Governing The People And Officials: A Study On The Huang Gan's Thought Of State And County Governance

Huang Gan(1152-1221),a famous Neo-Confucianist and educator in the Southern Song Dynasty,was a proud student and orthodox heir of Zhu Xi,a Confucian scholar of Neo-Confucianism.Since the age of twenty-five,he had been following Zhu Xi in his lectures on Confucian classics and Taoism,compiling ritual books,and devoting himself to academic studies,abandoning imperial examinations.It was not until Shaoxi's fifth year(1194)that Huang Gan,43,became an official in his official career because of his teacher Zhu Xi's grace.Although Huang Gan is an official in middle age and had been a party of government for more than 20 years,he had made remarkable achievements in local governance,demonstrating outstanding political talent,integrity,honesty and diligence for the people,and was deeply loved by local people.Huang Gan had served in Taizhou,Chongde County of Jiaxing Prefecture,Jinghu Road,Linchuan County of Fuzhou,Xingan County of Linjiang Army,Anfengjun,Hanyang Army and Anqing Prefecture successively.Everywhere he went,he worked hard and diligently in government affairs.Huang Gan's idea of governing officials and people comes from abundant practical activities of state and county governance,which embodies the local experience in the implementation of Confucian concept of repair,regulate,governance and peace.First of all,in the governance of local officials,Huang Gan paid attention to the selection of talents,advocated that officials should be aware of justice,integrity and shame,and advocated the concept of cleaning up non-corrupt as an official.He also severely punished corrupt officials and domineering scholars in arbitrary local music to clean up the corrupt local officialdom.Secondly,in the governance of local people,Huang Gan not only attaches importance to the local people's economic livelihood,but also pays attention to the maintenance of local politics and public security.In terms of local economy and people's livelihood,he had paid close attention to people's livelihood and agricultural development.In the year of famine,the government sold rice and grain and suffered from famine in disaster relief.In terms of local politics and public security,he paid close attention to border defense,advocated building cities,strengthening local military defense,implementing the law of maintaining five ranks,increasing local force,and severely punishing illegal villagers such as country tyrants and powerful thieves to maintain local public security.In addition,Huang Gan's thought of state and county governance also has strong neo-confucianism characteristics.By means of mediation to avoid lawsuits,construction of ancestral halls in academies,construction of schools,teaching and preaching,etc.,local people are converted into Confucianism and rites,and local people are converted into vulgarities,so as to regulate the undesirable local social atmosphere.Overall,the state and county governance of Huang Gan had achieved remarkable results.Through a series of practical activities,it punished the local people for the evil,presides over fairness and justice,guarantees the development of local economy and people's livelihood,maintained the stability of local social order,and also improved the local customs and civilizations.However,Huang Gan's ideas and practices of state and county governance are not perfect,and there are still shortcomings and limitations,such as the idea of distinguishing scholar-bureaucrats from civilians.At the same time,living in the dark political officialdom of the Southern Song Dynasty,many ideals and aspirations were also hindered by the imperial court and colleagues.By analyzing Huang Gan thought and practice of governing officials and people,we can have a clearer understanding of the local society in the middle and late Southern Song Dynasty,and at the same time bring some thoughts and Enlightenment to local governance today.