The Development Of Academy And Local Social Evolution In Qing Dynasty

In this thesis, I try to start from the point of view of social history research toinvestigate the development of Jiangxi Shanggao Academy. Start from the discussionof the administration system and the changes of the academy, then analyse the internalconnection social organizations such gentries and clans, expecting to reveal the socialculture changes behind the academy’s rise and reconstruction.In the earlier stage of Qing dynasty, with the active proposition from thegovernments, the amount of academies in Shanggao county grew gradually, appearedto be the situation of developing from the county to the countryside. In this process,the gentries’ active participation played a very important role, which was concentratedexpressed in the history of Jinsheng Academy. Between the years of Jiaqing andDaoguang, with the growing position of gentries in the construction of the academies,they all took positive and effective measures no matter in the hiring and payment ofthe studets and the election and appointment of the Shoushi or in the accounting of thefunds and the administration of the students. All these made the administration ofacademies in Shanggao county institutionalized and standardized with each passingday.In the later stage of Qing dynasty, the academy system in Shanggao countyexperienced a process of reconstruction. The Jinsheng Academy, built in the earlierstage of Qing dynasty, not only got more test sheds built, but also got stable guaranteefor the funds. The other academies also got revival in different degree. Mostimportantly, with the dominant of the gentries and clans, Shanggao county built“South-North Lingyun Try Hall” and “The Kuang’s Try Hall” in provincial capitalearly or late. These try halls were built by one single clan itself or by several clanstogether.The appearance of these try halls was the result of the close cooperationbetween gentries and clans, and was also the fully reflection of the fight for the quotasof imperial examination between the original inhabitations and settlers from anotherplaces. In other words, with just the political and cultural advantages in the process ofthe academy system’s rebuilt, original inhabitations represented by clans such as Kuang and Li made further efforts to consolidate their control to the local society.In short, with in the Qing dynasty, the construction pattern of ShanggaoAcademy approximately presents to be the changes from built by the government inthe earlier stage, to proposed by the government and built by the gentries in themiddle stage, and to built by one gentry or clan with sole proprietorship or by thewhole gentries or clans together. The distinctive characteristics of the times showed inthe develop process of Shanggao Academy in Qing dynasty not only can refract thechanges of roles which different social powers like governments, gentries and clansplayed, but also can show the evolution trend of the local society.