工程、技术与帝制:乾隆七年江南河工之争的政治史解读

The Debate of River Administration in 1742 from the View of Political History

在清代,治河是一项重要政务。乾隆七年夏秋间,黄河与淮河同时涨发大水,江南河工出现多处险情。乾隆帝先后派出数位钦差重臣前往江南与当地督抚、河臣等商讨河工事宜。由于身份、立场以及对河工认识的不同,官僚们为治河方案展开了持久争论,并通过多次会议妥协达成了最终的治理方案。从政治史的视角审视这场河工之争,可以看到帝制晚期官僚政治运作的内在程序,且可观察到技术官僚兴起的趋势。

River administration is one of the most important government affairs in Qing Dynasty. In the summer and autumn of 1742, serious flood in the Yellow River reached, so as the Huai River, thus the dike was in danger. Emperor Qianlong successively appointed several envoys to Jiangnan province for discussing the flood control. The envoys, local governors and officials on river administration had proposed several schemes, a compromise was reached after lengthy negotiations. To see this debate form the view of political history, we can see the decision-making process in late imperial China, and the rise of the technocrats.