Abstract: The non-Han population in northwest Sichuan during the Ming dynasty relied on community labels as a means of differentiation. Examining the origin and connotation of these labels provides an important perspective for understanding the mid-to-late Ming frontier policies and social structure of peripheral regions. In the 15th century, binary communal labels such as “Big/Small Surname，” “Cattle/Goat Tail，” and “Buddhist/Daoist” were widespread， highlighting the tense community relations in local society. Due to its inclination of implementing indirect rule over borderland society， the Ming court did not interfere excessively in local affairs in northwest Sichuan. From the late 15th century to the early 16th century， the Ming court utilized the long-standing local concept of “black-white” labels for frontier governance and sought to reinterpret the cultural connotation of the labels from “kind/evil” to “loyal/disloyal to the Ming”. However， due to limited penetration of the state power at the time， the local and the state connotations of these labels were able to coexist for an extended period in the frontier regions. In the mid-to-late 16th century， the Ming court's borderland knowledge failed to accurately reflect the social reality. Nevertheless， through extensive military operations and subsequent infiltration of imperial power into northwest Sichuan non-Han communities， the Ming successfully reshaped power dynamics within the local society. Consequently， the meanings of “Fan and Qiang” underwent a transformation from quasi-ethnic labels to indicators of degree of assimilation towards the imperial Han. The formation and evolution of cultural connotations of northwest Sichuan community labels during the Ming dynasty can be attributed to an interface between two knowledge systems， highlighting a distinctive form of center-periphery interaction that centers around social categorization. Examining community labels in northwest Sichuan， this article argues， can deepen our understanding of power negotiations and identity politics within non-Han frontier societies during the Ming dynasty.

Key words: Mid-late Ming, Northwest Sichuan, community labels, imperial administration