Research On The Provisions And Funds For Army Of The Ming Dynasty In The Later Stage Of The Imijin War (1597-1598)

The Imjin War, which occurred in the late 16th century, had a profound effect on Ming Dynasty, Japan and Choson. When Japan launched a full-scale invasion to Choson, Ming dispatched the army to help Choson resist Japan with the requirement of Choson. As Ming army marched to the front, the problem of provisions and funds for troops became one of the most urgent ones to be solved. The condition of military supply will not only affect the combat, but even exert a direct impact on the direction of the war. After Japan’s re-invasion of Choson in 1597, Ming and Choson took a series of measures to guarantee the supply of forage of Ming army, in order to deal with the supply problems occurred at the beginning of the war. Besides, Ming and Choson negotiated with each other on the supply of forage. However, Chinese scholars have rarely written dissertations on the theme. Although Korean scholars discussed this question, they deemed that the supply of forage from Choson for Ming army had a bad effect on the accommodation of Choson army, even led to the disintegration of the Choson’s army. Therefore, basing on radical reform, it is necessary to review materials of this question in order to conduct academic dialogues with Korean scholars.This paper is dedicated to the question of provisions and funds for Ming troops in the later stage of the Imjin War(1597-1598). And the author attempt to discuss the procedure of Ming-Choson’s cooperation on the military supply problems of Ming’s army under the tributary system. Firstly, this paper explores the measures of the raise and transport of forage. Secondly, it discusses in detail the negotiations between Ming and Choson about the supply of forage for Ming army. Thirdly, the paper examines problems in the course of provisions and funds supply and ends with a conclusion that it’s because employing inappropriate people and ineffective organization and management that difficulties arose on the supply of forage.In a word, neither Ming dynasty nor Choson could solve the problem of Ming army’s forage supply alone, which contributes to the cooperation of them. During the war, Ming and Choson need to keep a balance between moral obligation and national interests in the background of tributary system. Although the tributary system was the bond between Ming and Choson, it rarely defined on concrete events. So it needs coordinate temporarily. During the negotiation about the concrete events, Ming and Choson would alienate part of their interests in order to cooperate well.