PRAYING FOR RAIN: STATE, SOCIETY AND CULTURE IN CHINA 1912-1949

Abstract

This thesis explores the history of the rainmaking ritual in China between 1912 and 1949 when the country was undergoing significant changes in politics, culture and society. The paper seeks to shed light on China's social metamorphosis through the lens of the time-honoured ritual straddling the late Qing and the newly-founded Republic. It draws attention to the conflict of two camps, i.e. social reproduction and social transformation, that jointly determined the trajectory of the country's development. The camp of social reproduction, represented by rainmakers, strived to defend their life-world at all cost, facing enormous challenges posed by their rival camp comprised of intellectuals and officials.