4 ▁August ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁– ▁ 3 0 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 9 ) ▁was ▁a ▁Chinese ▁historian ▁and ▁professor ▁at ▁Nan j ing ▁University , ▁considered ▁a ▁leading ▁authority ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Chinese ▁secret ▁soci eties . ▁He ▁pione ered ▁the ▁research ▁of ▁Ti and ih ui ▁and ▁other ▁secret ▁soci eties ▁using ▁Q ing ▁dynast y ▁arch ives ▁and ▁over turn ed ▁the ▁find ings ▁of ▁earlier ▁Republican - era ▁sch ol ars . ▁He ▁also ▁studied ▁the ▁links ▁between ▁the ▁War l ord ▁Era ▁and ▁band it ry ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁Q ing ▁dynast y ▁and ▁early ▁Republic ▁of ▁China . ▁He ▁received ▁the ▁Freder ic ▁Mil ton ▁Th r ash er ▁Award ▁for ▁his ▁research ▁on ▁Chinese ▁secret ▁soci eties . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁C ai ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁August ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁in ▁H ex ing ▁Township , ▁Ch ang sh u ▁( now ▁part ▁of ▁Z hang ji ag ang ) ▁in ▁Ji ang su ▁province ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁China . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Dan an ▁High ▁School ▁of ▁Ch ang sh u , ▁be ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁the ▁school ▁as ▁a ▁teacher . ▁He ▁entered ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁History ▁of ▁P ek ing ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁and ▁upon ▁gradu ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁teaching ▁assistant ▁to ▁historian ▁Sh ao ▁X un zh eng ▁( <0xE9> <0x82> <0xB5> <0xE5> <0xBE> <0xAA> 正