The Study On Zhangqiu Town During Ming And Qing Dynasties

Zhangqiu Town, called Zhangqiu kou. It has developed into a town during Later Zhou Dynasty. When Song Zhenzong came into power, it’s called Jingde Town. The eighth year of Hongzhi (Hongzhi is Ming Xiaozong’s reign title in Ming Dynasty) (1495) in Ming Dynasty, the emperor Song xiaozong named it ’Anping Town’ and later it’s called Zhangqiu Town again. Zhangqiu was located at the junction of Grand Trek and Great Qing river, and it’s not only a transportation hub but also the important regional commodity distribution center of canal in Shandong Province.The reclaiming of grain transportation geographical position and " the junction of three borders " administrative districts contributed to the specific geographical features, which brought prosperity to Zhangqiu Town during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Therefore, the official focused on its strict control of Zhangqiu Town all the time. Country, mansion and county set management agency in Zhangqiu Town, such as department of Working Ministry, Zhangqiu River hall, and the hall controlled by Dong’e, Yanggu and Shouzhang. And other special agencies responsible for tax and etc., such as tax bureau. Especially the establishment of the lower-level part of department of Working Ministry is an important step to make Zhangqiu Town is different from other management. The existence of department of Working Ministry and its officials playing a role made administration of Zhangqiu Town located in the "three borders "-special geographical position and controlled by three country hall normal and smooth. As lower institutions, three counties were obedient to and in the service of the superior government. Their mutual cooperation helped Zhangqiu Town to achieve the development of various undertakings.Because Zhangqiu Town is located in the " the junction of three borders ", the relevant historical materials refer to Dong’e country, Yanggu county and Shouzhang county records. Zhangqiu Town has no independent local records until the Ming Dynasty, stationed Langzhong, Huang Chengxuan spent three year finishing Local Records of Anping Town in the twenty-fourth year of Wanli (Wanli is Ming Shenzong’s reign title in Ming Dynasty) (1596), which fills the the gap in field of Anping Town (i.e. Zhangqiu Town) annual and has pioneering significance. After seventy-five years, the ninth year of Kangxi (Kangxi is Qing Shengzu’s reign title) in Qing Dynasty (1670), Zhangqiu, Yanzhou government officer Linpeng rebuilt Local Records of Zhangqiu Town, which based on the former style, added or updated partial content according to new conditions of the town. As the only Local Records of this town preserved till to now, Local Records of Zhangqiu Town has important value. The creation, rebuilding and addition of Local Records of Zhangqiu Town is a great event in the development of Zhangqiu Town. Its compilation has different significance to different social classes.Prosperity of commercial economy and politic makes cultural places of historic interest in Zhangqiu Town more and more famous. Zhangqiu Town attracted broad attention from scholars, especially, hanging sword point with connotation of ’faith’, which is converted to social background of business ethics. The reputation of the Sword Hanging Point and development of Zhangqiu Town affected each other.During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, after Zhangqiu Town developed, the administrative management system, the cultural development and economic prosperity to form a good interactive relationship and promote its development in an all-round way. However, this requires a premise, that is prosperity of grain transportation. Once the canal silt, Zhangqiu Town development will lose the original motivation. Just as any city which depended on only one factor will inevitably decline. Traffic is not the only factor to be considered to decide Zhangqiu Town’s to rise and fall. In fact, it’s the decisive factor. That is Zhangqiu Town’s fate.