唐後半期の地方行政體系について : 特に州の直達・直下を中心として

Abstract

The history of Tang local administration can be divided into two periods, with the An Lu-shan's Rebellion of 755-763 as the dividing point. In the first half of the dynasty, prefectures and districts administered local government. During the second half, surveillance commissioners 觀察使 were established in circuits 道 above the prefecture level, and a three-tiered system of circuit-prefecture-district emerged. It is commonly asserted that the establishment of surveillance commissioners had an effect contrary to their original purpose of strengthening central government control; because they served concurrently as military commissioners, surveillance commissioners were able to extend their power unlawfully, and direct contact between the central government and prefectures was severed. Yet, in fact, those administrative links were not completely severed. As an illustration of those ongoing links, I would like to call attention to the direct transmission of memorials from prefecture up to the throne (zhida 直達) and of orders from the central government down to prefecture (zhixia 直下), the existence of which is confirmed by a number of evidences cited in this paper. Moreover, a large number of other administrative contacts can be observed. During the latter half of the Tang, the direct links between the central government and prefectures existed side-by-side with the three-tiered link of the central government-circuit-prefecture. This co-existence of two separate channels of communication provides a new perspective which can further contribute to an understanding of the military commissioner system.