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 tions exercised a great influence on Chinese thought and would continue to do so if they had been composed in the vernacular style. The eminent place which Sa Chên-ping and others took in the naval service established the tradition of appointing natives of Fukien to the most important positions.

Shên Pao-chen was Director General of the Arsenal from 1867 to 1874, with three years' leave (1870–72) owing to the death of his father. After he resigned from his post, the ship administration gradually deteriorated owing to the fact that the Court had no strong desire to develop a modern navy—the funds allotted to the Navy Yard being both inadequate and undependable, and those in charge being not so capable or honest as Shên.

In 1874 Shên Pao-chên was ordered to inspect conditions in Formosa where some shipwrecked sailors from the Loochoo Islands had been killed by independent tribes of the mountains three years previously. Japan, assuming suzerainty over the Loochoos, demanded redress for the death of her subjects. To support her demands she sent (1873) an expedition to Formosa. Before long Shên reached the Island and punished the tribes; more Chinese soldiers were later dispatched, and secret preparations were made for war. After long negotiations an agreement was signed (October 31, 1874) whereby Japan agreed to withdraw her forces and China paid to Japan an indemnity of half a million taels. Thereupon Shên memorialized the throne to reorganize the government of Formosa, develop the backward areas of the country, build fortresses, and establish several new cities. When affairs in Formosa were readjusted Shên was promoted (May 1875) to governor-general of Kiangsu, Kiangsi and Anhwei—acting concurrently as superintendent of trade for the southern ports. This appointment, it is said, struck terror into the hearts of the established personnel who had reason to respect his probity and strictness in the conduct of public affairs. True to his reputation, he quickly altered the existing corrupt and slack atmosphere. While in this office he begged the Emperor to reduce the land tax of some cities in Kiangsu. He forbade the planting of opium, and discouraged excessive expenditures for funerals. In 1878 he memorialized the throne to abolish the official examination for military degrees, but this suggestion was not acted upon. He was also very strict in suppressing bandits, and during his tenure there was peace, order, and good administration in his jurisdiction. He died in 1879 and was granted posthumously the title of Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, was honored with a tablet in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen, and was canonized as Wên-su 文肅. In 1886 his portrait was hung in the Tzŭ-kuang ko (see under ). His memorials to the throne were collected under the title Shên Wên-su kung chêng-shu (公政書), 7 chüan (1880).

[1/419/45, 513/21b; 2/53/34b; 5/27/13b; 8/17 上/1a; 21/10/8a; 船政奏議彙編 Ch'uan-chêng tsou-i hui-pien, 54 chüan (1888); Fukien t'ung-chih (1922); "Development of the Foochow Arsenal" (in Chinese), Tsinghua hsüeh-pao (Tsinghua Journal) vol. 8, no. 1 (1932); Giquel, Prosper, The Foochow Arsenal and its Results, 1867–1874, trans. by H. Lang, Shanghai, 1874]

2em

 SHÊN Ping-chên 沈炳震, Feb. 24, 1679–1738, Jan. 22, scholar and historian, was a native of Kuei-an, Chekiang. In 1736 he and his youngest brother, Shên Ping-ch'ien 沈炳謙, were recommended as suitable competitors in the po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ examination of that year (see under ). Although neither was successful, Shên Ping-chên's scholarship attracted wide recognition in the capital. Of all the competitors, he had been most active as a writer. One of his most valuable works was a comparative study of the old and new official histories of the T'ang dynasty, entitled 新舊唐書合鈔 Hsin-chiu T'ang-shu ho-ch'ao, in 260 chüan, which was presented to the throne by about 1743. This work was published in 1871 with a supplement of 18 chüan, with corrigenda. When, in 1739, the government initiated the re-editing of the Twenty-one Dynastic Histories (二十一史 Êr-shih-i-shih, completed and printed in 1747), the Hsin-chiu T'ang-shu ho-ch'ao was frequently consulted, and parts of it were incorporated in the editorial notes. In consequence of this re-editing, the Twenty-one Dynastic Histories were increased to twenty-three by the addition of the newly-completed 明史 Ming-shih and the older of the two histories of the T'ang dynasty, 舊唐書 Chiu T'ang-shu. The so-called Twenty-four Dynastic Histories did not appear until the recovery of the Chiu Wu-tai shih (see under ).

Another contribution of Shên Ping-chên to the study of history was the 卄一史四譜 Nien-i shih ssŭ p'u, in 54 chüan, which was printed in the Kuang-ya ts'ung-shu (see under  644