The Pre-test About The Ministry Of Civil Affairs In The Late Qing Dynasty

At the beginning of the twentieth Century, the Qing government carried out the new deal as a symbol of social reform, among the political system reform is the most important and profound. The Ministry of Civil Affairs was emerged and it was not only an important part of constitutional reform but also an inevitable choice of conforming to the development of social history. As a new department of system reform,the Ministry of Civil Affairs was produced during the debates and conflicts which from different political parties and groups.lt reflected different attitudes of different groups, also reflected the difficult process of political system reform.The Ministry of Civil Affairs is a new product, but keep contract with old system. It was established after reforming and integrating the old system, and most of the Police Ministry’s original institutions、 personnel were retained.In addition the Ministry of Civil Affairs also contained part of the functions about other departments, including Infantry Commander Yamen、HuBu、LiBu and GongBu.On the basis of combination, a new department contained Minzhi、Jingzheng、Yingshan、 Jiangli and Weisheng was set up.It was the first time of establishing a specialized institution for the sake of managing civil affairs.It was established by learning the advanced political system of the west, whether to carry out household survey and construct the police, or to promote local autonomy、improve the social atmosphere and strengthen medical relief; whether to establish specialized administrative organization and found talents training school, or to issue specific laws and provide policy legal basis for solving civil affairs, the Ministry of Civil Affairs had proved important contribution. The establishment of the Ministry of Civil Affairs promoted the development of social reform in the late Qing Dynasty, and it was the embodiment of Chinese society further transformation to modernization.The Ministry of Civil Affairs was a special civil institution with modern significance, however the restriction of that times hindered the further development.Coupled with the unresaonableness of internal mechanism and the division of functions and powers, the central had built specialized institutions, but the local provinces had failed to establish the corresponding agencies.In the past civil affairs often were controled by local governors, the central lack of systematic links with local governments.This phenomenon partly delayed the development of local civil affairs.In view of the Ministry of Civil Affairs had many defects and problems, further reform must continue.