Kang led hundreds of provincial graduates to protest the humiliating terms of China's treaty with Japan after the Sino-Japanese War and to petition for reforms to strengthen the nation. In 1898 the Qing emperor launched a reform program that included streamlining the government, strengthening the armed services, promoting local self-government, and opening Beijing University. The empress Cixi annulled the reforms and had six reform leaders executed, and Kang had to flee the country. In exile, he opposed revolution; instead, he favoured rebuilding China through science, technology, and industry. He returned in 1914 and participated in an abortive restoration of the emperor. His fears of a divided country led him to oppose the government of Sun Yat-sen in southern China. Kang is also known for his reappraisal of Confucius, whom he saw as a reformer.