Abstract:
The implementation the of county system, in what ways and to what extent imposed in the different regions, reflected the regional differences of the methods of social control and degrees in the controlling different areas in the Chinese Empire State. Four layers of the social control system in the Tang Dynasty could be differentiated, based on the implementing of the county system in different areas. The first layer, the largest and the most important layer, was the official administrative areas which were directly ruled by the empire state and mainly inhabited by Han People. The county system had been comprehensively implemented in these areas. The second layer, was the official administrative areas, but mainly inhabited by “Barbarians”, not Han People. In these areas, the local offices tried to implement the unified county system, but had not been achieved. The third layer, was the informal administrative areas which were indirectly ruled by the empire state. In these areas, the leaders reported accounts of people which were controlled by them to the central government, and tried to partly implement the county system. The fourth layer was the informal administrative areas, but the leaders in these areas did not report accounts of people to the central government, and did not pay taxes. The social control system could be altered or changed based on the different social and economic status in different areas, when it had been implemented in different areas.