The Establishment And Evolution Of The Auxiliary Conservation Corps In The Qing Dynasty

Since the capital was moved to Beijing during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty,grain and money in the south had to be transported to the north through the Yellow River and the Grand Canal to meet the food needs of officials and the army.The imperial court set up river officials to ensure the smooth delivery of goods on the river,and to stop losses in the face of emergencies.On the basis of the river affairs system of the Ming Dynasty,the Qing Dynasty was reformed and improved according to the river conditions and transport needs,and then a multi-level river management system was established.In the river affairs system of the Qing Dynasty,the river channel was in the central connection position: the orders of the Governor of the river were accepted,and they were quickly and effectively transmitted to the local management department,which improved the efficiency of river management administratively.The establishment of the post of " Auxiliary Conservation Corps" began in the Ming Dynasty.The Ming Dynasty not only created the Prime Minister's River Channel Yamen as the highest-level river governing body,but also cancelled the Dushuijian,which was inherited from previous generations,and changed it to the Shui Qing official Division,under the jurisdiction of the Central Ministry of labour.And the important place where the chief minister is stationed in each is called Guanhedu Water Department.In addition,the local government set up Auxiliary Conservation Corps.In order to ensure the completion of the river management project,the situation that Auxiliary Conservation Corps and the Guanhedu Water Department were parallel was gradually formed in the Ming Dynasty.After the troops of Qing Dynasty invade the main land of China,following the river management system of the Ming Dynasty,according to the national characteristics of the ruling class,the rulers adjusted the setup and functions of the Guanhedu Water Department to strengthen the management and control of the river.However,during the Kangxi period,the problems of unknown powers and imprints caused by the dual system of Auxiliary Conservation Corps and Guanhedu Water Department became more serious.The court began to abolish the Guanhedu Water Department,restructure the river channel,and completed it in the early years of Yongzheng.The transition from the dual system to the unified system of the Guanhedu Water Department provided a stable and effective institutional guarantee for river management.Although the system of Auxiliary Conservation Corps was established in the middle of the Qing Dynasty,its functions were not the same due to geographical differences.Auxiliary Conservation Corps has different positions based on geographic location and climate season.There are three main specialized river services: Yongding hedao,Hekudao,and Yunhedao.However,the majority of them are Xundao,who is also in charge of channel management and has close ties with local states and counties.He has the responsibility of suppressing local governments.As the political environment changes,the scope of Auxiliary Conservation Corps has also expanded.After the Xianfeng Dynasty,the Qing government struggled to support itself in the political environment of internal and external difficulties and in the financial situation.At the same time,the Yellow river changed its course and the Grand Canal declined.The decline of River goverment became more and more obvious.The river yamen failed and the Auxiliary Conservation Corps was gradually cut.As an important part of river official system and river politics in Qing Dynasty,by sorting out the evolution course of the Auxiliary Conservation Corps,we can map the development history of the Qing Dynasty 's self-inherited predecessor from the side,to adjust and reform,and then to run smoothly.Finally,the development process of the decline and adjustment can be deeply grasped.It is also possible to observe the relationship between professional river managers in the Qing Dynasty and the local patrol channels from the change of the position of the Auxiliary Conservation Corps,and to enhance people's understanding of river regulation in the Qing Dynasty.At the same time,the auxiliary conservation corps of channel setting and functions depends on the situation and time,can also provide a reference for contemporary river governance to a certain extent.