dc.description.abstract | This thesis is separated into two main sections. The first section discusses the process of formation, development and the reliance the Manchurian government had on the neighborhood Zonglis in Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty.
The second section is a discussion of the historically significant role of the Zongli of Tonsuyan. Using a case study of the region over a long timeline, the thesis investigates how local men of power competed to be the Zongli and the allocation of resources in that role.
In the Nineteenth Century, the Manchurian government gradually installed Zonglis in villages to connect the extensive local communities. Since its inception, the Zongli system was never eliminated until 1895 when the Japanese authority took over. The research in this thesis shows that due to numerous riots during early Daoguang, top officials in Fujian enforced the policies of qingzhuang and lianzhuang in Taiwan and gave the Zongli absolute power, thus creating a sudden opportunity of power for the Zongli. Afterwards, the responsibilities of the Zonglis kept increasing by law, thus they became the first officers in helping the Manchurian government execute grassroot policies and govern locally. However, as the gentry class formed, the Zonglis’ status became increasingly lower, therefore the influence of Zonglis began to differ according to local situations and level of competition.
In the case study, this paper specifically described the operations of the Zongli in the local community. Before the Qing Dynasty came to and end, the Zongli of Tonsuyan remained the main middleman between the local community and the Manchurian government. Due to the weak gentry class in the region, the Zongli became the significant leader in that region. The Tonsuyan Zonglis often used various ties and networks to establish and strengthen their status and influence. Also, they would follow the government in seeking out bandits with the reward being elevated to the gentry class. There were also cases of large families monopolizing power in the villages. Also notable is during late Tongzhi period, the businessmen of Tonsuyan, with connections to other forces, began a long-term counterbalance and competition against the Zongli. They even attempted to use legal means to recapture the power the Zongli had since Xianfeng monarchy to tax harbors.
Through this investigation, we can learn how the Manchurian government established village organizations with the Zongli at the helm. We also see how the Zongli allocated local resources and communicated with officials. This helps us to understand the connection between the historical significance of Zongli and development of local community.
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