试论同治朝外国公使觐见清帝的礼仪之争

The Dissension of Etiquette of Foreign Ministers Meeting with Emperor Tongzhi

第一次鸦片战争刚结束,美、法等国即提出觐见清帝的要求。此后,外国使臣是否以跪拜之礼觐见清帝,成为中外难以逾越的外交障碍。中英修约期间和同治帝亲政后,外国方面再次提出觐见问题,并与清廷展开交涉,清廷内部亦就此发生激烈争论。1873年6月29日,日本大使和西方各国公使分别以作揖和鞠躬礼,觐见了同治帝。这一原本属于外交范畴的礼仪之争带有明显而浓重的侵略色彩。同时,清廷觐见礼仪的变改,使其从天朝大国的自我封闭中醒来,步履蹒跚地走向了世界,这又是历史的进步。

Some countries such as America, France and etc., asked for meeting with the emperor of Qing dynasty as soon as the first Opium War ended. It became an overwhelming diplomatic obstacle whether foreign ministers should kneel down before the Qing Emperor. During the amendment of the Sino-British treaty and after the throning of Tongzhi, foreign countries redemanded to meet with the Qing Emperor. China and foreign countries had a furious controversy at this point. On 29th,June 1873, Japanese ambassador and other western countries ministers met with the emperor Tongzhi in the form of bowing and hands folding in front. The diplomatic-natured dissension of etiquette had an obvious and strong sense of aggression. Meanwhile, the changing of the etiquette of meeting with the Emperor made China wake up from the dream of Celestial Empire, and staggered outward to the world. This is a progress of history.