The Proper Conduct Expected by the Qing Court of the Tusi (Native Chieftains) in the Frontier Regions: Dao Shengwuʼs Dismissal from His Post as Cheli Xuanweishi in 1834

This paper examines the proper conduct expected by the Qing court of the tusi (native chieftains) in the frontier regions, through the case of Dao Shengwu, who was dismissed from his post as Cheli Xuanweishi in 1834. Drawing mainly on the Qing Shilu (Veritable Records of the Qing), it analyzes how the Qing authorities interpreted and dealt with Dao Shengwu’s temporary stay for a few years in Burmese territory and his subsequent conflict with his uncle, Dao Taikang. The study situates this case within the broader context of the Qing frontier administration in Cheli, a region bordering Burma, Laos, and Siam. Although Dao Shengwu’s dismissal may appear to have resulted from his stay in Burmese territory, the historical records reveal that the principal reasons lay elsewhere—his reckless request for the deployment of government troops, his defiance of official orders, and his disruption of frontier stability. The Daoguang Emperor regarded conflicts among frontier tusi and native headmen as internal disputes that did not ordinarily warrant imperial intervention, but he strictly forbade any escalation that might draw in neighboring powers such as Burma. As the case of Dao Shengwu demonstrates, the Qing court exercised a flexible yet pragmatic frontier policy: tolerating minor internal disputes while taking firm measures against any actions that threatened border security or the balance of external relations.