Chinese Political Elites in the Context of Chinese Political Thought and Political History Volume 1: (1840 – 1978)

This study delves into the realm of Chinese political elites against the backdrop of the historical evolution of Chinese political thought and its political history. It spans the years from 1840 to 1978, accompanied by theories on elite circulation. Furthermore, it sheds light on the institutional structures and schools of thought that influenced the political elites during China’s Classical Age, offering insights into the transformation of the traditional political elite type.

This book is the inaugural volume of a three-part research series. The second volume will navigate the period from 1978 to 2011, while the third volume will pivot to a discussion on Xi Jinping’s Thought and his era.

In a time when China has become a more prominent global player, particularly through initiatives like the Belt and Road, grasping the mindset, behaviors, and diplomatic language of Chinese political decision-makers is imperative for all stakeholders in our region and country. This work seeks to fill a significant void in China studies in Turkey and aims to set the stage for further explorations in this field. Each subheading within the discussed periods could potentially become a subject of its own study, contributing notably to the international literature with a Turkey-centric perspective. Upon completion of all volumes, it will stand as the most comprehensive study on Chinese political elites in global literature.

In this book, readers can also trace the comparative discourse on the thoughts, attitudes, and practices of political elites during the Ottoman Empire and the Qing Empire’s process of integration into the capitalist world economy and their efforts toward modernization.

Can Ulusoy was born in Bursa in 1983. In 2015, he received his PhD from the Galatasaray University, Department of Political Sciences, with the thesis titled “Taşrada Kent ve Aydın: Bursa Örneği (1930-1950)” (The City and the Intellectual in the Country: Bursa Example). He published numerous national and international articles in the fields of Turkish Political Culture, Turkish Intellectual History and Cultural History. Ulusoy, who started to work as a faculty member in 2015, has been working as a faculty member in the Cappadocia University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Political Science and International Relations, since 2018.

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