Author(s)

Lu Yang, Yan Wang, Sen Yang

School of Government, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has made a giant leap in anti-corruption movement. To look back on the past, Ming Dynasty’s touring censorial inspector was truly typical of the inspection regime in ancient China, because appointment of the feudal official thereof epitomized a well-designed counter-corruption mechanism, which was consisted of official selection, official supervision, touring obligation and returning examination. Naturally, such mechanism could have been contributed a lot to the anti-corruption campaign at that time. Moreover, it could be a valuable guide for the current Central Leading Group for Inspection Work, functioning like the inspector, to wipe out corruption. Instead, that appointment finally failed to save Ming Dynasty from perishing. Consequently, the dynasty went to collapse because of its own design of political institution, social institution and cultural tradition. Now these causes can still help the Central Leading Group exterminate corruption. In a nutshell, these are a great treasure passed down.

Ming Dynasty, Touring Censorial Inspectors, Anti-Corruption, Causes for Its Failure

Yang, L. , Wang, Y. and Yang, S. (2016) A Probe into the Anti-Corruption Mechanism behind Ming Dynasty’s Appointment of Touring Censorial Inspectors and the Causes for Its Failure. Chinese Studies, 5, 35-44. doi: 10.4236/chnstd.2016.53005.