The Study On Xiangqian Wang Administering Northern Territory Activities And Frontier Policy

Xiangqian Wang, as a great contributor to the frontier defense and construction inlate Ming dynasty, is certainly a man to be reckoned with. When he was still young, heeasily achieved the rank of “Yayuan” in the provincial examination, and soon earnedthe title of “Jinshi” in succession. After his stepping into officialdom, he was evengreatly appreciated by the superiors and approved by the court continually for hisdiligence, no matter when serving as a local magistrate, holding a different post inBingbu government office in Beijing, or defending against Mongolia tribes aroundfrontiers. In mid years of Wanli reign of Ming dynasty, Xiangqian Wang was promotedas a Xuanfu governor. Owed to his measures of alternate kindness with severity to theMongolians in Xuanfu frontline during a long term, he earned great respect from a lotof Mongolia tribal leaders, which contributed to the frontiers’ peace during the sevenyears of his guard in Xuanfu. In the28th year of Wanli reign of Ming dynasty (1599),Xiangqian Wang took over viceroy Hualong Li’s military affairs in Sichuan, Hubei andGuizhou provinces, and engaged in the investigation of “the campaign of Bozhou”(one of “the three great campaigns of Wanli reign of Ming dynasty”) after Hualong Li’sback to hometown for filial mourning. Facing with the devastating effects at that timeafter campaign, Xiangqian Wang organized forces into reproduction, tackled territorydisputes, and strokeagainst the members of Yinglong Yang, which helped Guizhou’ssocial order turn to better efficiently. Xiangqian Wang has ever served as Jiliaogovernor twice from the end period of the reign of Wanli to the early period of thereign of Tianqi, during which time he took a lot of measures to strengthen the frontiersafety of Ji town and Shanhaiguan, all of which were great contributions to the defenseof eastern territory and the protection of Beijing city in Ming Dynasty. Until XiangqianWang’s last time of his life, he served again as a governor in charge of Xuanfu andDatong under the call of Chongzhen emperor, and made an outstanding performance inthe treatment of the west slaves and the protection of the west safety. Xiangqian Wang had been called to the Imperial Court to serve four emperorscontinually, including Longqing, Wanli, Tianqi and Chongzhen.He left an outstandingeffect on frontier political and military affairs during the late Ming dynasty, especiallyon dealing with Minority problems and getting on with the Minorities. The relationshipbetween Xiangqian Wang’s personalities, styles of dealing with people, and strategiesof tackling matters with the changing times deserved to be deeply explored. The authoraims to carry out a research on Xiangqian Wang’s northern territory activities andfrontier policy thought in the context of considering macro background, for thepurpose of paying academic world’s attention to Xiangqian Wang, and laying afoundation for a more thorough research and recognition of him in future.The article will be explained in details according to four main parts. The first partwill narrate the Xiangqian Wang time changing situation in northern frontier of theMing dynasty;The second part will be a detailed description of Xiangqian Wang’sfamily and official experiences;The third part will be a narration of Xiangqian Wang’sstrategy and measure during staying at northern territory four times in mid－late Wanlireign to early Chongzhen reign of Ming dynasty;The last part will be reason andanalyse about change of frontier policy.