Huguang Ming Vassal And Local Community

Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, learning from the earlier dynasties, imitated Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty, to set up the feudal system of enfeoffment. In Ming Dynasty, numerous vassal states were divided to lots of big cities. Zhu Yuanzhang intended to establish an unique suzerain-vassal system, which could have balance between the vassal kings, holding armies, and the emperor, to protect the sovereignty of the royal family. Unfortunately, later emperors inherited this policy, but they greatly changed the content. At that time, the change of the system brought huge impacts to the country's politics, economy, military and social life. Huguang, one of the 13 provincial administrative departments, had a key place in the country's administrative divisions. It has an advantageous geographical position, beautiful landscape, prosperous culture and nice name of "when Huguang has a bumper crop, the country will be free from hunger". During the Ming Dynasty 19 vassal kings and numerous princes were enfeoffed there. This figure occupied about 40% of the total number of vassal princes. Hugang became the an administrative division with the most vassal kings. Such huge vassal princes group made a profound influence to the local politics, economy, social life and culture. Learning the relationship between the feudal system and Hugang local society, we will deeply profit from it.This paper consists of three parts. They are the introduction, the text and the conclusion.The introduction part is mainly clear the topic reasons of this article and the present research situation about this field. Then it make a brief introduction about the feudal enfeoffment system through the Chinese histry.The first chapter will introduce the distribution of the vassal kings in Huguang. In Ming Dynasty,19 vassal kings were granted there, nearly 40% of all vassal kings. Until the end of the Ming Dynasty, the number of the grandchildren of those vassal kings rose up to tens of thousands. Then the chapter will explain the reasons of the result by the Ming central government.The second chapter will state the relationship between the vassal kings in Huguang and the local administration. Except during the period of Zhu Yuanzhang, the two vassal kings, Chu-king and Xiang-king, commanded troops to conquer the barbarian for the stability of the local administration; in other time, those vassal kings attacked the normal rule order and the people's daily life with rebellion for the emperor throne and cruel act to the people. At the same time, most of the local administrators shut their eyes to the behavior of those vassal kings. A few officials against the vassal kings'illegal act were dismissed.The third chapter will elaborated the relationship between the vassal kings and the provincial economic condition. The chapter will make an exposition through five aspects to confirm that the vassal kings in Huguang caused very serious negative influence for the provincial economy, not only brought bad local financial situation, but also hindered the normal commercial operation.The forth chapter will elaborate the relationship between the vassal kings and the local social life. Most of the vassal kings'luxurious and sybaritic life corrupted the social convention; their illegal killing and rage infringed the common people's life and property. Very few of them could obey the law and keep a good relationship with the common people. Anyway, the negative effect by the vassal kings was much bigger than the positive by them.The fifth chapter will state the vassal kings'cultural achievement. The background of the Ming Dynasty imperial clan culture grew was the feudal enfeoffment system and their private hobbies. The Huguang vassal kings made a contribution to the poetry, prose, history, textual criticism, arts (handwriting, painting, music), medicine and book cause (book collection and book engraving). We cannot deny their contribution to the culture because of their negative compact to the other aspects. They played an important role on the Chinese cultural development.The conclusion part will carry on a brief summary to the Ming Dynasty feudal enfeoffment system and provincial society.