Tang Caichang

Politician and revolutionary

Tang Caichang

Born	1867 Liuyang, Hunan, Qing Empire
Died	1900(1900-00-00) (aged 32–33) Hankou, Hunan, Qing dynasty
Known for	Leader in the Tang Caichang's uprising
Children	15 children
Relatives	Tang Youren (third son)

Tang Caichang (Chinese: 唐才常; pinyin: Táng Cáicháng; 1867 – 22 August 1900) was a late Qing dynasty revolutionary and political activist. He and fellow reformer Tan Sitong were from Liuyang. Tang was chosen by Kang Youwei to lead an uprising in Hankou, however he and thirty others were arrested by Qing forces before it ever began on August 21, 1900. By order of Zhang Zhidong, then Viceroy of Huguang, he was beheaded the following day in Wuchang.^[1] He is considered by the Chinese to be a martyr for revolution.

Tang was one of the chief proponents of the Social Darwinist-rooted ideas of race in contemporary China.^[1] He postulated that humankind was divided into the four main races: yellow, white, red, and black. According to Tang's views, the yellow and white races were inherently superior to the red and black ones and crossbreeding with superior races was a way to improve the race (Chinese: 進種; pinyin: jinzhong). Tang also stated that the origins of humanity could be traced specifically to China.

References

^ ^a ^b Amelung, Iwo (2020-06-24). Discourses of Weakness in Modern China: Historical Diagnoses of the »Sick Man of East Asia«. Campus Verlag. pp. 291, 309. ISBN 978-3-593-43895-5.