A Summary Review of the Studies on the Tusi System

The Tusi system was a ruling system adopted by the Yuan,the Ming and the Qing dynasties in the minority areas in southern China,especially in the borderlands of southwest China,and in its 600years,it exerted far-reaching influence in these minority areas.The domestic studies on the Tusi system since 1949have made quite a few achievements.This paper gives a summary review of the studies on the Tusi in the past 100years,including the administration of the borderlands by the Imperial Courts of the Central Plains,the development of the minority institutions and systems,the changes of the Tusi society and the minority groups in southern China,the influence of the Tusi system on the minority cultures as well as the future development of Tusi studies.