Web of Power: How Elite Networks Shaped War and Politics in China*.

This article examines how the personal elite networks of Zeng Guofan, a scholar-official who organized the Hunan Army to suppress the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), influenced both regional war mobilization and the postwar distribution of political power in Qing China. Using detailed historical data on elite connections formed through the Civil Service Exam system and kinship ties, the study finds that counties with more prewar elites linked to Zeng experienced significantly higher soldier deaths during the war and subsequently gained disproportionate representation in national-level offices. This shift contributed to a more localized and less balanced national power distribution, with long-lasting effects on elite influence and state capacity. The findings highlight the role of micro-level elite networks in shaping macro-level political economy outcomes, illustrating how war mobilization facilitated by personal networks can alter the trajectory of state power and elite autonomy.