Question
What were Sun Yat-Sen’s Three Principles ?
Solution
The Manchu empire was overthrown and a republic established in 1911 under Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925) who is unanimously regarded as the founder of modern China. His programme was called the Three Principles (San-min Chui).
These were:
i. nationalism - this meant overthrowing the Manchu who were seen as a foreign dynasty, as well as other foreign imperialists;
ii. democracy or establishing a democratic government; and
iii. socialism regulating capital and equalising landholdings.
