A Study Of Yunnan Borderland In The Ming Dynasty

Views of frontier are people’s basic views on the frontier, including basic understandings of frontier’s geographical space、the situation of frontier、the nation state、how to deal with the relationship between the central government and the frontier、govern frontier and other aspects of frontier. As ideology, on one hand, views of frontier stems from people’s understandings of frontier’s history and reality, on the other hand, it affects people’s dealing with frontier’s relations and the development of frontiers. Therefore, the discussion on the views of frontier is of course become the important content of the recognition of frontier’s formation and development. Ming Dynasty is the most dramatic periods of the development of social history of the frontier in Yunnan. From the perspective to the views of frontier, discussing the recognition of root causes of social development of the frontier in Yunnan of Ming Dynasty, it not only helps us to understand and appreciate the history of the frontier in Yunnan of Ming Dynasty, but also can provide reference for us to recognize and govern Yunnan frontier today.Views of frontier is a new academic proposition, at present, some scholars have published some papers on the concept of views of frontier and the conditions of views of frontier during certain historical periods, But there is no unified understanding on the concept of views of frontier and other theoretical issues among academic world, there is still lack of monograph research on the views of frontier in Yunnan of Ming Dynasty. In view of this, this article absorbed the existing basic views on the views of frontier and depended on the existing thick research results on the Southwest frontier history among the academic world and collected relevant literature, defined the views of frontier in the basic understanding of Ming rulers of the Yunnan frontier, made a preliminary study of the views of frontier in Yunnan of Ming Dynasty.This paper is divided into three chapters,taking Hong Wu years’suppressing Yunnan、three expeditions to the Lu Chuan In the Zheng Tong years and Sino-Burmese conflict in Wan Li years as important starting parts, Superficially explored the views of frontier in Yunnan of Ming rulers in The early Ming Dynasty(Hong Wu～Xuan De period1368～1435)、Mid-Ming Dynasty (Zheng Tong～Zheng De period1436～1521) and the late Ming Dynasty(Jia Jing-Chong Zhen period1522～1644). This dissertation combining historical background with historical influence, basically outlines the history development skeleton of Ming Dynasty views of frontier, discuss the three historical periods of Ruler’s Yunnan views of frontier. The early Ming Dynasty’s Yunnan borderland concepts main performance this territory concepts which Yunnan since the Han Dynasty is belong to China, the ruling Yunnan’s concepts is which loose with strict is moderate and strictness with virtuous is parallel, and the mind is "not only is just administer Yunnan no longer rebellion, but also the most important is let Yunnan don’t have rebellions."; Its principal contents of the borderland concepts is the discuss of Luchuan in the middle of Ming Dynasty, go on a punitive expedition or don’t come into being two views, at last the view of go on a punitive expedition gain victory. The three times to subjugate the Luchuan in Zhengtong period has mainly realized the stabilization for the Yunnan borderland., but the conquest has caused effects in politics, military and finance of Ming Dynasty. And it also caused the formation of the negative Yunnan border concepts in the late Ming Dynasty. In the meantime, the view of the social development in the middle Ming Dynasty such as "gradually possess the style of Zhonghua ","equal to the Zhonghua", and the idea of frontier defence which is builded basing on hinderland, frontier and the relationship to the foreign nations,there are also the significant contents of the borderland concepts. The Yunnan border concepts in the late Ming Dynasty has changed to the view which is called "To rely on minorities is to overwhelm minorities",aimed at handling the rebellion which is organizated by the chieftain. And it also changed to the negative idea of frontier defence that is answerable for the Burma’s aggression which is called "with no cure for the cure","treat with no cure".