  We report applications of language technology to analyzing historical
documents in the Database for the Study of Modern Chinese Thoughts and
Literature (DSMCTL). We studied two historical issues with the reported
techniques: the conceptualization of "huaren" (Chinese people) and the attempt
to institute constitutional monarchy in the late Qing dynasty. We also discuss
research challenges for supporting sophisticated issues using our experience
with DSMCTL, the Database of Government Officials of the Republic of China, and
the Dream of the Red Chamber. Advanced techniques and tools for lexical,
syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic processing of language information, along
with more thorough data collection, are needed to strengthen the collaboration
between historians and computer scientists.
