Boundaries,Mobility and Control:The Dilemma and Adjustment of Navy in Suppressing Piracy in the Qing Dynasty
In the early Qing Dynasty,China established a set of maritime control system centered on demarcating sea boundaries to restrict the free movement of pirates and achieve absolute control over mobile populations and coastal waters.However,in practice,the increasingly detailed demarcation of sea boundaries dispersed the operational capabilities of the coastal navy,exacerbating difficulties in coordinated actions and cross-jurisdictional cooperation.Simultaneously,as these boundaries became more fixed,entrenched territorial views developed between naval garrisons,leading to a worsening phenomenon of neighboring regions shirking responsibilities in maritime anti-piracy efforts.Facing these challenges in naval anti-piracy operations,the mid-Qing government attempted to adjust the existing maritime control system.This included guiding naval forces in cross-boundary anti-piracy actions,implementing a cross-boundary patrol system,and establishing independent specialized naval units to overcome the constraints of sea boundaries.The deep-rooted conflict between the terrestrial governance system and the highly mobile maritime society was a fundamental issue causing the maritime anti-piracy efforts to falter in the Qing Dynasty.
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
