The extension of legal authority:Legal factors involved in the establishment of Xinjiang province in the Late Qing Dynasty
Administrative geography and territorial divisions are important tools used dynastic states to organise space and shape political identity,serving as crucial indicators of national sovereignty.Within the cosmological framework of"All-under-Heaven"(天下),historically,Xinjiang was primarily gov-ernned through the jun-fu system until the formal establishment of its provincial status by the late Qing pe-riod.As a key event in the history of Xinjiang governance,the establishment of the province has received considerable scholarly attention.However,the legal dimensions of this reform,and the nature of the e-vent as a form of legal practice,have long been overlooked.For the late Qing government,establishing provinces in frontier regions was a significant reform strategy aimed at internal consolidation and the con-struction of international image.It also contributed to the reshaping of the administrative geography of the nation.The unprecedentedly clear legal status of Xinjiang posited it as the first frontier province of the late Qing China and the 19th province of the dynasty.As such,this administrative reform bore great legal im-plications and political significance.This article expands the study of the late Qing Dynasty's establish-ment of province in Xinjiang beyond the political,economic,military,and cultural scopes to include the legal domain.It seeks to understand this event on a broader scale and at deeper levels,symbolising the efforts of late 19th-century China toward greater national unification.Furthermore,it will serve as a starting point for a meticulous reflection on the evolving legal order tied to the concept of Great Unity(大一统)since the modern era,as well as the diversity,complexity,differentiation,and openness of China's developmental trajectory.
Establishment of ProvinceXinjiangLate Qing DynastyLegal Orderthe Greater Unity
万方数据
维普
