<論説>「詞章之学」から「輿地之学」へ : 地理書にみえる明末

Abstract

嘉靖年間から北虜南倭が問題化して軍事と地理との関係が意識され、また地方行政再編のために地域の把握を必要とする意識が生じるようになる。こうして軍事的な緊張と行政的な実用性への志向から、現実から乖離した『大明一統志』の「詞章之学」を批判する視点が生まれ、奏議や文集類から塩法や漕運等の論議を収録し、辺防論や海防論もその中に交えた経世書ともいうべき地理書が現われる。万暦二十年代以降の地理書は『広輿図』や『皇明輿図』、『大明官制大全』の影響下に、実用書や政書の記載を取り込むことで、従来の「詞章之学」にはない新生面を開いた。吏治の評語に示される地方行政と結びついた形での実用性の認識が、当時の軍事的緊張とあいまって地理における経世観念を生み出したといえる。こうして明末に特徴的な「輿地之学」というべき現実の地域に立脚した地理学が現われたが、新たな可能性を秘めたまま、清代にはその系譜は絶たれることとなった。

Geographical works in the latter part of the Ming period took a new turn, with some being quite different from the traditional style of geographical works. After the Jiajing period, the problem caused by the Mongol hordes and Japanese pirates raised some serious questions. These questions led some intellectuals to realize that strategy and geography were closely related. Furthermore, in their attempt to reorganize the structure of local administration in order to meet the demands of the times, they wanted to understand the regions from the viewpoint of local administration. Because of the above-mentioned military tensions and the intention to reform local administration to perform more practical functions, a new point of view developed which was critical of the literary geographical content of the DaMingyitongzhi 大明一統志 that was inconsistent with the actual conditions of local administration. The opinions of the grain transport and the salt administrations were compiled from various memorials and anthologies. These compilations also included the opinions of those associated with border defence and coastal defence. It was from these compilations that the geographical works related to statecraft studies developed. After the second decade of the Wanli reign, due to the influence of the Guangyutu 広輿図, HuangMingyutu 皇明輿図, and DaMingguanzhidaquan 大明官制大全, the new geographical works, which drew information from compilations of practical works and political writings, entered a new phase distinct from that covered by traditional literary geographical works. The recognition of practical usefulness in relation to the activities of the local administrations, for example, administrative comments on the regions, and border tensions at that time, together created the concept of statecraft within geographical studies. As a result of this concept practical geographic works, based on actual regions, were compiled. These works were characteristic of the late Ming period. However in the Quing period, more purely literary studies regained ascendancy denying full development to whole genre of practical geographic works, and a whole series of these practical works went out of existence.