A Study On The Management Policy Of Border People In The Northeast Coastal Border Area During The Middle And Early Qing Dynasty

In the coastal area of the Northeast China,that is,in the vast territory centered on the lower reaches of Amur River and Sakhalin island there are numerous minority groups living on fishing and hunting.Relying on Nurgandos and Jimi Garrisons,the Ming Dynasty established a loose Tributary relationship with the minority groups in this area.During the process of Nurgaci establishing the Jin regime and unifiing the Jurchen tribes,many Donghai Jurchens were moved to Shengjing as the Eight Banners’ troops.The other Donghai Jurchens,who remained in the Northeast coastal border area,maintained a stable tributary relationship with the Jin regime.After the Qing entered the pass in 1644,the Qing government not only set up the Ninggutai Meiren i Janggin and Ilan Halai Bai Meiren i Janggin under the Girin ulai Jiyanggiyvn Yamun to govern the coastal area of Northeast China,but also formulated a series of management policies with local characteristics to manage these minorities.First of all,the system of family name was carried out in this area,and the border people were divided into four classes: Hala i Da,Gaxan i Da,the Deote Juse and the Bai niyalma.The frontier people were neither included in the civil nationality nor included in the flag nationality,moreover,they did not need to pay taxes and undertake corvee.As long as they provided a piece of mink to the Qing government regularly on a household basis,the corresponding Ulin reward would be given.During the Shunzhi period,with the gradual maturity of the border people’s family name system,more and more minority ethnic groups became Border people.During the reign of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Yongzheng,most of the border people in the middle and upper reaches of Amur River,Usuri River and Sunggari River Basin were removed from border people’ household registration,they were registered as Bannermen instead and became new Manchuria.Therefore,in theory,after the reign of Emperor Kangxi and Yongzheng,it was only implemented in the coastal areas of Northeast China for the system of border people.During the reign of Emperor Qianlong,the number of border people increased rapidly,which brought a lot of pressure for the government to conduct governing.In the 15 th year of Qianlong’s reign,the system of border people was reformed,and the number of border people was fixed,which means the process of household registration conducted by the Qing government in the Northeast coastal border is over,and it also means the final finalization and maturity of the border resident system.Secondly,it is the policy of Institution of Tribute Marten and Reward,which is closely connected with the system of border people.When awarding Ulin,the border people were divided into five levels by the Qing government: Sargan Jui,Hojihon and Hala i Da,Gaxan i Da,Deote Juse,and Bai Niyalma.Since the early Qing dynasty,at the time that the Qing government offered amnesty and enlistment to rebels,the border people started to give mink to the government,it gradually formed a set of customary reward system,which had matured in the 51 st year of Kangxi regin at the latest.For the convenient tribute of Ulin from the remote border people,a large number of Ulin and grain need to be transported to various temporary offices established by the Qing government in the lower reaches of Amur River.For a long time,there have been transportation difficulties and mink smuggling trade,which is the main reason for the reform of mink collection office.In the 44 th year of Qianlong’s reign,the Ilan Halai Meiren i Janggin Yamun took over all the mink tribute affairs of Heje feiyaka border people,which was previously in charge by the Ningguta i Meiren i Janggin.The change of the location of the temporary administrative office reflected the change of the Qing Dynasty’s sphere of influence in the lower reaches of Amur River.After the regin of Xianfeng,the system of Institution of Tribute Marten and Reward lost its political significance as "uniting the tribes and strengthening our border areas",and was finally abandoned in the 25 th year of Guangxu.Finally,it the marriage policy.The marriage policy between Hojihon and Sargan Jui in this area is mainly concentrated between ordinary border people and the daughters or adopted daughters of Eight Banners soldiers.Although the Qing government had no special requirements for the status of the border people seeking a marriage alliance,they had to have certain financial resources to become Hojihon.Such kind of financial resource is not measured by silver or copper money,but directly reflected in the amount of fur accumulated by border people.Under the policy of Institution of Tribute Marten and Reward,some border people represented by Hojihon,were stimulated by the price difference of fur and silk goods between China and Japan,became merchants of trading silk and mink.They not only made frequent trips between Hokkaido and the Northeast coastal border areas,continued to carry out Shandan Trade activities,but also took advantage of the privilege of accompanying Sargan Jui back to Beijing,bringing a large amount of fur to Beijing for trading,and hoarding wealth at a higher price.In this way,it formed a Northeast Asian Silk Road,which took the southern area of the Yangtze River,Beijing,Ningguta and Ilan hala in China and Matsumae,Ezo,Osaka in Japan as trade routes.What’s more,Hojihon also played an indispensable role in the process of the Qing government’s development and management of the Northeast coastal areas.It can be seen that Hojihon group was not only the "son-in-law of the Qing government",but also a translator,local guide,spokesman of the Qing government,a merchant of trading silk and mink and other multiple identities.Based on the the system of border people influenced by the traditional Chinese thoughts of Jimi and Huairou,the policy of Institution of Tribute Marten and Reward and the policy of seeking alliance trhough marriage,the Qing government gave a greater degree of autonomy to Hala i Da and Gaxan i da among border people,but this does not mean that the area is out of control by the law.The Qing court not only actively intervened in the various disputes of the border people to conduct coordination and make peace,but also "ruled according to the customs" and solved the internal disputes of the border people with the local customary ways.For example,in the seventh year of Qianlong’s reign,there was a murder case caused by hatred among the border people.It took the new Manchuria rules as the main punishment basis and took mink as the main punishment means.However,if there is a case against the confucian ethics,such as the wife murdering the husband with an adulterer,the punishment will be strictly abided by the Ta Tsing Leu Lee.In addition,when there was a conflict between the border people and the Bannermen,the Qing government would abandon the local customary law and strictly punish the Bannermen involved in the case according to the National Law of Qing Dynasty,and even used the special laws formulated for the Miao Territory to try the rape case conducted by the Bannermen of Northeast area.The prisoners with criminal facts were sent back to the place where they had committed the crime for execution,in order to "show authorities" to the border people and demonstrate the law of the Qing Dynasty.From the positive response and handling methods of various cases and disputes among the border people,it can be seen that the Qing government hoped to carry out the idea of Confucian ethics and the law of the Qing Dynasty to the border areas by taking judicial punishment as the guidance,so as to achieve the political purpose of implementing effective social control and stabilizing the border pattern in the Northeast coastal areas.