| Abstrakt: |
During Emperor Yongzheng's rule, the system of regional administration underwent significant transformation. The reform in the administrative system of territories (zhou) and territories under direct jurisdiction of the imperial court (zhili zhou) was an important component for a systematic transformation. Furthermore, the complicated Ming dynasty system of three- or even four-level administration on the regional to local level became simplified into one unified three-level system of province (sheng), prefecture (fu), and county (xian). Previous academic studies on this matter have been unclear about the historical background from which the transformation came about. This essay investigates the background of the introduction of the zhili zhou policy during the Yongzheng period, the development process of the zhili zhou system, and the simplification of administrative hierarchy in the early Qing dynasty. |
