Corvée Labor in Qing-Era Qiandongnan

This study examines the actual conditions and evolving patterns of postal corvée (fuyao) labor in the Qiandongnan region of Qing China, particularly focusing on the area known as the "Six Ting of the Miao Frontier" (苗疆六廳). While the Qing dynasty inherited the institutional framework of the Ming period, the postal corvée system underwent significant transformations, such as monetization and the introduction of labor contracting. Nevertheless, the burden of service continued to be shaped by local conditions and existing power structures, and systemic abuses persisted. The implementation of the Gaituguiliu(改土歸流) policy during the Yongzheng reign and the construction of new transportation routes intensified regional disparities in corvée obligations, leading to disputes and subsequent compromises, including wage payments and adjustments to transport distances. However, institutional reforms introduced during the Qianlong era failed to resolve these imbalances. During the Jiaqing reign, lawsuits revealed conflicts over jurisdictional authority between fuxian(府縣, prefectures and counties) and tusi (土司, native chieftains), reflecting continued ambiguity in administrative control. Although the official stance excluded the tusi from managing corvée labor, in practice they remained deeply involved in its allocation and operation. Epigraphic sources such as public proclamations (告示) offer concrete evidence of the private exploitation and abuse of the corvée system by local officials, clerks, tusi, and gentry elites. Ultimately, this study argues that the administration of corvée labor in Qing frontier regions was shaped more by local social dynamics and power relations than by state regulations or institutional design, thereby exposing the structural limitations of imperial authority in effectively penetrating and governing rural society.