對明清時期改土歸流的評價,20世紀80年代至今的論述可謂汗牛充棟,其中的某些觀點已成學術界的定論。筆者認為:土司制度是封建領主社會結構下的產物;民族內部經濟與社會結構的變化是土司制度瓦解的動因;土司制度走向它的反面導致自身的加速崩潰。用社會學視野進行觀察,明清之際的改土歸流無疑屬于一場區域性的政治體制改革。土司制度作為一種區域性特殊管理制度,其產生、興旺、衰敗到走向瓦解的過程,所反映的正是我們這樣一個統一的多民族國家,在社會管理模式上,從粗獷到系統,從法制不健全,到封建法制開始趨于完善的這樣一個過程。對于幅員遼闊、民族眾多,地區差距懸殊的的這樣一個國家,歷史上的統治者要找到一條發展之路,顯然并非易事,而且必然會付出各種各樣的代價。這也正是我們在評價改土歸流時,不能不注意到的一個重要方面。

The evaluation of the modified soil to the stream of the Ming and Qing Dynasties,since twentieth Century80’s discussion is an immense number of books,some viewpoints which has become the academic circles. The author thinks:the chieftain system is a product of social structure of the feudal lords of change; the nation’s internal economic and social structure is the motivation of Tusi system collapse; the opposite of Tusi system toward its lead to accelerated its collapse.Was observed by the view of sociology, soil improvement in the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the stream is a regional political system reform. The chieftain system as a special management system of a kind of regional,prosperity,decline,the process of collapse,which is reflected in such a unified multi-ethnic country,in the social management pattern,from rough to the system, from the legal system is not perfect, to start a process of feudal legal system perfect the. For the vast territory,numerous nationalities,such a gap in the region of the country,the history of the rulers to find a way to develop,is not easy,and will give a variety of price. This is what we in the evaluation of land reform,an important aspect not to notice.