The Jiang’s Clan Construction And Local Society Of Ming And Qing Dynasties In Quanzhou,Guangxi

This article takes Jiang’s clan in Quanzhou in Guangxi during the Ming and Qing Dynasties as the research object.By discussing the clan structure of several Jiang’s branches,we examine the clan structure and local society conditions in this area during this period.Jiang is a most populous surname in Quanzhou,and the population accounts for a quarter of the total number of people in the county.In the mid-Ming Dynasty,taking advantage of the historical opportunity provided by Jiajing’s “Great Ceremony Discussion”,Jiang Mian,who was the chief assistant of the cabinet,first started the construction activities of Jiang’s clan,and Jiang’s branches followed one after another.Following the general situation of the country’s relaxation of ritual sacrifices,the Jiang’s branches began to “implement the national ancestor worship system” by repairing genealogy,building ancestral halls,and tombs,and roughly established the ancestors of the clan who moved to Quanzhou,and completed the construction of the clan.However,in the Ming Dynasty,the Jiang’s clan construction was carried out by each branch independently,and the ancestors of each branch were not far behind the legendary Jiang Wan,the nominal founder of the Jiang’s clan in Quanzhou.During the change of Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasties,the whole prefecture suffered repeated military disasters,and fields,buildings,ancient books and records were all destroyed.The clan-building activities that prospered in the middle and late Ming also turned into a low ebb and even stagnated.In the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods of the Qing Dynasty,the government gradually paid attention to the social ruling function of the clan in the local society,and even established the clan righteousness from the government level,which directly combined the political power and clan power,and used the clan power to maintain the local social order.The aristocratic families in Quanzhou County catered to the moral and ethics advocated by the state,actively integrated into the official ideology in the construction of the clan,and began their own establishment in the new dynasty.Under the urging of the general situation,the various branches of the Jiang’s clan gradually have the intention to unite.The first is to determine a common ancestor,namely Jiang Wan as the founding ancestor,so the genealogy books of the various ethnic branches are smoothly connected to the founding ancestor Jiang Wan.Secondly,Jiang Wan’s ancestral hall was built in the county seat,and Jiang Mian’s ancestral hall was built together.In this way,the whole clan has a fixed place when offering sacrifices or discussing matters.Finally,a clan and a set of genealogy were combined,referring to the genealogies of other branches of the Jiang family outside Quanzhou.Finally,a clan and a set of genealogies are combined,referring to the genealogies of other branches of Jiang’s clan outside Quanzhou,from Jiang Wan up to the ancestor of the Jiang’s clan,Boling.After the establishment of Jiang’s large clan,clan people began to influence local society either individually or collectively.This is manifested in three points: The first is the political influence on local society.By maintaining local social order and infiltrating local bureaucratic systems,Jiang’s clan members began to fully participate in the governance of local society’s grassroots affairs,directly or indirectly seeking rights and interests that benefited the clan,especially when competing with other clans for natural resources to obtain the protection of the government.The second is the cultural interaction between the Jiang’s clan and the local society.In the clan,it is also reflected in the emphasis on traditional Confucian education and the promotion of the values of imperial examination and officialdom.Externally,it is manifested in actively adapting to the government’s educational reform and maintaining the local social order.The third is the mutual marriage and friendship between the local clans,through marriage to form blood-related alliances.With the aid of each other’s cultural,political and economic mutual assistance,extensively participate in the affairs of local politics and social life.