| The ancient history of Yellow River governance in China is long,and officials for river governance also appeared earlier.The development of the river governance system gradually improved.During the Qing and Ming dynasties,a river governor was established to oversee the dredging of embankments along the Yellow,Yunzhou,and Yongding rivers.The Governor of the River,also known as the General River,has gone through three stages: ruling the entire river,zoning governance,and gradually abolishing it.The frequent institutional changes indicate the dilemma faced by the Qing court,namely the dilemma of unified and divided governance of the Yellow River.Among them,the Governor of Hedong River,also known as the Governor of Donghe River,who was responsible for the Yellow River and Yunhe Rivers in Shandong,Henan,and other regions,had the longest existence and was almost consistent with the founding of the Qing Dynasty.It was an important entry point for studying the governance of the Yellow River in the late Qing Dynasty and analyzing the decline of river governance.The governance of the Yellow River is a government affair directly responsible by the river governor.In the early and middle stages of the Qing Dynasty,the highest decision-making power in river affairs was held by the emperor,and the river governor was an official responsible for policy implementation,achieving good results in river management.As the emperor’s ability was insufficient,as the executor of institutional guarantees,the river governor inherited the emperor’s orders and was subordinate to the people,making him the hub of river management.His ability was particularly important for the governance of the Yellow River.The article first sorts out the position setting of Donghe Governor General from the institutional perspective,and then starts with two aspects: group structure and personnel changes.It conducts statistical analysis of Donghe Governor General during the late Qing Dynasty,summarizes the general characteristics of Donghe Group,and analyzes its impact on the governance of the Yellow River.Secondly,through the analysis and research of the case of Li Yumei’s Yellow River governance and two important crevasse blocking projects,the role of the Governor of the Donghe River in the Yellow River governance is demonstrated.Finally,pay attention to the performance of rulers,river governors,and local governors in the face of constantly declining river governance,and analyze the complex situation of Yellow River governance in the late Qing Dynasty.Through statistical analysis of the group structure and personnel changes of the Governor General of Donghe during the late Qing Dynasty,it is known that he is still an old bureaucrat nurtured by traditional Confucianism,with many negative characteristics,such as a high age of service and worrying health conditions;The term of office is relatively short,and the policy of governing rivers is short.These will have adverse effects on the governance of the Yellow River.In the face of the wave of modernization,although there have been occasional technological innovations and the introduction of modern means by river governors to govern the river,the group characteristics of the Donghe Governor General have affected the governance actions,resulting in non adherence to established rules,assistance in solving problems,and adherence to the old ways.The emergence of new ideas and the application of new technologies face numerous difficulties.The situation in the late Qing Dynasty was complex,and the Qing court’s ruling power declined.It could only control military,financial,and other affairs related to the stability of national rule.The functions of the Governor of Donghe and the Governor of Shandong and Henan overlapped.During the late Qing Dynasty,when the river government was declining,the river officials and local officials compromised and shirked responsibility.The Qing court naturally willingly entrusted the governance of the Yellow River,which was a public function of the country,to the local governors.He Zheng lost his former position and gradually became a peripheral matter.In the 28 th year of the Guangxu reign(1902),with the dismissal of the Governor General of Donghe,there were no more specialized officials in the management of the Yellow River,and the situation of the Yellow River still remained unchanged. |
