Establishment Of Three Counties In Chuzhou And The Development Of Local Community

In the Ming Dynasty Jingtai years, imperial court newly established three counties:Yunhe, Xuanping and Jingning in Chuzhou. This was an administrative measure to control the local society after the Mass uprising in Fujian, Zhejiang province in Zhengtong years. This uprising exposed some problems about mineral theft and weak rule in the mountains of southern Zhejiang and northern Fujian. In the process of the uprising suppression, local gentries and lineages not only cooperated but also struggled with the imperial court. After the suppression, the government tried to establish the routine and stable rule in this area through establishment of new counties. In the process of the construction of three counties, central government, local officers and local gentries were all devoted. Both the division of territory and the selection of the first term local officers reflected the government’s deep consideration to this area.Newly establishment of three counties in Chuzhou prefecture had a great significance for the court’s ruling and local community. From the perspective of local control and enlightenment, local officers devoted themselves to construction of new counties. They made a greater effort compared with the other seven counties of Chuzhou. "Mineral chaos" were not completely solved, but big threaten to the rule no longer formed. Newly establishment of three counties also played a significant role for the growth of gentry class. With the success in the civil service examination and the participation in local affairs, traditional gentry lineage developed after the establishment of new counties. New gentry family also rised in the local and influenced the power structure in local community. According to the gazetteers complied in Ming and Qing dynasties, we can traced the development of new identities based on the county unit.