The Vassal And Local Society Of Henan In The Ming Dynasty

The issue of the vassal is an important entry point to understand and research the history of the Ming Dynasty, this thesis takes the Henan vassal as the research object, by means of discussing the various relationships between Henan vassal and local society, and then comprehend the impact which brought by the vassal in Henan, and also understand the vassal’s function in the Ming Dynasty. Since1370AD, Zhu yuanzhang began to subinfeudate successively across the country, because of Henan’s important geographical position, from1381AD that Zhuxiao was subinfeudated in Kaifeng to1641AD that Zhu changxun was subinfeudated in Luoyang, there were11princes were subinfeudated in Henan one after another. Before Jingnan Battle (1399-1402), the vassals had huge power, they not only had local dominion but also had enormous millitary power. After Jingnan Battle the Ming government carried out rigorous vassal forbidden to the vassals, so that any two princes should not meet in person.When the princes were subinfeudated in Henan, it brought serious influence to the local society, it mainly displayed in the mushroom appropriation and farmland and the commercial activities and vassal crime.Firstly, because of the special treatment and rigorous vassal forbidden, the vassals attempted and accomplished nothing in political, but they were fond of women, so that the population explosion in the imperial clan and appropriation rising quickly, the finance of local and central government were exhausted in the mid-to late of the Ming Dynasty. The Zhongwei and princes were afforded200-10000Dan as an official’s salary, they not only didn’t take the four occupations, but also their general expenses were undertaken by the local governments, the official’s salary brought serious burden to the local governments, at the same time it also brought great pressure to the government’s finance, meanwhile it accelerated the Ming’s destruction.Secondly, before the princes built the fiefs the emperor granted their a large number of manors,after they built the fiefs, the vassals used their privilege and other patterns to buy and seize and scrounge to expand their fiefs, so that one half of the field were ensphered to the vassals’ scope, the refugee were increased day by day, this status brought serious unrest to the local stability of Henan.Thirdly, the vassals used their privilege to go into business,and monopolyed price and controled markets,they seriously hindered the normal market order and the economic deveolopment of Henan, as a result the central and local financial were greatly reduced. Fourthly, when the vassals built their fiefs, they commited a crime in local place, they not only snatched people’s wives and daughters and trespassed fields and robbed others’ property but also indiscriminated people, so they brought serious disaster to the local society.In the meantime, because of the vassals’ good living condition and favourable education, the Henan vassals made remarkable achievement in literature and history and poetry and calligraphy and music and medicine and other aspects, emerged in large numbers of great scientists such as Zhu zaiyu.