Epidemics Of Hubei And Hunan Province In Ming Qing Dynasty:Geographical Distribution,Their Factors,and Social Responses

The outbreak and spread of epidemics is a complicated phenomenon appearing in the interplay course of nature and human society. The Hubei and Hunan provinces of China were areas most seriously affected by the epidemic in Ming Qing Dynasties. This paper analyzes the spatial and temporal distribution of epidemic, and the involving factors. In addition it elaborates on the control methods adopted by the government, local authorities, gentry(绅士) and people of Hubei and Hunan provinces during the outbreaks. For this purpose, this study is geographically dividing the Provinces of Hubei and Hunan into the plain (Jianghan — Dongting Lake regions) —foothills areas and mountainous areas.The plain—foothills areas have faced many epidemics during Ming Qing Dynasties, especially with some explosions in 1580s,1640s,1700s,1820s, and 1830s. Usually these epidemics followed some natural disaster. Epidemics in Ming dynasty were mostly due to the draught brought by the global cold climate change (aka the little ice age). In contrast, the Qing dynasty’s epidemics can be typically attributed to frequent deluges as a result of the development of polders(垸田) in plain areas, and the soil erosion caused by exploitation of mountainous areas. In this paper, the analysis of the epidemic in plain-foothills areas focuses especially on 1640 and 1832.Toward the end of Ming dynasty, the plague outbreaks in the northern China (华北), such as Hebei(河北), Henan (河南), and Shandong(山东), spread into the south, including the plain areas of the Hubei and Hunan provinces. The movement of Li Zicheng’s(李自成) and Zhang Xianzhong’s (张 献忠) revolt into the Hubei and Hunan provinces, evidence of the rats’mass migration and death, the relation of flees with cold and dry climates, and the high human death toll in 1640s suggest that the raging epidemic of plain areas at that time was the plague. In the 1820s, cholera broke out and spread in china through the trade routes. The 1832’s epidemic in Hubei and Hunan Provinces spread explosively after disastrous floods in plain areas (Jianghan-Dongting Lake regions), suggesting that perhaps the epidemic was due to the water-borne cholera germ.In contrast, the epidemic in mountainous areas of Hubei and Hunan closely relate to the landscape and political situation. Southern mountains of Hunan areas experienced one of the highest epidemic rates due to its unique natural geographical environment. The bad air distribution was believed to be the cause of the Miasma endemic(瘅疫) in the mountainous areas (the so—-called miasma theory:瘴气). However, the endemic, caused by the malaria, started shrinking with deforestation as a result of the cold climate change toward the end of Ming dynasty and the continuous exploitation of mountainous areas throughout the Qing dynasty. On the other hand, the destruction of forests and change of ecological environment lead to frequent flood disasters, followed by series of epidemics. Also mountainous areas were less secure due to crime and theft and politically less stable, with frequent rebellions, and riots of official, with the outbreak of epidemic usually following each revolt. And this affects government’s reaction to epidemic in mountainous areas.In the mountainous areas, the Smallpox was quite rampant during Ming Qing period. Previous to this period, the geographic remoteness, and low level of population prevented the outbreak of smallpox in the mountainous areas, and as a result people didn’t developed immunity; however, the population growth during Ming Qing period, and immigration, brought the smallpox to the mountainous areas, and the population also reached a certain level that was enough for cyclic rampant of Smallpox in these areas. Additionally, because of lack of immunity the result was more devastating for the mountainous areas. At the same time, although the medicine for Smallpox was relatively developed in the Hubei and Hunan province during the Ming Qing period, this sort of remedy was not popularized because of the economic backwardness in these areas. The cholera outbreaks in 1820s was another problem for these areas, which spread into Hunan province through the trade routes with Guangdong(广东) Province.Finally this paper compares the control methods adopted by the government, local authorities, and gentry(绅士) between the plain areas and mountain areas of Hubei and Hunan provinces at the time of epidemic.While we assumed that the treatment and prevention of epidemics should have been important for Chinese governments, a little attention was paid to this matter during Ming Qing period. On the other hand, the Ming—Qing governments’ policy about natural disaster and famine was quite successful. Particularly, the Hubei and Hunan plains were very important for Ming Qing Dynasties, since they were major sources of food supply. Therefore, in the case of natural disaster these regions received a quick assistance from governments, which helped with the control of epidemic that follows such disasters, even though the aim wasn’t for epidemic. The gentry also played an important role; particularly in times when governments were less effective, by contribution of grain, proving prayer, etc. Despite such assistances from government, local authorities, and gentry, people continued to believe in popular believes, because of epidemic was regarded as punishment by God; however, the popular beliefs at these areas were kind of City God (城隍神), etc, which actually worked in favor of the government, and to some extent provided regional stabilityOn the other hand, the mountainous areas were much less important than plains to the central government and were mostly discriminated at. And also these areas were considered troubled areas and were harder to control because of frequency of unrest, rebellion, and riots by official. Epidemic outbreaks were often following each riot; however, the central governments did not pay attention to treatment of those epidemics and just focused on suppressing the riot situation came forth, which resulted in the shortage of supply and medicine. Because of limitation of resource the local authorities and gentry were also less effective in providing help. Therefore, religious beliefs, such as Nuo ritual (傩), witchcraft tradition (巫术), and popular religion (kind of white lotus society 白莲教), played an important role in mountainous areas people’s life, which further threatened the control of government.