The Study On Premier Of River In Ming Dynasty

Floods of Yellow River happened many times during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) within two hundred and seventy six years. This scourge threatens the commute of canal and the safety of imperial tombs on the one hand; and the national economy,the people's livelihood and social stability on the other. To coordinate the control of Yellow River,the watercourse diversion of Huaihe River and Yellow River Water Diverting Engineering to the canal, and to facilitate the comprehensive management of rivers, the position of Premier of Rivers came into being after the emperor Yongle's moving the capital to Beijing in Ming dynasty. This senior official took charge of the management of Yellow River and the canal. The function of this position was to make up for the defects of the system of three departments on provincial government level. It marked a new phase in the history of river control in China. It was initiated during the reign of Chenghua and became a permanent government position during the reign of Zhengde. After many twists and turns, the position of Premier of Rivers eventually became institutional instead of being temporary errand.With the concerning institutions established and strengthened, Premier of Rivers fulfilled the responsibilities incumbent on this position. Apart from the basic responsibilities of managing Yellow River, the canal and other waterways, Premier of Rivers also took charge of raising funds, the military forces, serving people and supervising other officials. It plays an important role in the control of Yellow River and the canal, efficiently preventing the floods and even minimizing the damages resulting from the floods. In addition, it brought about the smooth flow of the canal and the stable transportation of supplies to Northern China. With the management of rivers, a number of famous officials in this position mushroomed with Liu Tianhe, Wan Gong and Pan Jixun as their representatives. Their corresponding theories and technologies developed by leaps and bounds comparing with earlier times. As a senior official, Premier of Rivers must be a Jinshi and was equipped with administrative talents. Although it was important, the short term of this position had a negative impact on the stability of river management policies and the execution of decrees issued by the government. Worse still, the corruption among the officials cast a shadow on the management of the rivers, and even aggravated the financial burden on the government and the people.This paper elaborates on the background of establishing the position of Premier of Rivers, the process, its responsibilities as well as each premier in Ming dynasty. The effects of establishing such position are analyzed. The lessons are worthy of being drawn from such experiences.