The Organizational Functions and Financial Management of the Ministry of Public Works'Directorate of Water Resources in the Early Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty:An Investigation Centered on Shuibu Beikao
The Directorate of Water Resources(都水司)was one of the four clearance offices under the Ministry of Public Works during the early Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.Its main responsibilities included managing water con-servancy projects,bridges,roads,and the supply of materials such as textiles and utensils.The organization was divided into internal and external bureaus(内署与外署),with a relatively larger number of officials stationed in local Ministry of Public Works offices.They were appointed through selection or appointment by title,and were responsible for oversee-ing various sections of canals,bamboo and wood extraction,and the construction of transport barges.In the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign,the Supervisor of the Directorate of Water Resources,Zhou Mengyang,compiled the book Shuibu Beikao(水部备考)as an official record.It categorized and listed the regulations and relevant events related to the responsibilities of the Directorate of Water Resources.The book provided detailed records of changes in the Grand Ca-nal,the Yellow River,and other waterways.During the early Wanli period,the Yellow and Huai Rivers suffered severe problems,leading to the frequent need for major waterway projects.The affairs of the Directorate of Water Resources were complex,with a particular emphasis on river management.Shuibu Beikao fully reflected the characteristics of the era,especially the significance of river management in the face of challenges along the Yellow and Huai Rivers.To meet the needs of waterway management and associated expenses,the External Bureau of Water Balance managed the alloca-tion of canal labor and funds.As the dredging of canals became a routine project,it formed a relatively independent fi-nancial system and management structure distinct from the central Ministry of Public Works.
Directorate of Water ResourcesDirectorates of the Ministry of Public WorksRiverworkersZhou MengyangShuibu Beikao
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