从动乱到治乱:咸同兵燹时期的六安社会

From Turbulence to Governance:the Ravages by the Wars in Lu’an Society during the Reigns between Xianfeng and Tongzhi

咸同时期的十余年间,皖西六安州因地理位置重要为清军、太平军、捻军长期盘踞鏖战之地。境内的英山县、霍山县战事次数最多。兵燹不仅对当地公署、仓储等官府设施冲击严重,还焚毁了大量城乡民房设施,六安州内的学宫宗祠等文教事业更是惨遭毁坏。战争中的百姓或死或逃,人口数量锐减,这导致大量土地抛荒,可耕作农田数量减少,破坏了田赋征收的稳定性,加剧了百姓的生活负担,给当地的农业经济造成了严重危害。面对频发且严重的兵燹,清政府积极开展武科人才的选拔,扩充了大量的武备人员,取得了一些军事上的胜利,对战争的破坏起到了一定缓解作用。当地百姓积极兴办团练、修筑城垣、构筑堡寨,有力抵御了战乱的波及,对维护六安地方秩序的稳定起到了重要作用。

Due to the important geographical location,Lu’an Prefecture in Western Anhui Province was occupied by the Qing,Taiping and Nian armies in battles for more than ten years between the reigns of Xianfeng(1851-1861)and Tongzhi(1862-1875)in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911).There were more battles in Yingshan County and Huoshan County which are both under Lu’an’s jurisdiction.The ravages by the wars not only had a serious impact on the local government facilities such as government offices and warehouses,but also burned down a large number of urban and rural residential facilities.Cultural and educational buildings in Lu’an Prefecture,such as schools and ancestral temples,were ruined as well.During the wars,the people died or fled,and the large population is lost.As a result,a large amount of land was abandoned,and much arable farmland was reduced.Consequently,the stable collection of land tax was not ensured,which led to the higher living pressure of the people and did serious harm to the local economy based on agriculture.In the face of the serious and frequent ravages by the wars,the Qing government and local officials actively selected military talents,recruited a large number of military personnel.Hence,some military victories were achieved,which played a certain role in mitigating the ravages.The local people initiatively founded civil corps,built city walls and forts,which thus effectively prevented the ravages by the wars,and played an important role in stabilizing of the social order in Lu’an.