Queen¡¯s academics explore the life and work of Sir Robert Hart
20/06/2019
Academics are exploring the life and work of Sir Robert Hart (1835-1911), Inspector General of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs from 1863 to 1908, through an historical research project at Queen¡¯s University Belfast.
Originally from Portadown in Northern Ireland, Sir Robert Hart was a key figure in China¡¯s nineteenth-century history and its relations with the West. He was the most senior Westerner in China¡¯s metropolitan bureaucracy in the later nineteenth century, a position which gave him daily access to China¡¯s highest officials in the Grand Council and Zongli Yamen.
During his forty-five years as Inspector General, Hart built the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs (CIMC) into the first Western-style administrative institution in China. He also helped to establish the postal service, lighthouses and other key elements of China¡¯s infrastructure. He played a crucial role in China¡¯s imperial politics, significantly influencing its internal reform and diplomatic policy.
Dr Emma Reisz and Dr Aglaia De Angeli, from the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen¡¯s are leading the Sir Robert Hart Project at Queen¡¯s University Belfast.
Speaking about their findings Dr Reisz, Principal Investigator, said: ¡°The historical links between our part of the world and China are complex, and had a long afterlife in China. Sir Robert Hart¡¯s story shows how someone from a small town in Co. Armagh could go on to exert a huge influence in world affairs. This project allows us to explore the long history of our connections with the rest of the world.¡±
¡°Our team is working with Special Collections in the Queen¡¯s University Library on diary transcription and other unique archival materials in order to learn more about Sir Robert Hart¡¯s life and work.¡±
The Hart Collection at Queen¡¯s University Belfast is a major source of information about Sir Robert Hart and about Sino-Western relations in the late Qing period. The Sir Robert Hart Project at °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï includes the transcription and publication of Hart¡¯s diaries in 77 volumes and other elements of the Hart collection, with key elements available online.
The Sir Robert Hart Project at Queen¡¯s is cooperating with the Institute of Modern History in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing and with the China Customs Museum, Beijing on the research project.
Recently, a group of primary 7 school pupils from the in Portadown made a documentary about the man whom their primary school is named after, in collaboration with the and supported by the . The pupils visited Queen¡¯s University Belfast to learn more about Sir Robert Hart and the documentary was screened at , with Consul Li Changhua of the in attendance.
Speaking about the history project with Sir Robert Hart Memorial Primary School, David Weir, from said: ¡°Our visits to Queen¡¯s University Belfast were undoubtedly the highlight of our project. The opportunity for the pupils to view the Sir Robert Hart archival collection and meet the University¡¯s Hart experts not only increased their understanding of Sir Robert Hart¡¯s life, but also showed them the value of archives and the skills required to be a researcher.
¡°A truly inspiring experience, the visits to Queen¡¯s have stayed with the pupils with many hoping to return in future to study at the University.¡±
For more information on the Sir Robert Hart Project, please visit: