Shangyu Tiaoli and the Study of Qing Central Government Legislative Agendas

Abstract:

This article highlights a source from the Qing dynasty, published under various titles such as Shangyu tiaoli, Buyuan tiaozou, Gebuyuan tiaolice, and others, and describes its significance and usefulness for the study of Qing history. These publications are official compilations of regulations and legislations from the Qing government that were printed by various provincial governments since the early Qianlong reign to the end of the dynasty. They provide an alternative source for government documents that are sometimes missing from other official compilations such as the Veritable Records and the Shangyu dang. They also preserve elements of inter-agency communication that are routinely excised from these other official compilations, thus offering the historian a useful addition to the repository of sources that one could consult for various topics.