明清基层社会管理制度转型中，州县捕巡官员的分辖是一个令人关注的现象，尤其以广东最为典型。自明代中后期开始，巡检司直接统辖乡堡，清初典史、驿丞等开始具有辖地，至雍正五年县丞、主簿等佐贰官也纷纷移驻乡村，并最终通过乾隆二年吏部行文将捕巡官员分划辖境的管理方式从局部区域推广至广东全省，事实上形成了县下一级行政单元的雏形。捕巡官员在基层社会发挥了有限但又广泛的行政职能，与乡绅形成共治乡村的关系，得到官方和民间的双重认可，其辖区具有了统一名称——“司”。广东并非孤例，清代尤其是乾隆年间以后全国各地大量出现类似捕巡官分划辖境的现象，构成一种全国性的州县分辖制度，代表着国家将行政机构向县以下渗透的初步尝试，由此传统以县为界将皇权、绅权视作 “双轨政治”的认识就具有了重新思考的必要。

In the transformation of the system of grassroots social administration in the Ming and Qing the division of jurisdiction among the prefectural and county and police officials has been a phenomenon that has captured much attention. This has been especially true for Guangdong which provides the most representative example.  Beginning in the mid Ming, the police bureau held direct jurisdiction over the countryside，in the early Qing jailers and postal relay assistants began to have jurisdiction，by the 5th year of Yongzheng reign the assistant county magistrate had jurisdiction，registrars and other junior officials alsowere assigned to villages one by one.  Ultimately in the 2nd year of Qianlong year the Board of Rites issued an order that expanded the jurisdiction of police officials from the localities to all of Guangdong province. In reality this was the beginning of the formation of level one administration units below the countylevel.  The judicial district of the local police chief inGuangdong Province，known as a "Bureau"(Si)，was replicated by other provinces across the whole nation thereafter. This signified the penetration of state power penetrates into the grass roots level beneath county.  Thus，the long standing viewpoint that takes the county as the base level of administration needs to be reconsidered.