The Study On Zhang Juzheng’s Political Reform Practice In The Early Period Of Wanli Dynasty

Zhang Juzheng was a famous politician and reformer in the mid and late MingDynasty, He served as cabinet prime minister in the early period of Wanli reign, duringwhich the power of Ming dynasty was changing from flourish to decadence and socialconflicts became more and more acute. Over the decade, Zhang Juzheng made all hisefforts for governing, overcoming many obstacles and reforming in politics, economy,military and so on, rectifying corruption of officials and solving long-standing crises.Finally he reversed the decadent situation and profoundly influenced the political andeconomic pattern in the mid and late Ming dynasty. However shortly after his death,Emperor Wanli began to cruelly and thoroughly clear those former meritoriousstatesmen and teacher and carried out the policy that when a man dies, hisadministration will be cast away. There had never been an official like Zhang Juzhengwho could see the big picture and see through the problems therefore try to turn the tidetill the end of Ming dynasty.In this paper, the first part mainly introduces Zhang Juzheng’s experiences and thehistorical background of his political thoughts, including the whole process from childprodigy of Jiangling to Hanlin of the capital, from retreating to the countryside toreturning to politics and rights in one’s hand, from being cleared after his death to beingrehabilitated and commemorated. The second part mainly analyses the prelude of ZhangJuzheng’s Wanli New Policy, that is, reform scheme “suggestions on six things” and theguiding concept of his reform”Xinwei examination strategy”. The third part discussesthe political reform practice in Wanli reign, with its emphasis on political and economicfields. The fourth part tries to rationally analyze Zhang Juzheng himself and thecontribution and faults of his political reform practice. The author in the paper believesthe reason why his reform was highly effective was of the reform principles of beingpragmatic, changing tactics as the situation demands, formulating policy for its people and the employment principles that only ability is valued whatever their family statusand qualifications are; on the other hand the reason why he died and his administrationwas cast away was that his personality led to the tragedy, he failed to deal with therelationship with interest groups and suppressed the emperor with authoritarian.In conclusion, I try to further discuss Zhang Juzheng and his political thoughtsand reform practice based on the senior persons and hope to be able to treating hiswhole life with contribution and faults comprehensively and fairly, thus drawing somehistorical experience for the use of our today’s political restructuring.