The sources and nature of China's transformation from a traditional to a modern society—accelerated in the early twentieth century by the downfall of the Qing dynasty, the advent of foreign technology and increasing commercialization—are critical issues for the study of modern China. In this book, Xin Zhang uses the case of local elites and the power structure of Henan province, in north-central China, to demonstrate how local politics first transformed local society, challenged the state, and eventually influenced change across China.