Zhang Juzheng’s Strategy Of Governing The Border Areas And Its Practical Research

In the Ming dynasty,ethnic minorities in border areas had a profound influence on the regime of the Ming dynasty,especially in Mongol and Manchu.Therefore,every ruler or important ministers in cabinet of the Ming dynasty all attached great importance to the formulation and implementation of the border policy.From Hongwu period and Yongle period to cabinet’s“Three Yang” at the beginning of Zhengtong,then to Gaogong,Juzheng Zhang and others are very distinctive in the formulation and implementation of the border policy during Longqing-wanli period.Among them,Juzheng Zhang,the head of the cabinet during the Longqing-wanli period,can be regarded as the representative,the border policy he formulated and implemented was so distinctive in theory and practice,and later proved to be pretty effective in the process of implementation.From the perspective of time line,the ethnic relations in the border areas of the Ming dynasty became more complicated during Longqing-wanli period,exactly when Mongol came over and the Qing dynasty sprang up.The existing border policy didn’t fit the needs of the Ming dynasty,in this context,in order to maintain the feudal rule of the Ming dynasty,Juzheng Zhang reform organization assessed the situation and carried out the reform of the border policy of the Ming dynasty on the basis of the old system,making further improvement and extension.That is,under the guidance of the thoughts of "external control,internal defense","play off one power against another,divide and conquer","eastern restriction,western conciliation" etc,with these thoughts,a series of border strategies were implemented,which took present tribute and trading as the core,military defense as the main axis,and disintegrate as the means."From the relationship between knowledge and practice,generally speaking,thought first,practice later,and practice is governed or influenced by thought." Hence,from the perspective of administrative border strategy and later practice to reflect the development of the governance of the neighboring areas or the relationships withinner ethnic minorities in the Ming dynasty,which can help researchers make a comprehensive understanding,grasp and solve the various academic points of view about the border governance theory,the theoretical study,broaden the academic horizon of researchers further.Besides,through the study of Juzheng Zhang’s administrative border strategy and its practice,it is helpful to outline the evolution track of the border relations of the Ming dynasty in the late time comprehensively and systematically,so as to analyze and understand the external causes of the extinction of Ming dynasty further,which is of certain significance.In addition,from the perspective of dialectical materialism,Juzheng Zhang’s strategy of governing the border and the practice of his strategy of it were the main contradictions in whether the Ming dynasty could continue its rule when he were the head of cabinet.Therefore,we should grasp the principal contradiction of affairs and its main aspects,which is of great significance to deeply study Juzheng Zhang’s strategy of governing the border,and it can provide theoretical support and experience for China to govern the border,handling the relations between domestic and foreign ethnic minorities,between domestic and foreign ethnic minorities,and maintain social stability.