Rules and Regulations of Villages: Moral Guidance in Guizhou’s Villages of Ethnic Minority during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Rules and regulations of villages not only served a legal function in maintaining public order and social decency but also played an educational role in cultivation of moral and core values. They were thus a key product of the integration of rule of law and moral guidance in traditional rural society. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, a social education system centered on such covenants took shape in the villages of ethnic minority areas in Guizhou. Its implementing agents included government officials at various levels, village administrators, tusi (native chieftains), and ethnic minority leaders. These agents carried out moral guidance through four principal top-down methods. These methods encompassed: 1) expounding imperial edicts and statutes; 2) establishing reward and punishment mechanisms; 3) disseminating literacy and educational practices; and 4) formulating specific codes of conduct. The methods served as a vital medium for translating the state’s governing philosophy from policy into concrete local governance. They also helped to bridge the gap between state directives and local customs.