Text|small writing
Editor|Pillow History Books
The Qing court issued a series of opera bans against bannermen, most notably during the Qianjiadao period. The ban on the banner man is mainly manifested in two aspects: first, it is forbidden for the bannerman to go to the garden to listen to the play and perform on stage without reason, and the second is to strictly prohibit the opening of a theater garden in the inner city of Jingshi and singing in the tea garden.
In this regard, some scholars believe that these measures are aimed at achieving victory on two fronts. The first is to prevent Han culture from invading the Manchu space; The second is to prevent the core bureaucracy of the regime from being assimilated by the Han Chinese.
This view regarded the ban on the banner people as a cultural war between Sinicization and the maintenance of the "Manchurian Way", and believed that the Qing court did not fight this war well. However, the Qing court's long-term adherence to the ban on Qi Ren opera is not fully explained by the ruling strategy of maintaining the identity of Manchuria.
In the same year of Xian Dynasty, the so-called "old Manchurian road" centered on Qing language riding and shooting and advocating frugality had long become the ideal standard, but the banner man ban policy, which was closely related to it, continued for a long time, and there was a deep ruling logic and institutional considerations behind it.
At this time, many bans on the opera of banner people had been included in the supervision and punishment regulations of the Criminal Department, the Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office, the Infantry Command Yamen, and the Eight Banners Commandery Yamen, and many of the Qing Emperor's expectations for the banner people to be at ease and diligent and thrifty had evolved into the system management of the Eight Banners.
However, the Jingshi Banner people have been getting along with the people for a long time, and it is difficult to form a clear governance situation. Under the joint action of the banners and the banned, the relevant opera bans were gradually broken and dissolved.
The banner man bans and the "flag people" strategy behind it
As early as the early Qing Dynasty, opera entertainment, as a representative of the extravagance of the Han people, entered the attention of the Qing court. Before entering the customs, Emperor Taiji repeatedly admonished the kings Beile to take pleasure in drinking and playing plays for pleasure, fearing to abandon the pure style of Manchuria and "follow the practice of Chinese customs, that is, to indulge in adultery."
After entering the customs, the Qing court banned the opera activities of the banner people from time to time, and the daily opera entertainment of the banner people was placed on the opposite side of the simple style of Manchuria from the beginning.
During the Kang Yong period, the opera activities of the banner people attracted more and more attention from the Qing court. The Kangxi Emperor strictly forbade Manchurian bannermen to act and save money for dating and playing, and Kangxi directly agreed that "no theaters are allowed in the interior of the capital, and Yongxing is strictly prohibited."
From the Kangxi Dynasty onwards, the Qing court's goal of banning banner people gradually shifted from the initial wariness of sinicization to thinking about the livelihood of banner people.
In the second year of the Yongzheng Dynasty, the Yongzheng Emperor issued an edict for two months prohibiting officials and soldiers from going to the opera theater to indulge in extravagance, and those who violated it were punished. At the same time, it was clearly mentioned in the edict that it was because of "the observance of the eight flags of Manchuria and other livelihoods" that the way of frugality should be practiced.
With the prominence of the livelihood problem of the eight flags, the Qing court developed from prohibiting the opening of theaters in the inner city to prohibiting the banner people from sneaking into the outer city gardens to play, and the ban on the banner people and the livelihood of the eight flags began to be closely integrated.
During the Qianjia period, the ban on opera by bannermen issued by the Qing court increased significantly, and gradually included it in the rules of various ministries to strengthen institutionalized management. The complexity of the ban during this period was not only related to the prosperity of opera activities and the proliferation of banner people, but more importantly, to alleviate the increasingly embarrassing livelihood of Baqi.
To this end, the Qing court continued to improve the relevant opera bans in the process of responding to the banner man drama case, and gradually refined specific punishment measures: first, for the prohibited flag officers, "officials participated, and soldiers were responsible for reform" specifically "according to the violation of the law rod 100"; Second, for those who fail to supervise, the supervisor in charge is refined from the "Ministry of Communication" to a fine ranging from six months to one year depending on the position.
However, since negligence is a public crime, the jointly responsible officials can often offset it with reward records, so the effectiveness of punishment is often reduced. In addition, the ban on theaters in the inner city was also strengthened, and although there was a ban on opening theaters in the inner city of Jingshi during the Kang Yongqian period, in fact, there were still theaters of considerable scale.
During the Daoguang period, the number of bannermen who appeared on stage to perform due to poverty increased.
In the fifth year of Daoguang, when the Qing court was discussing the livelihood of the Eight Banners, Shangshu Yinghe of Hubu proposed alternative methods, one of which was "to commit theft, tattoo words, be unhonest and shameful, be willing to be cheap, remove the banner file, and it is appropriate to follow the rules and strength", and clearly suggested that "the banner man who sells art on the stage, and those who are unhonest and shameful, will not be sent to punishment, and even their descendants will be sold together."
This should refer to the relevant law of "exemption from dispatch for crimes", that is, "if those who are honest and shameful and have defiled the banner, regardless of Manchuria, Mongolia, or Han army, they shall be cut off their household registration and sent according to the law", which is also the common regulations used to punish banner people for performing on stage in the past. Yinghe's proposal was adopted and enshrined in the Qing Law in the form of a by-law ordinance.
Since then, there have been few new bans on opera by flag men included in the regulations of various ministries, and many cases follow old practices, even if there are imperial history cases or exhortations, they still cite the previous regulations.
However, under the relatively perfect ban, the number of flag people entering the park to listen to plays or perform on stage has increased, and the ban was only imposed for a while under previous orders, and soon those who sneaked in and feasted returned to normal.
Although the Qing court had limited control of the opera activities of the Jingshi banner people, it always adhered to the ban and became the consensus of the ruling class, which was related to the Qing dynasty's most fundamental eight-banner system and the strategy of dividing the people of the banner.
After the Qing court established the capital in Beijing, it implemented the policy of separating the banner people and living inside and outside for a long time, which was closely related to the continuation of the eight-banner system.
On the one hand, the Qing court emphasized "not distinguishing between Manchu and Han" and "sending as one", but on the other hand, it took "first honoring Manchuria" as its fundamental national policy.
The most important role of the Eight Banners is that it is the military force on which the Qing court relies to maintain its rule, and before entering the customs, it "highlights the military characteristics of the Eight Flags system". However, the Jingshi inheritance has been peaceful for a long time, and the shortcomings of the dualistic system of divided rule by the banner and the people have become increasingly apparent.
On the one hand, the life of the banner people is heavily dependent on the people's society, and the close exchanges between the banner people jointly promote the development of entertainment life, which for the Qing court is undoubtedly the gradual infection of the banner people with Han habits and "the abolition of Manchuria's own industry".
On the other hand, the increase in the number of soldiers of the Eight Banners is far less than the increase in the population, and the number of unpaid people is increasing, and the number of those who have money is not sufficient, and many of the banner people do not work in agriculture, industry and commerce, and their natural livelihood is poor.
The ban on the banner people is related to the fundamentals of the rule of the eight flags. During the Qianlong period, in order to ease the livelihood of the Eight Banners, a large number of Han troops were sent out of the banner for the people, but until the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Han army still accounted for a considerable proportion of the Eight Banners.
Although the Qing court repeatedly emphasized that Qing language riding and shooting were Manchurian customs, in the implementation of the opera ban, the Eight Banners Manchuria, the Eight Banners Han Army, and the Eight Banners Mongolia all inspected as one, and advocating Manchurian characteristics became a habitual slogan for rulers to pursue realistic goals.
During the time of the Jiadao, the livelihood problem of the banner people was already very serious, and on the one hand, the Qing court allocated public funds to increase the number of troops to raise troops, forgive the debt and rent of the bannermen, and implement the reclamation of the Beijing banner, on the other hand, it continued to attach importance to the indoctrination of the banner people, standardize the behavior of the banner people, and ban those who defiled the banner.
Under such circumstances, the Qing Emperor's restrictions on the opera activities of the banner people were largely due to concerns about the customs and livelihood of the banner people.
The Kangxi Emperors to the Daoguang Emperors constantly stressed the need to maintain the old Manchurian customs, and "all things such as Manchurian frugality and Qingyu riding and shooting, walking on errands, practicing acting skills, and practicing etiquette should be learned with all their hearts."
However, the trend of Manchu-Han integration could no longer be stopped, and even the inner court guards and scattered ministers "did not take Qingyu as their duty." After Xianfeng, the emphasis on the so-called "Manchurian Way" and "ancestral old system" gradually faded, and in order to continue to restrain the bad habits of the banner people such as wandering around and spending money, the Qing court still enforced the ban on the opera of the banner people for a long time.
Xiqu is not only an entertainment and cultural activity, but also an economic activity, and more importantly, a political consideration. The fact that the banner people watched and acted in plays not only involved the indoctrination of Manchurian customs, but also related to the daily livelihood of the eight flags, "even if the inner city is not allowed to open theaters, it is also feared that the banner people will spend money, which is specially prohibited." However, things backfired, and the banner man's drama became more and more complicated.
The Qing court insisted on coping with the banner people
The ban on Qi people opera was related to many issues such as military rule of the Qing court, economy and finance, livelihood of banner people, indoctrination of banner people, management of Beijing teachers, and integration of banner people.
The gradual dissolution of the ban is not the disappearance of the ban itself, but the conflict between the ban and many aspects of society, thus forcing various "adaptive" changes in the implementation of the ban that are not in line with the original intention of those in power.
The reason for the Qing court's adherence to the ban on opera by the banner people was first of all the adherence of the supreme ruler of the Qing court to his ruling policy and governing philosophy, that is, relying on the Eight Banners and Chongchuria. The Qing court had complex ruling thinking about the ban imposed on the banner people, which was not only due to the personal reasons of the rulers and the factors of the times, but also closely related to the banner people issue and the management of the eight flags.
The two dynasties of Jiadao were the most severe periods when the Qing Dynasty's banner people were banned, and the two emperors were also more concerned about the banner people's indulgence in flashiness. However, since the beginning of the Xianfeng Dynasty, the enforcement of the ban on Qiren opera began to weaken significantly.
Although the impact of the rise of the late Qing Han warriors on the Eight Banners system of the Qing court needs to be discussed in depth, at this time the Qing emperor rarely emphasized the old Manchurian customs.
In his early years, the Xianfeng Emperor tried to revitalize current affairs, advocating "not being flashy, riding and shooting in Qingyu as the main task", but in the later period, he neglected flag affairs and became more and more fond of play.
For example, in the Xianfeng Nine-Year Ticket Case, a few days before Fu Kuan's performance, there were opera performances in the inner court, and the first day of the seventh month of the reply to the edict was also undertaken in the same paradise.
In the eleventh year of Xianfeng, in the last half of the life of the Xianfeng Emperor, the summer villa acted more frequently, and most of them were undertaken by people outside the palace selected by the Jingshi people.
The upward and downward effects have been effected, and the seriousness and deterrence of the opera ban have been continuously eroded. Even during the funeral of the Xianfeng Empire, there were still Taihua tea gardens in the fourth archway in the east of the inner city to invite "Gao Qingshou, the master of ceremonies, Lin Jien to play tricks, play roots, and learn to act in the tea garden".
Until the expiration of the national service, everything will continue as usual. For four years of rule, another third-class guard Chang Ying and Menqian Zongjin Guangyuan were dismissed for singing ticket plays and defiling official posts.
During the reign of the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces, the Qing court was still able to reluctantly enforce the ban on bannermen. Some scholars believe that although it is a curtain of the two palaces, Empress Dowager Ci'an's status is after all above Empress Dowager Cixi, and Ci'an has always been restrained in singing operas in the Qing Palace, and has restrictions on Cixi who likes to listen to plays.
The role of Empress Dowager Ci'an was reflected both inside and outside the palace. As in July of the second year of the reign, an edict was issued to postpone the ban on singing, and the civil servants of the Shengping Department were passed on to Xianfeng for ten years; In October of the same year, he issued an edict strictly admonishing internal and external ministers and workers to "strive for thrift, refrain from extravagant habits, compete for fame, do not covet the pleasure of the eyes and ears, and forget their profession." Empress Dowager Ci'an's influence on Zhensu dynasty politics and the atmosphere of the banner people deserves further exploration.
In March of the seventh year of Guangxu, Empress Dowager Ci'an died, Qing palace dramas gradually prospered, and illegal acting in the inner city tea garden appeared one after another, and even singing during the national service period.
In the leap month of the seventh year of Guangxu, the year of the imperial history Ding He said that there were tea houses in the forbidden city's T-street, Shichahai and other places, please ban it.
Ding Henian not only pointed out that there were many tea gardens in the inner city that performed during the national service, but also pointed out that the acting venues had developed near the imperial city and openly solicited female guests.
Ding Henian mentioned that when it came to acting in the inner city, the infantry commander Yamen only dispersed and posted a notice prohibiting it, and he was lenient and indulgent, so that he sang endlessly.
After Ding folded his performance, he only "issued an edict to order the commander of the infantry army and other Yamen to be banned immediately", and no one was punished. The reason why it did not make waves has a lot to do with the organizers of this Shichahai act.
According to Li Ciji: "The Ten Temples Sea performed a drama, and the son of Gongdi, Beile Zai, did it to please his foreign wife." ”
Zai was the eldest son of Prince Gong Yi, and under the protection of Prince Gong's mansion, the matter was closed. The imperial family openly organized the inner city to sing during the national service period, and the infantry commander Yamen lacked strong action, and the majesty and strength of the theater prohibition regulations were greatly weakened.
From Jiadao's strict prohibition of banner people's plays, to Xiantong's observance of the ban, and finally to the middle and late Guangxu period, although the infantry commander Yamen still often posted notices in the inner city, "selling dramas privately, and must be immediately and strictly prohibited", there are very few dramas that have really entered the judicial stage.
After the change of Gengzi Kingdom, the ban on banner people has become a written document, and it has completely ended when the law is revised.
The previous part specifically discussed the importance that the rulers attached to the ban on bannermen, and correspondingly, how the banner people responded to this policy is also worth exploring, which is discussed in detail in the next part.
Bibliography:
1. Guangxu's "Cases of the Great Qing Society" Volume 6 "Zongrenfu · Youshirt · Sect Room Lives in the Outer City"
2. Zhu Yixin: Jingshifang Xiangzhi Manuscript, first volume, Zhu Yixin's Complete Works, Shanghai People's Publishing House, 2017, p. 503
3. Guo Chengkang: "Also on the Sinicization of the Manchus", Qing Dynasty Political Essays, Life, Reading, and New Knowledge Sanlian Bookstore, 2021, p. 531