<論説>西晋恵帝期の政治における賈后と詔

Abstract

従来、西晋恵帝期の政治に関しては、同時期に発生した所謂八王の乱の研究が主流であり、純粋な恵帝期の政治史研究というものは、これまでに充分には行われてこなかった。本稿では、恵帝の治世の前半期(二九〇〜三〇〇) の政治史を分析し、この期間における恵帝の権威と賈后の関係の解明を目指した。賈后は恵帝から手詔を入手し、それによって軍を動員し、クーデターを起こして楊駿・汝南王亮・衛[カン]らを殺害することで実権を掌握した。その後の政治においては、詔(特に手詔) の発令権を実質的に掌握し、また外戚・宦官を利用して、朝臣に対する自らの優位を確保した。しかし、趙王倫とその腹心の孫秀らが詔の偽造によってクーデターを起こしたことにより、賈后は倒される。以後、彼らは詔を偽造して政敵を廃除し、趙王倫の皇帝即位後は、孫秀が手詔を自ら作成し政治を行った。これにより、皇帝の権威は残ったものの、皇帝の詔によって臣下に命令を下し、また会議において裁可を下すといった政治上の役割はほとんど失われた。

In regards to the political history of Emperor Hui 恵帝 of the Western Jin, studies of' the what has come to be called the Wars of the Eight Princes, which broke out during the same period, have comprised the main current of scholastic interest, and scholarship devoted to the political history of Emperor Hui's reign has not been conducted. This study analyzes the political history of the first half of Emperor Hui's reign (291-300) when his empress, Empress Jia 賈后, held great influence with the aim of clarifying the relationship between Empress Jia and the imperial edicts that embodied Emperor Hui's authority and the details of Empress Jia's political maneuvers and their significance. First, I confirmed the actions of Empress Jia in the political upheaval of 291, the year after the enthronement of Emperor Hui, which served as the opportunity for the Empress to gain a grip on power and the method of the coup d'etat. Empress Jia moved troops using an imperial edicts written by Emperor Hui himself and murdered ministers Yang Jun 楊駿, Prince Liang of Ru'nan 汝南王亮 (Sima Liang)and Wei Guan 衛瓘. Edicts in the hand of the emperor himself were originally employed to admonish ministers, but after maternal relatives Yang Jun and the Empress Dowager Yang 楊太后 had seized the reins of power, imperially drafted edicts came to be used for the purpose of mobilizing troops and eliminating political foes. Empress Jia used imperial edicts to grasp political power, but the nature of the edicts (edicts in the imperial hand) was thereby altered. Next I examined the politics of Empress Jia from Yuankang 元康1 (291) through Yongkang 永康1 (300). This was not a period during which Empress Jia exercised despotic rule, and there was a significant number of court councilors like Pei Wei 裴頠in the anti-Empress Jia faction. In opposition Empress Jia promoted maternal relatives and eunuchs, and by managing the issuance of imperial edicts she was able to secure a position of relative superiority over the councilors. Empress Jia placed importance on Emperor Hui's authority and the form and political procedures for ordering the composition of edicts as necessary elements in building her political superiority. Empress Jia was deposed in the coup d'etat of Prince Lun of Zhao 趙王倫 (Sima Lun) in Yongkang 1 (300) and then murdered. Prince Lun of Zhao mobilized troops with an edict that he had forged and carried out the coup d'etat, and thereafter employed forged imperial edicts (edicts in the hand of the emperor) in conducting political affairs. The coup d'etat of Prince Lun of Zhao was the turning point after which the emperor was completely reduced to a figure of authority without power. Emphasizing this point alone, it is possible to appreciate that fact that Empress Jia secured the minimum political role and authority of Emperor Hui that was embodied in the imperial edicts, but Empress Jia had previously overridden the documentary administration by using imperial edicts and issuing orders directly to the troops, mobilizing them and carrying out a coup d'etat, and this was the cause of the trend to exploit the authority of Emperor Hui alone, as did Prince Lun of Zhao.