林則徐の對英抵抗政策とその思想

Abstract

Lin Tse-hsu planned a defensive war, meaning a protracted struggle ultimately, in his policy against the British. His strategy depended basically upon people and laid stress on the value of naval militia composed of outlaws as fishermen and tan-min 蛋民 on the coasts of Kwangtung and Fukien. At the same time, recognizing the power of modern British weapons, he intended to resist the invasion by actively utilising them. Accordingly, he memorialized the throne the urgent need to produce sophisticated cannons and construct military vessels. He also suggested that the fund for them should be provided from the Canton Maritime Customs. His proposal shows his progressiveness in recognizing the Western world, and in this respect he was an exception among Chinese bureaucrats of the time. Emperor Tao-kuang 道光帝, however, rejected with anger Lin's proposals. Treatened by the British expeditionary fleet, the Peking Court had to relieve him of the imperial commission, and he was deported to Ili 伊犁. At that time, he envisioned aprotracted struggle in case the Chinese resistance policy would fail and Chinese coast would be occupied by the British force, using the interior provinces of Hupeh, Shensi and Szuchwan as bases.