A Study On The Contract Documents Of Jichang Tunpu In Anshun, Guizhou, From The Late Qing Dynasty To The Republic Of China

The Tunpu settlements in Guizhou Province,emerging with the Wei-so system,an important military system carried out in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,still has its unique cultural characteristics because of its special geographical environment.Publishment of Jichang Contract-documentary,as the reliable literature materials on historical research,made the case study of Jichang Tun more possible,from which we can learn its society development and evolution process.The land contract documents Tunpu are a reflection of the land system,Jichang Tun in history was Chinese southwest region of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in miniature.Analyzing the land contract documents of Jichang Tunpu,this paper explores the relationship between people and land in the Tunpu society of Guizhou Province,and sheds light on the interpersonal network of Tunpu local society,and shows the socioeconomic relations and the folk custom of Anshun Tunpu society during the late Qing Dynasty and Minguo period.Tunpu contract documents,recording the land real estate flows within the same family and between different families of the Tunpu settlement,showed clear specifically regional features.Firstly,we study the natural and cultural ecological environment of Anshun Tunpu,and review the history of Wei-so system along Dianqian post roads.Which laid the foundations for effective management of the southwest border by the central government.According to the genealogy and local chronicles,since the era of Hongwu in the Ming dynasty,the main sources of Tunpu ancestors,are Han people participating in the army and immigration,mostly from Hubei,Anhui,Jiangxi and other regions.They gathered around regions along the post road,going on an expedition in the wartime,and engaging in agricultural production during non-war period,and gradually establishing villages to settle in,finally some more stable Tuobu settlements were founded,followed by the coexistence situation of Daxing family,Zhuxing family,and Pixing family.After entering into Anshun,in the process of responding to natural and social environment,Han immigrants retained the excellent cultural traditions of the Mainland,and adapted to the edge of the cultural factors.In the border area,with their loyalty ideology formed by the army,and their traditional moral concepts,the abstract contractual relationship was accompanied with the specific network of acquaintances.Secondly,by investigating the type of the Tunpu contract,we describe the writing style,the spreading history,the main type and the historical node distribution of the Tunpu contract.And then we summarize different types of contracts according to the age distribution,and analyze the social and natural factors influencing the contract.Besides,we discuss the contract of the Tunpu contract documents related to the late Qing Dynasty and Minguo period,on the writing style,the contract elements,the contract related to the situation,and compare them with other regions contemporaneous contracts.It is found that significant social unrest and serious natural disasters,will effectively affect the signing of the contract,showing some of the years the contract is concentrated distribution of the situation.Thirdly,combined with specific instances of contract,we analyze the various elements of purchase contract,and the redemption situation of the pawn contract and the common pawn behavior,the procedure of the customs documents,the reasons for the establishment and the way of separation.The sale of the contract within the village shows the village interpersonal network,the maintenance of the contract operation mechanism,relying on the power of culture and clan.The flow of land and property between the clan and the clan,showing a hierarchical.Between the clans,the same family within the property flow frequently,cross-class flow is rare.Finally,we analyze the contractual instruments of women’s participation,the conclusion of women’s contract and the act of contracting people,showing that women enjoyed a certain degree of marital autonomy in the late Qing dynasty and the Minguo period,and their status in economic activities had been gradually improved and partially enjoyed the right to participate in social affairs as well as men.Anshun Jichang Tunpu contract documents,are a real reflection of the political,economic and cultural situation in the local society of Tunpu during the late Qing Dynasty and the Minguo period.The flow of assets recorded in the contract documents,reflects the local characteristics of the dynastic system in the implementation process of the southwest regions,and shows the Han culture in the southwest regions.