Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2013

 

Neo-Confucian Bureaucrats and the Social Reconstruction of the Early Qing: An Examination Based on a Combination of Intellectual and Social History                                                       

(Abstract)

 

Zhu Changrong

 

The conquest of the central plains by the Qing and the choice of Beijing as capital marked the establishment of a new dynasty dominated by Manchu nobles. The dynastic transition disturbed the social order and left the ethical system in disarray. The officials of the new dynasty, who were followers of Song Neo-Confucianism, moved with the times. With the support of the Qing ruler, they promoted the reconstruction of the social order by reforming the misgovernment of the early Qing, adopting such measures as stabilization and reform of official practices. They sought to reconstruct the social order and hastened the resolution of ethical turmoil by spreading Confucian teachings among the people, encouraging education and reforming popular habits and customs, etc. They made a positive contribution to resolving the issues of the day in the early Qing period.