<論説>清代, 督撫による地方官人事からみる王朝統治の一側面

Abstract

清朝では適材適所の地方官人事を行うため, 督撫が下級地方官の人事を「題本」で請願できる規定が十八世紀前半に創始された。しかし, 督撫は主に「奏摺」を用い, 規定を越えて人事を請願していた。督撫による地方官人事やそれにともなう諸制度の運用実態をみていくと, 督撫は「地方官人事行政の効率化」と「行政的空白の防止」を志向していたことがうかがえる。このような督撫による地方官人事からみると, その最終決裁は皇帝に委ねられていたが, 地方の意見を多分に汲み上げるとともに, 督撫の「超法規的」請願を可能にする柔軟な運用実態が存在していたことが分かる。清朝前期の皇帝は奏摺を利用して中央集権化を志向したが, 督撫による地方官人事についていえば, より柔軟かつ効率的に運用される構造が生まれた。これは清朝の中央集権的な統治体制のひとつの側面であったと考えられる。

This article examines the characteristics of the centralized administrative system during the Qing period by analyzing the local personnel administration system. Generally speaking, the personnel administrative system during the Qing period is understood as having been conducted by a lottery by central government at the Ministry of Personnel 吏部. However in the early eighteenth century top provincial executives (such as Governorsgeneral and Governors 督撫), who were aware of regional realities, began to petition for the appointment of lower local government officials to insure the right man in the right place, not only with official documents called tiben 題本, but also by using exceptional methods, chiefly palace memorials called zouzhe 奏摺 in certain cases. Almost all such appointments to local government posts by using palace memorials were sanctioned by the emperor directly or through the Ministry of Personnel. If the Ministry of Personnel opposed a particular appointment, the emperor made the decision based on his own judgment. Top provincial executives did not petition for promotions but mainly for transfers, because Admittances ( yinjian 引見) were not necessary for transfers. They requested postponement of admittances by giving the reason that the said person had an urgent mission. The appointments made using palace memorials were not deliberated in the Ministry of Personnel, and hence there were many cases regarding local personnel that were decided by top provincial executives in concert with the emperor. Therefore, the appointments made using palace memorials made the processes of local personnel affairs more efficient. Furthermore, top provincial executives had the right to demand modification of the rules governing appointments of the local governments. They used this right not to expand their authority but to make suitable appointments that were relevant to the local conditions. Moreover, there were cases of top provincial executives demanding the dispatch of reserve officials from Beijing to the local government for lack of suitable talent in the particular local region. This is also a manifestation of the intention of top provincial executives to handle local administration properly. It goes without saying that the emperor had the last word concerning local government appointments, wherefore a centralized administrative system was maintained. But it was top provincial executives who would first become aware of a vacancy, and it was they who could act on personnel matters before the central government such as the emperor or the Ministry of Personnel. In most cases, the emperor or the Ministry of Personnel could deal with personnel matters only after a report by top provincial executives. This system made local personnel affairs more effective and allowed top provincial executives to petition in an extralegal form by using palace memorials. Palace memorials had been in use since the Kangxi period, and Emperor Yongzheng, who aspired to implement a centralized administrative system with direct exchanges of opinions with local governments, progressively used palace memorials. As a result, appointments to local governments by top provincial executives became flexible and efficient. In other words, as seen from the appointments to local government, “a centralized administrative system, which was flexible in accepting local opinion” was put in place as the administrative system of the Qing dynasty through the use of palace memorials. The local government appointments studied in this article continued and operated effectively even during the late Qing. This flexible system is one important aspect of the Qing dynastyʼs centralized rule.