A Study On Duke Yansheng And Its Relationship With Magistrates Of Qufu County In The Ming Dynasty

The title of Duke Yansheng has been around for a long time,and after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty,the title was continued in favor of the descendants of Confucius.The Ming court considered both the use and control of this noble lineage,which had held the title for hundreds of years,and reformed its authority on a stable basis.The fact that the Duke Yansheng was favored by the Ming court in the imperial court represented the Ming court’s attitude of respecting Confucius and emphasizing Confucianism,which was more symbolic than practical;at the local level,it was a long-established lineage,and the Ming court intended to limit its power while granting it certain powers as a sign of favor.Another important official in the Qufu locality was the magistrate of Qufu County.Duke Yansheng had considerable involvement in the selection of the governor and the exercise of his authority.Since the Tang and Song dynasties,most of magistrates of Qufu have been served by the descendants of Confucius.In the Yuan dynasty,magistrates of Qufu County were from the same line of descendants as Duke Yansheng.The Ming Dynasty officially enacted a system of hereditary election for the magistrate of Qufu,allowing more people within the Confucian family the opportunity to serve as governor of Qufu and limiting the power of the Duke Yansheng.The rulers of the Ming dynasty,in order to better govern Qufu County,implemented the strategy of "control by Kong" and reduced the authority of the Duke Yansheng to nominate a governor,from nominating one person from the same clan to abolishing the system of the hereditary governor at one time during the Longqing period,and then restoring it.The choice of the magistrate of Qufu County is in the hands of the Duke Yansheng,but gradually the power is transferred to Education Intendant Circuits,Grand Coordinators,Regional Inspectors and the Ministry of Appointments.The cooperation and conflict between the Duke Yansheng and magistrates of Qufu County at the local level is a full demonstration of the strategy of "controlling Confucius with Confucius".Specifically,they cooperated in supervising local school affairs,maintaining local order,and protecting the Cemetery of Confucius,while at the same time they clashed in collecting taxes,and there was even a case in which Duke Yansheng requested the removal of a magistrate of Qufu County due to a conflict with him over the management of the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius.However,whether the two cooperated or conflicted,they both shared the goal of local stability and development.