Abstract:

According to the related barracks files of Nanbu County Archives in Qing Dynasty in Nanchong archives，Nanbu
County Annals Re-Compiled in Tongzi Period and Local Annals of Nanbu County，the author studied the changes in official
attitudes towards the state and county government’s prohibition on saltpeter and sulfur smuggling in the late Qing Dynasty and
changes in citizens’responses. It’s found that in Nanbu County Archives in Qing Dynasty literature on saltpeter smuggling
prohibition dated back to the 7th year of Yongzheng (AD 1729). But there were no such records between the 7th year of
Yongzheng and the early 13th year of Guangxu (AD 1887). After the 13th year of Guangxu，records on such cases reappeared.
In addition，different from other state and county government offices，Nanbu county didn’t strictly follow The Great Qing
Legal Code when dealing with saltpeter and sulfur smugglers，and when dealing with the confiscated smuggled saltpeter and
sulfur. Instead，with the acquiescence of provincial government，the local government sold or turned in everything captured. At
the nongovernmental level，trumped-up charges related with saltpeter and sulfur smuggling piled up，which cost Nanbu county
human resources，and material and financial resources in the verification and hearing of such charges.

Key words: late Qing Dynasty, the state and county government, prohibition on saltpeter and sulfur smuggling, Nanbu County
Archives in Qing Dynasty