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.