The Balancing Act of Indirect and Direct Rule: Evidence from the Qing Empire, 1661-1735

• In Event: Bureaucrats, Local Institutions, and Private Interests

Brief Overview

This study reinterprets the power shift from indirect to direct rule in governance as a strategic balancing act, not just a cost-benefit analysis. Using Qing Empire data, it explores both central and local reactions.

Authors

• Jun Fang, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

• James Kai-sing Kung, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology