Historical background : The mid-Ming was faced with the political crisis beause the national defence power was weakening down except for the political corruption ,high centralization of the land, poverty of the people and the country and the rising seriousness of the class contradictions.
历史背景:明朝中期面临着政治危机,当时除了统治腐朽、土地高度中、民贫财竭、阶级矛盾日益尖锐外,国防力量也逐渐削弱。
The northern Tartars took the chance to aggress and the Japanese pirates troubled the southeast seacoast areas from time to time.
北方鞑靼乘机侵扰,倭寇也不断人侵东南沿海。
All of these made the governors consider the problem to save the country themselves.
这些都迫使统治阶级不得不考虑改革自救的问题。
Reform:In the year of 1573, Zhang Juzheng occupied the office of the Chief Minister of the cabinet.
改革的内容:1573年,张居正任内阁首辅。
He reformed by taking it as the core to strengthen the centralization.
他以加强中央集权为中心进行政治改革。
In politics, he advocated to bring order into the local administration and cut off the unnecessary officials. In the army, he improved the frontier defense and appointed the strategist Qi Jiguang to guard Jimen and the strategist Li Chengliang to guard Liaodong. He also agreed to trade tea and horses with the Tartars and has the peaceful coexistence. In economy, he measured the land again and clarified the private land that the despots had grabbed for. He invited the water conser-vancy expert Pan Jixun to harness the rivers. He reformed the tax system and advocated the one-whip system.
政治方面,澄清吏治,裁减冗员;军事方面,整顿边防,任用军事家戚继光守卫蓟门,李成梁镇守辽东,并与鞑靼进行茶马互市,和平相处;经济方面,丈量土地,清查豪强地主的隐田,聘请水利专家潘季驯主持治河,改革赋役制度,推行鞭法。
The importance of the Reform Zhang : Juzheng Reform had improved the financial state of the Ming government and strengthened the frontier defense. The military power had been strengthened as well.
改革的作用:张居正改革,改善了明政府的财政状况,明朝北方边防得到巩固,军事力量也有所增强。
But the reform annoyed the present interests of the bureaucrats and the landlords and was against seriously by them.
由于这次改革触犯了大官僚地主的一些眼前利益,遭到他们的强烈反对。
In 1582, Zhang Juzheng died and the reform was stopped at the same time. But the way to collect tax in silver was maintained.
1582年,张居正逝世,改革也随之终止,但用银两收税的办法却保留了下来。