A Study On Prefect Of Suzhou Prefecture's Goverance In The Ming Dynasty

Suzhou Prefecture, which located in the core area of Tai Lake Basin, was in aleading position according to its development of economy as well as society in the MingDynasty after the period of political turbulence followed the civil war. Firstly,centralized study has been done in this paper aims at the goverance of 106 prefects inSuzhou Prefecture during the Ming Dynasty. The formation and the global features ofthe prefect group would be analysed quantitatively, focused on their native places,apprach into the government and official career before becoming the prefect of SuzhouPrefecture, time serving in this position, reason for their quit and the new officialposition. Secondly, the main part of this paper deals with the roles the prefects played inthe political affairs in the Ming Dynasty, and among these are alleviating the unequalburden of legally heavy taxes and corvee, maintaining social orders stable , and properlydealing with various political & social relations. On the basis of the aboved historicalinvestigations, influence of the prefects'goverance will be summarized and evaluated.Lastly, this paper will also give the possible reasons for the gains and losses whichemerge during the prefects'goverance.Since Suzhou Prefecture achieved long-term, significant advantages in the fields ofsocial constructions across the whole country, in order to adapt the objectiverequirement for further development in this place, the prefects should adopt suitablemeasures to local conditions as well as continuously changeable times. Besides, thechoices between the agent of central court and the spokesman of local interests whichmade by every prefect, to a great extent, would affect the result of his goverance.