分疆画界:清代县级政区的析分与界线划定

Deciding Boundaries:Division and Demarcation of County-level Administrative Divisions in Qing Dynasty

界线和幅员是政区的重要地理要素。清朝共有203个县级政区发生过析分,析分后大多是新设县级政区,也有少量增置直隶厅的情况。随着县级政区析分、裁并增多,聚落点、柳条边等人文地理要素成为政区“分疆画界”的重要依据。清代县界调整较为密集的区域为奉天、苏南、陕南、川东、闽粤交界处等地,这些区域增设县级政区较多,体现了清代的地域开发进程。“分疆画界”作为清朝均衡地方治理的行政手段,在治乱理正、基层治理与应对边疆危机等因素推动下运作和演变。县界的空间形态总体上是在依照自然“山川形便”形塑合理的幅员、调节与行政中心的距离等综合设计下形成的。

Boundary and jurisdiction are important geographical elements of the administrative division.In Qing Dynasty,a total of 203 county-level administrative divisions were split,most of which resulted in creation of new counties,while a few produced Zhili Ting(Para-county under the direct jurisdiction of the central government).As the number of county-level administrative divisions increased,the cultural and geographical elements such as the gathering point or the wicker edge had become important basis for deciding boundaries.The areas with more intensive adjustment of county boundaries were Fengtian,southern Jiangsu,southern Shaanxi,eastern Sichuan,and the junction between Fujian and Guangdong.More county-level administrative divisions had been added in these regions,reflecting their regional development process in the Qing Dynasty.As an administrative means of balancing local governance,dividing the border operated and evolved under the factors such as rectifying upheavals,grass-roots governance and responding to the border crisis.The spatial form of the county boundary was generally formed according to the principles of natural features including mountains and rivers,shaping a reasonable jurisdiction area,and adjusting the distance from the administrative center.