North Clan and Local Society in the Ming and Qing Dynasties:The Case of the Zhang Clan in Xinxiang,Henan Province

The Zhang clan in the north migrated from Hongtong,Shanxi,to Xinxiang,Henan,during the reign of the Emperor Yongle in the Ming Dynasty.The Zhang clan was a very prominent one in Xinxiang in the late Ming Dynasty. Several scholars d the Zhang clan,such as Zhang Jinyan,had passed the imperial examinations and were assigned high official positions due to proper family educational policy.So,the Zhang clan come to boom and compiled its first family tree.This article explores the development of the Zhang clan in local community and the construction of its strengthened clan system through case study in the hope of having a better understanding of the north clan.