<論説>北宋士大夫の徒居と買田 : 主に東坡尺牘を資料として

Abstract

北宋の著名な文人官僚蘇軾(東坡) は多数の書簡を残している。本稿はそのなかから彼の買田に関するものと、郷里の族人にあてた書簡をとりあげ、当時の士大夫の社会経済生活の一面を明かにしようとしたものである。蘇軾は謫流にあって生活に苦しんだ黄州時期より土地を探し求め、知人や土着の士人の斡旋をうけ、ようやく常州(浙江) に買田することができたが、その際に地方宮と結托して不正を働いた疑いももたれた。以後、生活の基盤をここに置き、故郷の眉州(四川) には一度も帰ることはなく、郷里の墳墓、家産等は族人らに管理をゆだねた。こうした本籍に帰らない風潮は北宋士大夫一般にみられることであり、軾みずからも記すように、生活および子孫の出世の便を求めてのことであった。それは当時の社会の流動的な一面を示すものである。他方、官僚になれず郷里にとどまる多数の士人が存在したことも注目しなければならない。

Su-shin 蘇軾 (Tung-po 東坡), a well-known writer and civil-officer of the Northern Sung 北宋 dynasty, left many letters of his own. With reference to the letters concerning his purchase of land and the ones which he wrote to his relatives, the author has here attempted to make clear a social and economic aspect of the life of Chinese gentry (Shi-taifu 士大夫) in his time. Su-shin 蘇軾 was looking for land since he was exiled to Huang-chou 黄州, and finally managed to get it in Ch'ang-chou 常州 by the help of his friends and native men of influence (Shih-jên 士人). (On this occasion, he was suspected of his unlawful deed in conspiracy with local officials.) Since then, he never returned to his native land Mei-chou 眉州, leaving his ancestor's tomb and his house in charge of his relatives. Such an attitude was common in the Shi-tai-fu 士大夫 class in Northern Sung 北宋, who as Su-shin 蘇軾 himself worte, aimed at good living and their descendant's success. We find in them a fluid part of the Northern Sung 北宋 society. At the same time, we should notice the fact that there were many Shih-jê 士人 who could not obtain the post of officials and remained in their native land.