A New Exploration of Jury Research from the Perspective of the English State Formation

XU Hao（4）

England was the first Western European country to establish a centralized government. In contrast to the centralized states emerging in late medieval continental Europe, England preserved Germanic tribal traditions of participatory governance. The Crown institutionalized four forms of jury, investigation, prosecution, possessory assizes and criminal trials, as instruments of administrative and judicial consolidation. The jury system enabled the central government in England to establish a co-governance model with popular participation across social strata. This mechanism enhanced state-society collaboration through routine interaction, significantly reducing adversarial tensions between the authorities and the governed. Consequently, the jury system emerged as a pivotal institution−alongside Parliament−representing the development of medieval participatory governance. Through his groundbreaking study of the jury system, James Masschaele illuminates England’s distinctive path to centralized state formation−one that diverged fundamentally from continental European models. This perspective offers significant theoretical insights for understanding the later developmental trajectories of England and other Western European nations.

The Principles of Border Governance in the Tudor Dynasty: A Study Based on the Calais Act of 1536

ZHANG Dianqing（13）

During the Tudor period, Calais served as a royally-administered border territory of England on the European continent. To consolidate its governance, the Tudor Parliament enacted the Calais Act of 1536(25 Hen. VIII c. 8). This statute reinforced Calais’ English identity by regulating the “nationality” of residents, parliamentary representation, and religious administration. Through mandatory oaths, it bound local officials to loyalty and defense duties, reflecting the Crown’s systematic effort to integrate Calais into the realm. Due to its unique geopolitical position, the governance measures under the Calais Act differed from those applied to other border regions. Nevertheless, their underlying principle−maintaining unity and homogeneity with England-aligned with the broader Tudor strategy for frontier governance. This principle formed a central thread in the construction of the Tudor state and, when combined with England’s tradition of local self-government, collectively shaped the model of regional administration in early modern Britain.

The Admonitions of Medieval Christian Church to Monarchs and Nobility: Ecclesiastical-Secular Relations in Light of Carolingian Specula Principum

ZHU Junyi（26）

In the 8th and 9th centuries, within the ideal framework of the integration of Carolingian Empire and Christian Church, the ecclesiastical-secular relationship was both cooperative and competitive. Carolingian Specula Principum was a product of the mutual needs of the Church and the secular world. 126 Secular power gained divine legitimacy to rule through Christian ethics, and the church participated in the political construction of the kingdom through moral discourse. The church elites wrote Specula Principum with the aim of admonishing monarchs and nobles to take up their duties as Christian rulers and to regulate their morality and behavior, thus building a society in line with Christian doctrines and canon law; at the same time, it also set moral boundaries for the secular power, and clarified the limitations of it.Specula Principum played an important role in the political development of the Carolingian dynasty, the promotion of Christian theory and the spread of culture, profoundly influenced the trend of Western European politics.

Functions of Clerical Officials in the English Royal Government (11th-13th Centuries)

MAI Yinwen（39）

From the Norman Conquest to the 13th century, the successive kings of England developed systematic policies for the appointment, training, and promotion of clerical officials. Clerical officials, originating from the Church yet serving in the royal governments, performed multifaceted administrative functions including document drafting, financial management, judicial adjudication, and political counsel. They jointly maintained the operation of administrative systems alongside secular officials. The selection of Clerical officials demonstrated broad representativeness, creating a career pathway for non-inheriting sons of feudal nobility to enter government service through ecclesiastical appointments. Concurrently, the crown systematically refined the land-grant and benefice system for clerical officials, ensuring their stable economic sustenance and career advancement. The appointment of clerical officials embodied the political doctrines of “divine right monarchy” and “clerical statecraft”, meeting the professionalization demands of royal administration. Their dual career paths within both ecclesiastical and governmental hierarchies significantly reinforced the church-state collaboration under royal supremacy.

An Assessment of Long-Term Agricultural Development in England, 1290–1850

CAO Junhao（50）

Employing historical national accounting reconstruction methods and three composite indicators, agricultural output, land productivity, and labor productivity, this study evaluates England’s agricultural development from 1290 to 1850. The analysis reveals distinct phases: between 1290-1600, England experienced cyclical declines and recoveries in agricultural output and land productivity, coupled with sluggish labor productivity growth, whereas all three indicators accelerated markedly from 1600 onward. Notably, Norfolk County maintained sustained agricultural superiority over national averages until 1750, when its advantage peaked before diminishing during 1750-1850. The post-1600 acceleration constitutes a veritable agricultural revolution, fundamentally driven by enclosure movements and the development of private land property rights since the late 15th century. Methodologically, the assessment acknowledges persistent limitations and biases in underlying source materials that currently preclude comprehensive correction, though recent scholarship has identified partial rectification pathways.

The Meiji Imperial Family and the Reshaping of Imperial Authority in Japan

GONG Na（64）

During the Meiji period, the Japanese government revitalized and expanded the imperial family to centralize power and reinforce the emperor’s authority. Through the Imperial Household Law（皇室典範）, the regime institutionalized a permanent imperial membership system, ensuring the dynasty’s continuity. The imperial family served not only as a reserve pool for succession but also as “extensions of the emperor”（天皇の分身）, actively engaging in political, military, and social affairs. Politically, imperial family members assumed high-ranking government posts and leveraged the honors system（勲位制）to elevate their status, thereby legitimizing the new regime. Militarily, their mandatory 127 militarization transformed them into symbols of martial authority. Socially, their participation in philanthropy and public welfare propagated “imperial benevolent paternalism”（天皇制慈恵主義）, extending monarchical influence into society. Ultimately, the imperial family was integrated into the kokutai（国体）framework, systematically reshaping the emperor’s authority both as a political institution and a spiritual symbol for the modern era.

The 1965–1966 British Arms Embargo on India and Its Consequences

LIU Heng（81）

After the outbreak of the Second Indo-Pakistani War in 1965, the British Wilson Government imposed an arms embargo on the Indian subcontinent. This decision caused India to view Britain as an “unreliable arms supplier”, reinforcing its determination to reduce dependence on the UK in defense and pivot decisively toward the Soviet Union for military support. From a comprehensive ban to selective restrictions, followed by relaxed arms sales but terminated military aid, the evolution of Britain’s arms embargo policy reflects its gradual shift away from an imperial perspective toward a more pragmatic approach prioritizing national interests in Anglo-Indian relations. This adjustment demonstrates Britain’s conscious adaptation to the demise of its “special relationship” with India, underscoring the enduring tradition of realist diplomacy in British foreign policy. The assertive intervention of the Soviet Union, coupled with the withdrawal of Britain and the United States, collectively shaped the characteristics and trajectory of international relations in South Asia during this period.

The Erosion of China’s Customs Sovereignty by Extraterritoriality After 1850

WAN Li（92）

After 1850, British merchants in China routinely violated customs regulations, invoking extraterritoriality as superseding customs jurisdiction to evade penalties imposed by Chinese customs superintendents and foreign inspectors-general. This provoked fierce contention: merchants amplified their claims through press campaigns alleging corruption in confiscation cases, while the Inspectorate aggressively asserted the primacy of customs law. To resolve this jurisdictional conflict, Anglo American diplomats imposed hybrid adjudication systems, notably the Shanghai Rules on Detention Cases（1864）andMixed Court Regulations on Confiscations（1868）, establishing parallel “Mixed Commission” and “Consular Court” procedures for customs violations. These mechanisms blatantly violated Sino-British treaties and China’s tariff autonomy, systematically eroding customs sovereignty through extraterritorial encroachment. The root cause of this phenomenon lay in the Qing government’s ignorance of international affairs and its reliance on foreign-administered maritime customs, which led to further concessions that exacerbated the structural inequities of the treaty system.

Demarcation of the Kiautschou Bay (modern Jiaozhou Bay, Shandong Peninsula) Leased Territory in Modern Sino-German Relations

WANG Peili（107）

Following Germany’s forced lease of Kiautschou Bay in 1898, Sino-German authorities demarcated both terrestrial and maritime boundaries in accordance with the Kiautschou Lease Treaty. Through archaeological survey of 25 demarcation stelae, this study reconstructs the terrestrial borders northeast and southwest of Kiautschou. Maritime delimitation, based on the Tide-Level Agreement, sparked Sino-German disputes over the “100-li tidal zone” clause. While the Qing government resisted German demands for territorial expansion, it conceded military transit rights and waterway management privileges. Within the leased territory, German urban planning formally segregated European and Chinese quarters with demarcated borders. This boundary demarcation constituted the foundational stage in Qingdao’s modern urban spatial evolution, with economic imperatives, fiscal considerations, and afforestation policies serving as key determinants of the final border alignment.