Flowing Channel and the Building of a Community for the Nation——Early Development and Management of the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Wushui River
The Wushui River is a first-class tributary of the Yuan River in the Yangtze River system,flowing through Guizhou and Hunan Provinces where there is a complex composition of ethnic groups.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,the central government carried out political governance and economic development guaranteed by military forces in this region through the Wushui River in different ways,which led to the migration and mobility of diversified groups of people in the region and the formation of a multi-ethnic community embedded in demography,economy,and culture.In the Ming Dynasty,the system of"Weisuo"(guard post)and"Tuntian"(reclamation of lands)brought military migrants into this region,and spontaneous migrants also increased in the Qing Dynasty,making the middle and lower reaches of the Wushui River a place of exchange and integration for different ethnic groups.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,the central government developed trade with the frontier of Miao ethnic group through the Wushui River,which deepened interactions among the various ethnic groups there.Since the Ming Dynasty,the central government set up governmental schools and community schools in the middle and lower reaches of the Wushui River,and a large number of people from ethnic minorities were selected as officials by the imperial examination system after receiving the education of Han people,realizing the ethnic integration at the ideological level.Through years of multi-dimensional regional governance along the middle and lower reaches of the Wushui River,the country has connected Hunan,Hubei and Guizhou provinces,making it an important channel for the governance of Southwest China,which not only changed the facilities and landscapes such as roads,bridges,and the construction of schools,but also spread commodities,ways of life,and the culture of Confucianism to this region,setting a solid material foundation for the formation of the sense of community for the Chinese nation.
reform of the native systemlocal transitioninfrastructurenational governanceChinese national community
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