The Xunjian System And Social Control In Ming And Qing Dynasties

Xunjiansi, the military inspectorate, is the sub-district police office system in the late imperial China. The system be constructed early in Song dynasty, is followed by the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Xunjia, the officer of Xunjiansi, command an armed troop called Gongbing that a kind of commoner-militia enlisted from labor service in early Ming dynasty, then employed from the residents of Shizhen (market towns). Shengyuan, the holders of the lowest degree and Liyuan, the government clerks are two main groups who occupy the Xunjian position in Ming and Qing dynasties especially Shengyuan from mid-Qing dynasty. The Xunjiansi in Suzhou prefecture are distributed among the rivers, coasts and points with complex watercourses, and moved to Shizhen (market towns) with times went on. The main duty of Xunjian is police issue and smuggling suppressing, beside these, they also charged the issues overstep the regulation, which including affairs that water conservancy, lawsuit, civilization and relieve. The research point out different security problems in different periods , and reveal that the administration practice in sub-district is very complex that the background of officers would affect it. Meanwhile, according to the administration practice, the research would be benefit to deepen the argue on Shizhen(market towns) administration and sub-district administrate zones, Xunjiansi on Shizhen may not have the sufficient power on sub-district control, and the pope Dom of Xunjiansi also could not be considered as a kind of sub-district administrate zones.