Abstract
Research on the Ming dynasty's military system has, to this point, consisted largely of general surveys. The Ming empire covered a large territory, however, so distinctions must be made between its heartland and frontier, as well as land-locked and coastal regions. Fortunately, numerous local gazetteers dating from the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties provide a wealth of source material for the study of the Ming military system at the regional level. This paper, based mainly on local gazetteers from Chiang-hsi province published before the Ch'ien-lung reign, examines the establishment there of Guards and Chiliads (wei-so 衛所) and Military Battalions (ping-ying 兵營), as well as the development of the province's militia system, during the Ming dynasty. In addition, I will also examine the gradual establishment of the supervisory high-ranking officers in accord with Chiang-hsi's military needs. This study should provide a good foundation for comparative research in the future.
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