Disaster And Politics Of Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty is a Dynasty with frequent disasters , which has 5000 many times natural disasters in its 277 years of history .This figure has far more than statistics which the former scholars did , and truly create new records. The Ming Dynasty not only has characteristics of multi-quantities and high frequency, but also showing features of a wide spatial dispersion, uneven geographical distribution, the latter period more than the prometaphase, and the North serious than the South, and so on. Apart from natural and ecological factors, political factors, such as political corruption, the weakening of ability to deal with disasters, the dilapidated irrigation works, improper policies, have exert an important influence on frequent and severe disasters.For preparation and relief of disasters, the Ming Dynasty formulated a set of mechanism on the basis of inheriting previous Dynasties. It can be said that famine policies of the Ming Dynasty is quite complete , even have reached a degree of perfection at that time . It is not only protection system of preparation and relief of disasters, simultaneously is also the important content of construction of political system .In Ming Dynasty, in the process of gradually development of anti-calamity, legislation of relief measures strengthen progressively, and the monitoring of anti-calamity tends to consolidate. However, the Ming Dynasty's relief measures also have some defects, such as rigid system, the lengthy process , and so on. In the late Ming Dynasty ,with deteriorating financial situation, warehouses for saving shortage are getting weaker . The worsening of political corruption makes the relief measures useless. Therefore , the characteristics of relief policies can not play an effective role, preparedness and relief work also lose their Safeguard function.Disaster has a impact on the local governments of the Ming Dynasty , which has also affecting preparedness and relief work , and ultimately affect the frequency and hazards of disasters. In the Ming Dynasty, disaster still be regarded as the punishment by God , so , rulers are very sensitive to frequent, serious disasters . In the face of political task of eliminating disasters, under the thought of "Rectifying the human affairs, Elimination of natural disasters", they look upon rectifying local governments as the important work. The government has not only strengthened selection and evaluation of relief officials , but also very concerned about corruption in the relief. Under the influence of "The theory of Calamity Punishments by Nature ", the government takes initiative measures to strengthen the consolidation of local governments in the entire society. At the same time, in the promotion of official views on disasters and in the traditions of resignation because of disasters, it makes the adjustment of personnel. While this kind of adjustment does not have a decisive role in the building of local governments, under the deterrent of "The theory of Calamity punishments by Nature" , its impact often oversteps the scope and object which the daily law and the system defined , and its influence does not allow to be looked down upon. Conversely, the degree of clean government has great relations with the disaster. In an honest and clean government, officials at all levels will be actively involved in preparation and relief disaster. As a result , frequency of disasters reduce gradually, or make the disaster to be harmless. In the late period , under the condition of political corruption, officials neglecte people's plight, fail to perform their duties, even graft and fill their own pockets. All those lead to abnormal situation.Disaster also spurred the evolution of political situation. As a abnomal events, after the occurrence of disasters, especially a serious disaster, the daily political events or activities are often disturbed. Under the influence of "The theory of Calamity punishments by Nature", for elimating disaster, the emperors often actively or passively pull the powers in their hands . Consequently, disaster plays the role of restraint and supervision of imperial power. In addition, the Ministers also use disaster as a political resources and means. By the opportunities of stating views on disasters, they pointed out the evils of the times, or impeach officials, or attack the enemies, and achieve their own political objectives. Under these circumstances, it seems that the disaster has already surpassed its original natural attributes, and becomes a kind of political resources and means, or political tool, finally influence and impetus the development of political situation. From the political history of the Ming Dynasty, the influence of disaster can be seen from some political events ,such as cancellation and establishment of Xichang in Chenghua , fight of top officials in Jiajing, right in the hands of Zhang Juzheng at the beginning of the Wanli, or struggle for removement of the mine tax in Wanli. Although this kind of influence and the impetus are not the only evolutional factor of political situation, it really can not be ignored . It looks like a pair of visible or invisible hand to promote the evolution of political situation of Ming Dynasty.The disaster has created serious social agitation , and overthrow Ming Dynasty's rule finally .Before the medium stage, disaster is inferior to the late in the destructive power. However, in special historical conditions , it still intensifies the contradiction, forms the refugee issue, even develop a large-scale uprising, seriously weakened the government's ruling foundation. In the late , tragic famines ,which in particular in the end of the Ming dynasty , drought, locusts and epidemic disaster happened at the same time , made the entire political situation uncontrollable .The northern part of Shanxi outbroke peasant uprising, then burnt over almost the whole of China. Under the continually promotion of serious disasters, peasant uprising army gradually grew, and ultimately overthrown the rule of the Ming Dynasty ,which fully showed the impact of disasters on the social politics.In short, disaster and politics influence each other. Frequency of disasters has the role of political factors, anti-calamity building itself is an integral part of political system. What's more, disaster has a profound impact on local governments, evolution of political situation , social agitation , and so on. All those will undoubtedly promote the course of history in the Ming Dynasty.