清沿明制，除直隸地區外，合二至三直省，置一總督，依＜吏部則例＞規定，總 督為文官正二品，與巡撫之品級相同，但其實際官階常因時因人而異，設立之初，原為朝庭 派往地方辦理事務，監察吏治之代表，不少總督具有京官官銜。總督之職掌涵蓋監察、治軍 、用人、財政各方面，實際權力則日益擴大，清季時，中央對各省之軍事、財政漸失控制， 各直省總督儼成一方之主。滿人在入關之初，在任命總督之人事上，重用旗人，乾嘉以後， 漢人漸取代旗人，西力東漸後，滿清王朝在內憂外患下，更倚重漢人，自道光至光統年間， 漢人任總督者，幾達總督之總人數之十分之七。

　　　　　The governors-general were the highest officials in the provinces in Ch'ing China. The Manchu rulers appointed some trusted servants to supervise the local affairs. Usually, two or three provinces were grouped into an administrative area under the jurisdiction of a govern-general. The assignments were presumably temporary ones. They developed later into formal and regular appointments. The study of the local affairs has attracted some Ch'ing schorlats for many years. Nonetheless, few had paid attention solely on the governor-generalship. The number and administrative zones of various governors-general varied from time to time. The first governors-general was appointed in 1647. There were 11 governor-generlaship lasted for more than 130 years. While some lasted less than 10 years. It is the intention of this paper to make inquiry into the power, official titles, authority and influence of these highest local officials through the study of the regulations and practices on the appointments of the governors-general.