A Study On The Management Of Yellow River Hazards In Shandong Province During The Guangxu Period (1875-1908)

During the Guangxu period,the Yellow River floods occurred frequently,making the Shandong region in the middle and lower reaches one of the high incidence areas of Yellow River floods.Its occurrence brought great changes to the property and lives of the local people.The people were at a loss in the face of the Yellow River disaster.In addition,due to the contradiction between the Yellow River and the Yun River,as well as the dispersion of institutional functions,feudal rulers gradually adopted policy measures,setting up different institutions to restrain and cooperate with each other,hoping to achieve the effect of one labor and eternal stability.In the process of modernizing river governance,the government remained the main body of modern disaster relief,and the people of the folk self-help movement also came up with unique tricks.The grassroots people engaged in population migration,construction of civilian dams,and other activities.The group of philanthropists in modern society also demonstrated their strength in the frequent famine and corrupt politics.Compared to traditional relief,modern charitable relief showed more advantages.In the face of disasters,various rescue activities are not only a first aid measure carried out under the coordinated planning of the government,but also a folk self-help movement led by the government.The ultimate goal of Guangxu’s governance of river disasters was to maintain his rule.Due to a large number of corrupt officials fighting openly and secretly,filling their personal pockets,they could not make ends meet,but instead increased the financial burden,intensified social conflicts,limited people’s understanding,and confusion about the current situation,resulting in the people having no way to survive and relying on gods for their thoughts,leading to a chaotic river worship system.In addition,the Guangxu period was an important period during which traditional Chinese society underwent transformation.The influence of modernization factors gradually emerged in the entire social system,and there were new changes in river management ideas,technological river management subjects,and so on.This article attempts to start from the perspectives of social and political history,using literature research,comparative research,and quantitative research related theories and methods.By collecting,organizing,and analyzing a large amount of historical literature on the governance of the Yellow River in Shandong Province,it aims to comprehensively analyze and explore the prevention and control of river disasters during the Guangxu period.This article first analyzes the basic situation of water disasters in Shandong region,and then explores the reasons for the occurrence of river disasters.Secondly,by discussing the policy construction of the Qing government in controlling the Yellow River and the contributions of various civil forces,the attention of people from all walks of life to the governance of the Yellow River is demonstrated,and the new characteristics of the governance subjects are demonstrated through gentry,charity relief,and other means.Finally,by analyzing the impact of the Yellow River governance during the Guangxu period,the limitations of the Qing dynasty’s governance of river disasters are pointed out in order to provide reference for contemporary reshaping of human river relations.