道咸年间宁波民变与乡村秩序的变化

The Ningbo Uprising and the Changes in Rural Order During the Daoguang and Xianfeng Periods of the Qing Dynasty

道光二十五年至咸丰八年的十三年间,宁波府发生了五次民变,其虽规模小、时间短、目标单纯,却有乡绅群体参与其中,带头向地方官抗粮抗税。分析宁波五次民变的经过,以及道咸年间宁波气候、灾疫、粮价及银钱比价等情形,可知宁波民变的原因并非地方志所说的“苛索召变”,而是宁波百姓在银钱比价失调带来的物价膨胀与税收压力下,聚众抗粮抗税,甚至殴打知县,打砸县衙。一般来说,清朝地方官需要乡绅群体的协助,才能治理县级以下的基层社会,稳定乡村秩序。然而,在宁波五次民变中,乡绅群体不但不支持地方官,甚至在地方官加税或改变惯例时,鼓动百姓反抗官府,凸显官绅矛盾激化,原有官绅合作的地方治理机制逐渐失灵,呈现清政府难以掌控基层社会的趋势。

In the thirteen years from the 25th year of Daoguang to the 8th year of Xianfeng(1845-1858),five uprisings occurred in Ningbo Prefecture.Though these uprisings were small-scale,short-lived,and with simple objectives,they involved the participation of local gentry who took the lead in protesting against food and tax to the local officials.By analyzing the process of the five civil uprisings as well as the climate,disasters,food prices,and silver-copper exchange rates during the Daoguang and Xianfeng periods in Ningbo,it can be seen that the cause of the Ningbo civil uprisings was not“harsh extortion triggering unrest”as described in local records but the price inflation and taxation caused by the imbalance of silver-copper exchange rates.Under this pressure,the Ningbo people banded together to protest against food and tax,even resorting to beating the county magistrate and vandalizing the county government office.Generally,local officials in the Qing dynasty needed the assistance of the gentry group to govern grassroots society below the county level and stabilize rural order.However,during the five popular uprisings in Ningbo,the local gentry not only did not support the local officials but also incited villagers to resist the government when the officials increased taxes or changed customary practices.This highlighted the intensification of conflicts between the officials and the gentry,indicating that the previous local governance mechanism of cooperation between officials and gentry was gradually failing.It also revealed the trend that the Qing dynasty was struggling to maintain control over the grassroots society.