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This is the first comprehensive collection of letters and telegraphs from the confidential archives of China’s Imperial Maritime Customs Service. These documents bring to light previously unpublished details of the workings of China’s Customs Service in the late Qing Dynasty. All together 3,528 letters and 4,496 telegraphs between Robert Hart and J.D. Campbell have been collected, along with an additional 426 telegraphs between Robert Hart and his brother, James Hart.

Robert Hart (1835-1911), an Englishman, held the post of Inspector General of the Maritime Customs for 50 years (1861-1911). James Duncan Campbell (1833-1907), a confident and close friend of Robert Hart, was selected in 1874 to be Director of the London Office of the Maritime Customs, a post he held for 34 years. He became an important assistant to Robert Hart. During their 34 years of regular correspondence, Hart wrote Campbell about China’s political situation, the diplomatic policies of China’s rulers, business of the Maritime Customs and the general circumstances in China, as well as his personal matters. He also directed Campbell to carry out various secret activities in Europe and Britain for the government of the Qing Dynasty – in diplomatic affairs, in the procuring of foreign loans, arms and warships, as well as in arranging his personal investments and other private matters. Campbell, in return, reported to Hart details of the political and economic situation in Britain and Europe and the coverage by the foreign press on China. The telegraphs between the negotiations and signing of the India-Tibet Treaty.

The information found in this correspondence will, in a broader sense, fill in our understanding of the political and economic situation in late Qing Dynasty. As Hart once wrote to Campbell, “Should these letters … ever be published to the world, they would certainly yield an interesting picture of Chinese and European history from 1874 to 1907.”

ISBN of Volume I: 7-119-01339-4
ISBN of Volume II: 7-119-01389-0
ISBN of Volume III: 7-119-01430-7
ISBN of Volume IV: 7-119-01490-0

【Contents of Four Volumes】

Vol. I

Editor's Note
Preface I
Preface II
Introduction

Years 1874      Letters 1 – 123     Years 1879     Letters 557- 645
         1875                  124 – 226           1880                646 – 764
         1876                  227 – 310           1881                765 – 895
         1877                  311 – 410           1882                896 – 1018
         1878                  411 – 556           1883                1019 – 1150

Vol. II

Years 1884      Letters 1151 – 1279     Years 1890     Letters 1801 – 1903
         1885                  1280 – 1383              1891                1904 – 1997
         1886                  1384 – 1487              1892                1998 – 2108
         1887                  1488 – 1588              1893                2109 – 2223
         1888                  1589 – 1695              1894                2224 – 2344
         1889                  1696 – 1800

Vol. III

Years 1895      Letters 2345 – 2448     Years 1902     Letters 3025 – 3110
         1896                  2449 – 2558              1903                3111 – 3218
         1897                  2559 – 2661              1904                3219 – 3318
         1898                  2662 – 2752              1905                3319 – 3415
         1899                  2753 – 2839              1906                3416 – 3507
         1900                  2840 – 2930              1907                3508 – 3528
         1901                  2931 – 3024

Telegraphs

Years 1874      Letters 1 – 76     Years 1891     Letters 1917 – 2011                           
         1875                  77 – 163           1892                2012 – 2069
         1876                  164 – 252         1893                2070 – 2133
         1877                  253 – 350         1894                2134 – 2369
         1878                  351 – 413         1895                2370 – 2598
         1879                  414 – 480         1896                2599 – 2859
         1880                  481 – 608         1897                2860 – 3184
         1881                  609 – 681         1898                3185 – 3430
         1882                  682 – 765         1899                3431 – 3548
         1883                  766 – 863         1900                3549 – 3692
         1884                  864 – 1032       1901                3693 – 3867
         1885                  1033 – 1453     1902                3868 – 4020
         1886                  1454 – 1536     1903                4021 – 4149
         1887                  1537 – 1696     1904                4150 – 4253
         1888                  1697 – 1914     1905                4254 – 4334
         1889                  1815 – 1856     1906                4335 – 4414
         1890                  1857 – 1916     1907                4415 – 4496
Appendix: Telegraphs between Robert Hart and James Hart

Vol. IV

Notes to the letters
1874     1891
1875     1892
1876     1893
1877     1894
1878     1895
1879     1896
1880     1897
1881     1898
1882     1899
1883     1900
1884     1901
1885     1902
1886     1903
1887     1904
1888     1905
1889     1906
1890     1907
Chronologies of Robert Hart and J. D. Campbell
Official Ranks in the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service
Index I Letters
Index II Telegraphs

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