Finance Under The Four Ministers Assisting The Regime In Early Qing Dynasty

In the early days of Qing Dynasty, financial expenditure had to take priority to military expenditure in the need of large scale wars, so that financial situation couldn't make ends meet in successive years, which resulted financial crisis in the 18th years of Shunzhi. However, at this critical time, Emperor Shunzhi passed away, left unification problem and financial crisis to his son and officials. Emperor Shunzhi ordered Suoni and other three officials to be assisting ministers so as to assist his son-emperor Kangxi handling government affairs. After taking the job, these four assisting ministers adopted a series of measures, which relieved financial crisis. In initial stages of Kangxi, aiming at the change of situation in Qing dynasty, four assisting ministers adjusted the financial policies timely, and carried out some valid financial measures to balance the output and input, which made financial situation improved visibly, domination position of Qing dynasty intensified. Meanwhile, it provided sufficient financial reserve to"the Revolt of the Three Feudatories"in the12th year of Kangxi which was lasting 8 years. And also had profound influence to some governing policies carried out by emperor Kangxi. Thus, the period for the four ministers assisting the regime is the key phase in early Qing dynasty.The object of discussion in the paper aims at the financial measures that can balance the output and input, and discusses the measures such as opening up the wasteland, cutting down the expense and reducing armaments, and the influence brought by them. The paper falls into three parts, the first part is the general survey of the financial situation in the period of Shunzhi, which provides a history background for the next part in order to make the readers understand the content easily. The second part begins with financial crisis in the18th year of Shunzhi, and discusses the financial measures to balance the output and input, during the four assisting ministers governing the country. This part is the core content for the whole paper, and mostly shows the academic value. And the last part analyzes the influences of the measures to financial, official system and official management after emperor Kangxi taking over the reins of government in order to deepen the meaning of paper's research object.