Research On The Livelihood Of Bannermen Of Fengtian In The Late Qing Dynasty

Means of livelihood of bannermen has always been a hot issue in the history fieldand there are many related researches on it. However, those researches are mainlyabout the livelihood problem in the early period of Qing Dynasty. It was not untilrecent years that the problem in late Qing Dynasty began to attract scholars’ attention.This thesis, titled the research on livelihood of bannermen of Fengtian in the late QingDynasty, discusses the deterioration of their livelihood condition, talks about meansof making a living for bannermen as well as its influence on their way of living.The thesis consists of three parts:The first part, entitled the livelihood conditions of bannermen of fengtian in theQing Dynasty, presents when and why the problem of “livelihood of Eight Banners”emerged. Divided by the Opium War, this problem will be illustrated from twoaspects. One is about the period before this war, where the causes and measures takento against such phenomenon. Much emphasis is laid on another period just after thewar, where the reasons and reflections of the decaying conditions of the livelihood ofbannermen are listed.Second part is concerned with measures taken to solve the livelihood problem,including the funding of Mukden flag student affairs office, an institution specializedin projecting bannermen’s livelihood. Other detailed measures to solve this problem,including the setting-up of real industry, popularization of education and movingbannermen to rich edge, self-help, is also covered in this section.The last part, which is entitled the results and influence of the reform onbannermen’s livelihood, probed into various factors influencing the settlement of thisproblem, including lack of funding, disadvantages of the Eight Banner system and theparasitism of bannermen, as well as the transformation of their way of living, such asthe diversification of jobs, the transformation of its education and marriage concept.