Qing Dynasty Local Government

"Local Government in the Qing Dynasty" is the masterpiece of the famous historian and sociologist Qu Tongzu. It is also a classic work written in English during his academic peak period. This book was first published by Harvard University Press in 1962, which won Qu Tongzu great reputation around the world. It is still a must-read in relevant teaching and research in Western sinology circles. There is a folk saying that "the sky is high and the emperor is far away", and there is also a topic in academic circles that "the imperial power does not extend to the county." As the smallest administrative unit in the Qing Dynasty, the state and county-level local governments dealt directly with ordinary people, and their importance is self-evident. The purpose of writing "Local Government in the Qing Dynasty" is to describe, analyze and interpret the structure and operation of state and county-level local governments in the Qing Dynasty. Through various manuscripts and notes, while referring to a large number of official materials, Mr. Qu Tongzu introduced the functions, status, income, forms of corruption and disciplinary control of the state and county officials and his four auxiliary groups, namely scribes, Yamen servants, chief followers, and secretaries in extremely concise words, emphasizing that the local government in the Qing Dynasty was actually a "one-person government" centered on the state and county officials. It also focuses on the role of the gentry in local administration. "Local Government in the Qing Dynasty" is a classic academic work, but when the author Qu Tongzu wrote it, his intended readers were students in the English-speaking world who lacked understanding of traditional China. Therefore, its narrative is simple and easy to understand, and even ordinary readers without academic background can read it without any hindrance.