Jiangnan During The Qing, Public Financing Of The Educational Resources Of The Historical Geography Analysis (1644-1911) Configuration

The educational resources of Jiangnan Area,in terms of Xuetian (government-owned farmlands to support Confucian scholars and Binxing(non-government organization to support the examinees) had experienced a steady development until its transformation in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century when the new education system was established in China.The local governments and communities had paid much attention to these profitable resources,which proved to be competent in promoting educational level and pass rate in imperial examination in Jiangnan.Few changes had taken place to the Xuetian system in the area as a whole.However,the scales of those government-owned farms varied in different localities.In Huzhou and Hangzhou,whose geographic features were defined by hills,more farmlands were needed than in Taihu Plain. Mainly,the Xuetian farmlands in Qing Dynasty was the heritage of the Xuetian farmlands in Ming Dynasty,but some also were donated fields. The farmlands were planted by the tenants and both kain and money rent were demanded.Although different officials were appointed to manage the farmlands and strict regulations were introduced,embezzlement and appropriation turned out to be unavoidable.Also,the distribution of the profit in Qing Dynasty was far more complex than in Ming Dynasty in that taxes were levied by state and revenue had to be handed in to the provincial authorities,who had the final decision on the use.This naturally undermined the function of Xuetian.The development of Binxing had undergone continuous self-modification and final transformation.For a long time in the early Qing Dynasty,the role such an organization could almost be neglected.It was in Emperor Daoguang's Reign that some large or media-sized Binxing agencies were founded by the local gentry in the rich regions or capital cities in Jiangnan,who were very much concerned about the low pass rate in the imperial examination in this area.In the following years, it also expanded into small cities and towns.Managed in a market mode, the fund was raised among the local people and consequently supported the local examinees exclusively.How to avoid certain problems in the distribution was the main challenge that confronted these organizations.The new education system founded in the late Qing Dynasty was an imitation of the Western mode.As the dynasty was in decline, fund-raising was conducted by different levels of administrations and educational cost share system was gradually established between the central and local governments.In this way,different levels of governments had reinforced their role in educational task and capabilities in fund-raising.When the imperial examination system was abolished,reform was required for both Xuetian and Binxing.Their profit was allocated for the operation of new elementary or middle schools and relevant administrations.The drastic changes in their role,all in all, positively promoted the development of the education mode.