Study On Yan Mao,Jilin General (1896-1899)

In April of the 22 nd year of Guangxu’s reign(1896),Yan Mao succeeded Chang Shun as General of Jilin.At that time,shortly after China’s defeat in the Sino Japanese War of1894-1895,the Jilin army needed to be reorganized,and border defense affairs became increasingly important;The Tsarist Russia took the opportunity to request the Qing government to build the Eastern Provincial Railway in Jilin and other places.A large number of refugees from the border entered Jilin.At this time,Jilin was short of money,inconvenient to circulate,and its economy was increasingly declining;"It is difficult to collect tribute locally,the relationship between people and land is tense,the flag people are at odds,and the roving bandits are rioting.The newly awarded general faces many difficulties.".After arriving,under the auspices of Yan Mao,a series of governance measures were launched to address the above issues.In the field of military affairs,Yanmao planned border defense work,dealt with misdeeds of officers and soldiers,tightened military discipline,and increased investment in the manufacture of ordnance;deploying the army,preparing and training the Jilin New Army,and raising the Ten Banners Military Academy have trained talents for the Qing court,strengthened and improved the military operational capabilities of the Jilin Border Defense Army,and were able to effectively respond to emergencies within their jurisdiction.In terms of handling foreign affairs,Yan Mao was responsible for handling many issues related to the "Eastern Province Railway" with Tsarist Russia locally,striving to protect China’s resources,blocking the Tsarist Russia’s plunder of Jilin’s forests,land,minerals,and other resources,negotiating with the Tsarist Russia regarding the Russian occupation of land in Jilin,and actively addressing issues related to the immigration of refugees from the Korean Peninsula.In terms of rectifying the economy,due to the extremely poor economic situation in Jilin,Yan Mao had been trying to rectify the situation from the beginning of his appointment to the25 th year of Guangxu’s reign(1899),when he stepped down as Jilin General.Through setting up the Jilin Yongheng Official Post Bureau,casting new money,rectifying and expanding the Jilin Machinery Bureau,collecting taxes on local drugs,and actively supporting the establishment of factories in the Jilin region,Jilin’s economy was able to recover and develop.In terms of governance,Yan Mao stabilized the local social order in Jilin by properly managing the flag people,formulating standardized regulations for Baojia,organizing regimental training to suppress bandits,concurrently managing the issue of hunting livestock and collecting tribute from the Wula Yamen,handling the case of famine and legacy of the previous Jilin General,and promoting the development of various resources in the Jilin region.During his reign in Jilin,Yan Mao handled many affairs properly,maintaining the stability of the Jilin region as possible,safeguarding the rights and interests of the Qing government to the maximum extent,avoiding several conflicts with Russia,and maintaining the stability of the Qing government’s rule in the Jilin region,which had an important positive impact on Jilin.At the same time,due to his status as the ruling class,there was a lack of thorough government consolidation,sacrificing the interests of the people of Jilin and other limitations.However,it is undeniable that Yan Mao did his best to maintain the stable operation of Jilin society,promote the development of Jilin modernization,and do his best as a Jilin General.