A Study On Bian Yi Xing Shi In Disaster Relief Activities In Song Dynasty

Bian yi xing shi refers to a decision-making and problem-solving method authorized by the emperor or officials to deal with affairs autonomously in emergency situations.Bian yi xing shi in disaster relief in Song Dynasty roughly experienced three stages of development.The first stage was the early period of the Northern Song Dynasty.On the basis of inheriting the disaster relief of the Han and Tang Dynasties,Bian yi xing shi gained new development.In the second stage in the middle and late period of the Northern Song Dynasty,Bian yi xing shi for disaster relief was further developed and expanded during the reign of Emperor Shenzong.Until the reign of Emperor Zhezong and Emperor Huizong,the court strengthened the memorial reporting procedures and strict control over storage,and the use of Bian yi xing shi for disaster relief was restricted accordingly.The third stage was the Southern Song Dynasty,when the imperial Court further strengthened its control over local finance and strict granary reporting system,which restricted the use of Bian yi xing shi.In spite of this,in the actual process of disaster relief,officials’ autonomously use of Bian yi xing shi still existed widely.Natural disasters were frequent in the Song Dynasty,and when faced with severe famine,the Song Dynasty would often grant officials the power of Bian yi xing shi,so that they could deal with disaster relief more flexibly and effectively.In addition,some officials often use Bian yi xing shi autonomously to relieve victims when there is no time to report.Compared with the previous dynasties,officials in the Song Dynasty used Bian yi xing shi autonomously to provide disaster relief became more common.The reasons behind this kind of behavior are as follows: first,officials exercised Bian yi xing shi to provide disaster relief,timely helped victims and maintained local stability,which was consistent with the ultimate goal of dynastic governance;Second,the Song Dynasty literati had a strong sense of social responsibility,and took the initiative to act in the face of famine,which promoted the development of Bian yi xing shi in disaster relief to a certain extent.Third,it is closely related to the urgency and timeliness of disaster relief activities.The subjects of the use of Bian yi xing shi in disaster relief in Song Dynasty including the officials sent by the Song government to pacify the local areas,Lu-level administrative institutions like Zhuanyunshi,Tidianxingyushi,Tijuchangping and the state magistrate.Compared with the previous generation,Bian yi xing shi in disaster relief activities in Song Dynasty has its own characteristics,which are as follows: the independently use Bian yi xing shi of officials’ action in Song Dynasty tends to be generalized;The use of Bian yi xing shi for disaster relief in Sichuan Gorge area is more prominent,showing regional characteristics;Compared with the Northern Song Dynasty,officials in the Southern Song Dynasty used less of Bian yi xing shi for disaster relief.Bian yi xing shi has positive significance in improving the efficiency of disaster relief and giving full play to the autonomy of officials in disaster relief.