郭嵩焘治理广东匪患

Guo Songtao Governed the Banditry of Guangdong

近代以来广东民风强悍,偷盗、械斗盛行。地方吏治腐败,官员勇弁无视法纪。同治初年清军与太平军余部作战不断,加之当时自然灾害频发最终导致多匪成患。郭嵩焘抚粤时采取一系列治理匪患的措施,通过整顿吏治,严肃纲纪杜绝乱源;采用重典,严厉捕杀重兵进剿多年积匪;竭力筹饷,保障剿匪军需;并且通过疏通民气,整顿民风来改变社会风貌,最终取得了较大成果。

From the beginning of the modern times,in some local places of Guangdong,all kinds of thieves and armed conflicls were prevailing.Local officials were keen on corruption,so officials and soldiers there usually disregarded the law.Two important reasons caused various bandits lo be unruly.One was the Qing army fought with Tai Ping Army,which remained in the early years of Tong Zhi.Frequent and fierce natural disasters were the other vital reason.It was specifically reflected in these follow contents.Thieves,just like bandits,spread everywhere.Pirates unrestrainedly did whatever they wanted in the open sea and rivers in China.Some areas in Zhao Qing,local people from different interest groups usually carried on fierce and large-scale conflicts.Kinds of secret societies in Fo Shan and Pan Yu also played a rampant role,inevitably exerting influences.To some extent,the regular army had no difference from bandits,for they disturbed local people.As a governor of Guangdong,Guo Songtao took a series of measures to control banditry.First, he cut off the roots of bandits,through rectifying official defects and implementing serious disciplines.Second,he adopted severe measures to kill the chieftain and destroy the banditry thoroughly.And then,he continually accumulated funds to supply various needs. Finally,he tried lo change the social outlook by rectifying the local customs.Fortunately,whatever he had done,he achieved considerable results eventually.