明清之際遼東興起若干藉由軍職發展私人勢力的家族，其中以李成梁、毛文龍、祖大壽三位總兵家族最具代表性。這些擁有影響力的遼東軍事家族，探討其成員的出身、維繫家族的力量、任職明朝的作為等情形，可歸納出家族特徵；分析其鞏固家族勢力的方式，以及與中央、地方的互動關係，有助於掌握經營與發展的模式；討論其在明清戰爭期間的表現，以及與滿洲政權間的戰、和、降的關係，則可瞭解明清雙方在東北勢力的消長，故可藉由對三家興衰的論述，呈現遼東軍事家族的歷史地位。李、毛、祖三家的活躍期雖有時間先後的不同，然以家族的形態出現、刻意經營家族勢力、左右戰局的能力、政治立場的抉擇等，皆有其相互異同之處，故可就三家的崛起、壯大、轉變乃至瓦解的歷程加以比較，將之置於明清對峙與政權轉移的脈絡中進行考察，並將討論的重點集中於：一、遼東邊政傾危與軍事家族的崛起；二、李、毛、祖軍事家族的經營形態；三、明清對峙與李、毛、祖家族動向；四、明清政權轉移與軍事家族的解體。

During the late Ming and early Ch’ing dynasties, several families developed their power by means of military positions. Among then, the three commanders Li Ch’enn-liang, Mao Wen-long, and Tsu Ta-shou were the most influential ones. Through the investigation of their family backgrounds, combination among family members, as well as their being in office in the Ming government, we could perceive their family characteristics. In addition, it will be helpful to know their patterns of management and development in the analysis of the ways that they consolidate their family powers, and the interaction between the central and local governments. The discussions of their performances during the wartime of Ming-Ch’ing, and of the relations between the Chinese empire and Manchu government by means of war, peace, or surrender, will reveal the growth and decline of the relative strengths of the two sides in northeast China. Henceforth, through the discourse of the rise and fall of the three families, we can present the position of the Liao-Tung military families in history. Although the Li, Mao and Tsu families did not prosper in the exactly same time, they share certain similarities in their rise with the family as a unit, manipulation of family power, the ability to control battlefield, the choice of politics position, and so on. Thus, we can do the research of the opponency between the Ming and Ch’ing as well as the transition of the political powers, in terms of the comparison of their rise, growth, decline, and collapse. The study will focus on:1. the danger of the frontier and the rise of military families in Liao-tung. 2. The patterns of management and development of the Li, Mao, Tsu families. 3. the tendencies of the Li, Mao, Tsu families during the confrontation between Ming and Manchu. And 4. the collapse of the military families after the regime was taken over.