Chapter 1805 Following the Road Twenty Years Ago - The Usefulness of India
"What's the situation in India? What is the third brother referring to?" Yunzhi asked rhetorically.
"Compared to when you first arrived in India, what changes have taken place in India over the years?" Yun said again.
"If we say what changes have taken place, there are many." Yunzhi said: "First of all, three governor's offices were established, and local government offices were established under the governor's office. But even after five years, the Ming Dynasty's rule in India
It is still very weak. Except for a few cities, most local officials are recommended by the local government and appointed by the governor-general. Of course, the local officials obtained in this way will not completely obey the governor-general's words. If there are two or three powerful families in a certain place,
It's not bad that there are quite a lot of high-ranking families competing with each other. The Governor's Mansion can also take advantage of the conflicts between several families to strengthen its control over the local area; if one family dominates a certain place, then this place is completely the fiefdom of that family, and the same is true for the Governor's Mansion.
The governor-general was willing to obey almost nothing except the taxes and labor services set by the government. Once the army was passing through a certain county and asked the government to provide food and grass. The government actually only provided the supplies to the heavenly soldiers for free, while the Orange Camp actually required payment."
"Cheng Ying?" Yun asked doubtfully.
"Orange Camp is our name for the army that is dominated by local people. It was named because the local people believe in Brahmanism, and Brahmanism advocates orange." Yunzhi explained.
"How did you deal with this family later?" Yun asked again.
"At that time, Wuji and I held back. When this family made another mistake, and it was a mistake that the Governor-General had clearly stated that it would never make, I personally led the troops to eradicate this family." Speaking of this.
Despite this, Yun Zhi still felt happy.
But then she said with some frustration: "But even if this family is eradicated and the local government restrains itself, it is still illegal. We can't wipe out all the big families, otherwise there will be complete chaos. A penny of tax
Don’t even think about collecting it.”
"This is inevitable." Yun said. This was not a random word of comfort, that's what he thought. In a place that has implemented a decentralized system with religion as its core for at least two thousand years, it will take at least three generations to establish a centralized system.
Human efforts. No, three generations are not necessarily enough. In the Han Dynasty, from the founding of the country by Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty to the basic establishment of a centralized system of power by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, four generations passed.
Moreover, Yun did not need them to establish a centralized system in India. "Yunzhi, in India, you do not need to restrict power from the local high-ranking families, nor do you need to be able to get much labor from the people. The taxes only need to be enough for the Governor-General's Office.
Just spend money on the army. The purpose of everything you have to do is to make India a better colony of the Ming Dynasty." Yun explained the meaning of colony and continued: "In order to make India a better colony,
Good roads need to be built, tracks need to be built, rivers need to be dredged, local people need to be afraid to extort Han merchants, and social order needs to be maintained. There is no need to do anything else."
"In the future, the imperial court will gradually conquer the foreign countries in South India and set up a governor's palace to govern the area. South India, like North India, will be treated as a colony."
"Colony?" Like Wenyuan who had just heard the word, Yun Zhi found it difficult to accept it for a while. Unlike the West, the Ming Dynasty did not have the concept of a colony.
The common people treat them differently. This is different from the chieftains. The chieftains have all the rights of their own fiefdoms, their positions are hereditary, and all officials are appointed by themselves. Their obligations to the court are only to assist in the war and pay taxes to the court on the basis of the entire chieftain unit; but
Colonial officials were appointed by the mother country, and taxes were collected from everyone, every family, and every merchant.
"This is the only way." Yun repeated what he had said to Wenyuan before, and finally said: "I have wanted to say these words to you for a long time, but I just wrote them in my heart and was afraid that I would not be able to express them clearly, so I will wait until you return to China this time.
I just told you."
"Third brother, when you ordered different policies for the Han and Indians, and the division of Han and Indian rule, was it also to better make India a colony?" Yunzhi asked after a long silence.
"That's true." Yun admitted frankly. "If the Han people who migrated to India are allowed to integrate with the locals, they will become local Brahmin or Kshatriya Brahmans within two generations, and governance will be biased towards the local area. What else?
Treat them as the cornerstone of ruling India? Only by dividing and conquering can they be trusted."
"I understand." Yunzhi said: "I will build India in accordance with the requirements of the colony in the future. I will also tell Qin Song and Mu Ang about this. By the way, third brother, Qin Song and Mu Ang, third brother plans in the future
How to arrange them?”
"How to arrange Qin Song and Mu Ang?" Yun was stunned for a moment and said: "You are referring to how to appoint and remove the governor-general of India."
"My sister didn't understand what she said, that's what she meant." Yunzhi said hurriedly.
"Brother, it was also the first time that a Governor-General's Office was set up to take charge of the occupied overseas lands. I didn't know how to arrange it. In the past two years, I have gradually gained some experience, and combined with the national precedent, I established the official system of the Governor-General's Office."
"First of all, the governor has great power. He is responsible for the management of the military and civilians, the comprehensive control of civil and military affairs, and the inspection and promotion of officials. However, he does not have legal power, and is appointed by the court. The governor is elected for a term of three years, and he can serve up to two consecutive terms. The term ends with
The next governor must return to the Central Plains immediately after the handover, and is not allowed to stay there, nor is he allowed to let his descendants settle there."
"Secondly, all officials in the Governor's Office, except those in charge of law, are appointed by the Governor. However, except for local officials, they cannot be filled by Han Chinese who have settled in the local area for more than two generations."
"Thirdly, the army of the Governor-General is divided into two categories. One is the soldiers sent from the Central Plains, who only stay in the area for five years, and another army will be stationed in rotation after five years; the other is the army composed of local people, also
It is what you call the Orange Camp, and the generals will be local people or Han people who have settled in the area. Han people who have settled in the area are not allowed to be ordinary soldiers."
The purpose of allowing these regulations is to prevent the governor from rebelling and establishing himself as king in the area under the governor's palace. Through this series of regulations, a three-level management model of Han people born in the Central Plains and locals was formed. The Han people in the Central Plains hold great power, but the authority comes from
The Ming Dynasty was nothing without the power of the imperial court, and it was impossible to establish itself as a king.
"As for Qin Song and Mu Ang, as the first governors, they have resigned after two years. As brothers, of course I will not treat them badly. Anyone who has served as governors overseas will directly join the central government as a ministry or auxiliary officer after returning to the Central Plains." Yun said.
By the way, he also talked about the treatment for the outgoing governor-general. He set a higher salary in order to attract officials to be willing to serve as governor-general in India.
"That's good." Yunzhi said. Over the years when they were governors of India together, she had developed some friendship with Qin Song and Mu Ang, and they were happy to hear that the outgoing governor could receive higher treatment.
After that, Yunzhi introduced the situation in India, not much else, just about transportation and social order. There is a Ganges River in northern India that runs from east to west, and there are many tributaries. The banks of the Ganges River are also the most prosperous, wealthy and populous areas in India.
place. With such a waterway, they didn't need to build a road. Just for the convenience of sending messages, they built a track on the south bank of the Ganges, which was used to deliver very important letters or transport officials.
As for the social order, Yun Zhi and others did not change the original local social order except for the location of the Governor's Palace. They only implemented more efficient tax collection methods in the city. In Yun Zhi's view, the low-caste locals certainly had a good life.
It's not good, but they don't seem to think so, and they have no plans to rebel or be bandits. The social order is pretty good. The only change is that the local people, regardless of caste, know that Han people cannot be messed with, even the most ordinary Han people. Of course
, if the Han people offend the upper castes, the upper castes will not let the Han people bully them.
"Not bad." After listening to Yunzhi's words, Yun commented. In his opinion, Yunzhi has successfully completed the task and deserves praise.
But after hearing Yun's comment, Yunzhi couldn't be happy. She said a few more words to Yun, and then suddenly said: "Third brother, I want to transfer Wuji and I back to the Central Plains."
Hearing this, Yun was stunned for a moment, stood up, patted Yunzhi on the shoulder, and said to her: "Brother, I know that you are willing to stay in India as governor-general to start a career and tell others that women are not necessarily inferior to men.
.The reason why you don’t want to continue to be the Governor-General in India now is because since you don’t have to do anything as a Governor-General, you have no motivation.”
"Forget it, Brother Wei will promise you to return to the Central Plains. But don't think that it will be easy in the future. Brother Wei asked you to come to Xuanfu. In name, Wuji will be the commander-in-chief, but in reality you will be the commander-in-chief."
"Go to Xuanfu to be the commander-in-chief?" Yunzhi said doubtfully: "Xuanfu is one of the nine border towns. After all the vassal princes except Gan Wangshu went overseas or returned to the capital, the eight border towns
We all have military generals as the commander-in-chief, why do we suddenly let my sister be the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu? Is there anything special about the Xuanfu? Because it is close to Peking?"
"Of course the Xuanfu has special features. It not only has to prevent the Mongols from going south to harass, but it also has to do other things. Most of the military generals can't do this well, but if a civilian official is appointed to do it, I'm afraid it won't work well with the military generals. So.
We will need you and Wuji couple." Yun said.
"Since there is such a thing that the civil servants and generals cannot do alone, my sister is willing to accept it. However, what other things are there besides guarding against the Mongolian harassment from the south?" Yunzhi asked.
"As for the matter, I'll tell you about it when we get to Tianjin. This is not about selling a lawsuit, but when you see the real thing in Tianjin, it will be easier to explain." Yun said.
"Then we'll wait until we get to Tianjin. Sister, there's no rush." Yunzhi agreed with a smile.