契丹・宋閒の國信使と儀禮

Abstract

Following the conclusion of the Chanyuan 澶淵 treaty in 1004, the Khitan and the Song dynasties maintained peaceful coexistence for 120 years. In this article, I examine the envoys for state letters (guoxin shi 國信使) who, following the Chanyuan treaty, were sent annually between the two countries to offer congratulations at the New Year, on imperial birthdays, etc. I also show that by delivering state letters and conveying verbal messages of the emperors these envoys served as intermediaries between the emperors of both countries and played an important role in maintaining and renewing amicable relations between the two dynasties. I first clarify details concerning the journeys made by the envoys. An embassy was composed of more than one hundred people, and once they crossed the border between the two countries and made their way to the place of residence of the emperor of the host country, the latter lavished hospitality on them at considerable expense. At the emperor's place of residence, the envoy and his party attended various prearranged events, including ceremonies and banquets. Next, I examine the most important of the ceremonies attended by the envoys, such as the audiences with the emperor on their arrival and before their departure. During these ceremonies, the envoy would be received by the emperor of the host country and would exchange state letters and gifts with him. These ceremonies were newly created with reference to the "guest rites" (binli 賓禮) prescribed in the Da Tang Kaiyuan li 大唐開元禮, but they were adapted to suit the relationship of equality that obtained between the two countries. This equality was manifested in the delivery and receipt of state letters and verbal exchanges during audiences with the emperor, the participation by the envoy's entire entourage in the ceremonies, the provision of a separate venue for the ceremonies, and so on. However, at ceremonies performed in the Song capital, the Khitans among the embassies from the Khitan dynasty were permitted to wear their nomadic clothing, to bow to the emperor in Khitan style, kneeling with one knee bent, and to use the Khitan language during the ceremonies. These were concessions made by the Song to the Khitan, which was militarily superior to the Song at the time of the conclusion of the Chanyuan treaty. Lastly, I consider the places where the ceremonies were held. Whereas the Song emperor always resided in the capital Kaifeng, the places where the Khitan emperors primarily received Song envoys were often cities such as Zhongjing during the reign of Shengzong, but during the reigns of Xingzong and Daozong the meeting place was moved to Guangpingdian 廣平淀, the winter quarters of the Khitan court. Among the tents standing in rows in the winter quarters, comparatively large tents with a roof and poles were called dian 殿, or "palace" in Chinese. All manner of court ceremonies, including those for receiving foreign envoys, were performed in a dian provided with corridors and space for several hundred people. The system for exchanging envoys between the Khitan and the Song can be regarded as one in which elements deriving from the traditions of both the Chinese dynasty and the nomadic dynasty intermingled.