Research On Functions Of Salt Superintendent Of Changlu In The Qing Dynasty(1723-1860)

The salt administration system in the Qing Dynasty was relatively perfect.The whole country,which is centered in the Ministry of the Shandong Qing official Department,covers the salt region Fengtian,Changlu,Lianghuai,Shandong and other eleven salt regions.Those makes up the complicated salt administration system.Salt region of Changlu,next to capital,which takes up significant position on finance and economy in Qing dynasty,has the biggest saltworks in the north.The arrangement of the salt officer in Changlu is influenced by some particular factors such as geography,politics and economy.Salt superintendent of Changlu is not only the superior salt officer of Changlu salt region,but also the most essential position of bureaucratic system in Qing dynasty.The government post is managed by the Ministry of Revenue in feudal China and doesn’t belong to local government.There are lots of functions of salt superintendent of Changlu,however,it takes salt industry as the main function which takes the charge of ensuring the economic stability and providing high salt tax.Meanwhile,salt superintendent of Changlu takes on the role of collecting military expenditure in the period of resorting to arms of Qing dynasty which is due to the looming fiscal situation after the middle time of Qing dynasty.The political function of the Salt superintendent of Changlu was a manifestation of the high concentration of imperial power in the Qing Dynasty.The emperor effectively checked and balanced local governors through institutional arrangements,ensuring administrative stability.In addition,Salt superintendent of Changlu has some other functions,as it has close ties with the emperor,undertakes related affairs of the internal affairs government,and provides for the daily expenses of the Imperial household.However,although Salt superintendent of Changlu has played an important role in maintaining national unity,ensuring economic stability in the salt industry,and strengthening important centralization of power,it is based on the burden of the people,salt merchants.The corruption phenomenon and low efficiency of salt administration in Salt superintendent of Changlu have brought certain political and financial problems.After Daoguang,with the intensification of contradictions and the expansion of the power of the governor of Zhili,the function of the Salt superintendent of Changlu gradually weakened,until its demise.