“以火为政”明清时期梧州城火政与区域社会的变迁

Fire Administration of Wuzhou and Regional Social Transformation During Ming and Qing

帝国时期,火政是城市社会生活的重要内容,且往往与区域社会的变迁有着密切关系。明清时期,在西江流域社会转型的大背景下,广西梧州城经历了从军事重镇到商业枢纽的转变,而这一过程被全息地投射到梧州城火政的演变上。本文以梧州城的火政为中心,通过探讨其演变的过程,重新理解明清时期西江流域社会的地方动乱、人口流动及商业贸易等重大问题。

Fire administration is one of the important city China and i t often reveals regional social transformation at Ming and Qing, the social transition occurred the Xijiang region transformedWuzhou from a military fortress ^o a key market ^own. This transformation was clearly reflected on the fire admiiistration of the town. The Ming government established an important military base in Wuzhou during its suppression of Yao ethnic rebellion in the region. In the post-rebellion years, the town？s military function gradually disappeared. Different social groups began to reorganize social order around the fire administration. Officials, military households and local ethnic people all attempted to promote their own interests through the fire administration. Fire God worship religious rites evolved into a system of elaborated symbols representing diverse discourses. Furthermore, the arrival of salt merchants from Guangdong further complicated the fire religious practice. By Qing dynasty, many i^ormer soldiers became gentry Imperial Examination. The gentry played an active role in public life through construction and maintenance of the Fire God temples and became an important force in urban social life. Meanwhile, the development of rice trade brought a large number of Guangdong traders to Wuzhou. These merchants engaged in the local sodal life by building the Northern God temple. Thus,there were twotraditions of Fire God and Norl：hern God in ^he fire administration of Wuzhou in Qing dynasty. The integration of the local gentry and traders led to the merger of the two traditions and eventually a reconstructed fire worship religious system in Wuzhou.