<論説>明末、地方官の人事異動と地方輿論

Abstract

明末、国家の公式的な人事行政である考察の過程には郷紳・士民・窩訪などの社会の様々な勢力の介入があった。知県レベルの地方官の人事異動は諸地方社会の主な関心の対象になり、自らの主張を貫徹しようとする多様な動きがあった。人事異動に際して地方から送られる贈序文がとりわけ明末に非常に流行したのは、そのような状況を背景としている。本稿で挙げた地方の輿論を標榜する贈序文とは、地方社会での輿論の行方および形成過程を窺わせる重要な証拠である。序文の中には、地方官に対する地方なりの褒貶、あるいは地方の横暴な勢力によって不利な立場に置かれた地方官の味方になろうとする動きが現れている。地方官は公的な勤務評定だけではなく、地方輿論の存在を意識せざるを得なかったのである。嘉善県知県李陳玉の例に見られるように、地方官は地方社会の輿論に向かって、自分の業績を認めるようにアピールするまでに至った。その手段もあくまでも『考満事蹟冊』という大衆向きの宣伝文書の配布であった。輿論は国家と社会両方から暗黙的にその正当性を認められる中、明末の段階ではもはや目に見える実体として現れる。

Although it has long been recognized that bandits (wofang 窩訪) influenced the evaluation of local officials (kaocha 考察), the fact that members of the gentry, students, and commoners were also able to influence the evaluation process has basically been ignored. Indeed, members of local society discussed the merits of magistrates, and their conclusions were widely disseminated in the form of public opinion. Because the appointment of a magistrate was a matter of great concern, locals relied upon a variety of means to convey their desires to the Ming Government, one of the most typical being a "parting essay" (zengxuwen 贈序文) given to the departing official. These "parting essays", written in the name of public opinion, are important sources in analyzing the formulation of public opinion itself. Some critiqued the magistrate's performance while others reflected the viewpoints of magistrates who had been placed in disadvantage by influential locals. Thus, these essays clearly represent the degree to which a certain magistrate had the support of "public opinion". Because these documents were of critical importance in evaluating an official, some magistrates went to great lengths to secure a favorable essay. Li Chenyu, the magistrate of Kaxian province in the 1659's, went so far as to deliver an "evaluation report" (kaomanshijice) in order to secure the support of locals. One could argue that this collusion between locals and magistrares, tacitly permitted by the government, symbolizes the decline of the Ming dynasty.