As the last dynasty of China, the Qing Dynasty contained the most glorious history and the most painful memories of the transition.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the country was once in a state of internal and external troubles. Faced with external threats, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty once adopted a policy of closing the country.
However, such policies did not stop the iron hoof of foreign invaders, but instead made the rulers more arrogant and their subordinates more extravagant. Such arrogance is even more reflected in the late Qing Dynasty officialdom. Regardless of the size of the official position, the officials in the late Qing Dynasty showed a sense of arrogance. This can be seen from the old photos.
Amazing official travel
This photo is an official from a certain area reviewing the army. The weapons in the hands of the soldiers in the picture have been upgraded, which shows that the military construction at that time has made great progress compared to before.
Superior officials review the troops is very important for national defense construction in a region. At that time, a superior official often held multiple positions, so both ordinary people and lower-level officials respected it very much.
It can be seen that the officials of the inspection troops were steadily surrounded by the middle. He looked serious and stared at the front. Although the servant beside him looked natural, he still had a cautious look at power in his eyes.
Another picture is Qing Dynasty officials traveling on white horses.
In the picture, he was wearing a cloak and was imposing without anger. A strong white horse under his crotch also became majestic by his aura.
And around him, there are many followers holding long pole-shaped objects, which is Tongqin . bronze qin, as the brass instrument in Tibetan Buddhism, can reach up to about five meters.
Because the Tong Qin sounds low and strong, the instrument itself is long, it was also used by the Qing Dynasty to show the majesty of celebration. Of course, officials will naturally not miss such a majestic instrument when they travel. Usually several people will be sent to play when they travel.
In the picture, the official was riding a white horse and wearing a cloak, but he himself did not need to ride a horse. There were special personnel around him leading his horse, and there were special personnel behind him to hide the sun, which looked very imposing.
The last picture is a scene of late Qing officials traveling on the street. Before officials travel, they usually ring a gong to remind pedestrians on the street to give way to officials.
Singing the gong is a unique way for officials to travel in the Qing Dynasty. In the past, they were all whips to open the way. Because the gongs are more penetrating and safe, this method is commonly adopted in the Qing Dynasty.
Prefectures and counties often only need to sound three or seven gongs when traveling, while officials who are more senior than them can sound gongs and 13 gongs, which is an extremely grand show.
The gong sounded increased the majesty of officials, making the people respect the imperial power and respect the imperial power.
But on the other hand, it also widens the distance between officials and the people, making it impossible for many people to upload and issue calls, resulting in the formation of many unjust, false and wrong cases.
Therefore, there are also traces of people living in the late Qing Dynasty.
The yamen is promoted to the mighty hall
In TV series, you often see such scenes: when county officials make a case, they usually sit in the high hall, looking down at the kneeling people from top to bottom, while the yamen runners line up in two rows holding a killing stick.
overall looks solemn and dramatic.
But these are all exaggerated techniques in TV series, and there is no such big scene in real life.
When officials in the Qing Dynasty decided cases, there was usually no such large venue for them to use. Sometimes it was just the officials sitting at the table, and everyone else was surrounded by the officials. Although the positioning method of
is not as intuitive and refreshing as it is in TV series, it is also enough to give people a sense of oppression and threat in terms of momentum.Imagine a prisoner crawling on the ground and kneeling, and looking up, he glared at your official staff. Which prisoner is not frightened? Although the court in the picture is simple, it also masters the popular environmental psychology elements in modern times, and uses the pressure of the court to create a sense of psychological coercion on the prisoner, making it easier for the other party to reveal the truth.
Arrogant officers and soldiers
As the officials went on tour, the officials' entourage also seemed very arrogant.
Especially when the gong is ringing, the officers and soldiers in the lead will be very arrogant and drive the people away. Other officers and soldiers carrying sedan chairs would also walk through the streets proudly, with great momentum.
In fact, under normal circumstances, officials of high-level positions will clean up the streets when they go on patrols and drive out all the idle people from their necessary paths. This will eliminate unnecessary trouble and ensure the safety of officials.
After all, in the late Qing Dynasty, internal disputes between officials were serious, and with the emergence of various new ideas, the conflicts between officials of several different factions became more acute and complex than before. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure safety when going out to work. Such a pomp,
, not only increases the public's sense of awe for officials, but also makes the people around them begin to have the illusion of "fakes and tigers' power". It seems that the person sitting in the sedan chair is not their boss, but the officers and soldiers themselves.
summary
Recalling these photos, you can clearly see a series of official pictures in the late Qing Dynasty.
The senior officials with amazing pomp and stalwarts were surrounded by people on their journey, showing their abilities. Although they are inferior to the imperial power, they are above ordinary people. The ceremonial guards for travel not only make the people respect officials, but also make the people afraid of officials. So much so that "stopping the sedan chair and making a complaint" is a very unfair thing.
And when they really sat in the court, facing the people crawling and kneeling below, their hearts were more contempt and pity for these "lower people".
can be seen, and there are traces of unhealthy trends in the officialdom in the late Qing Dynasty.
Not to mention the foolish and incompetent persons, just by looking at the attitude of ordinary people, you can know that when a person has power, then there are more things he can control.
In order to use this power more perfectly, even the humble official will naturally feel proud.
Of course, it does not mean that all officials are so arrogant. It is just that most officials in the late Qing Dynasty had a pedantic spirit and regarded these face-saving projects as extremely important.
Back to the present, the current society will inevitably be more open and freer than before. The people are more brave and confident in their fight for their own rights.
Of course, there is no "drunk" from the feudal society period now. We should be glad that we live in an era of relatively equality and freedom, and we should be grateful to all the revolutionary martyrs who have made efforts for this era.
