汉代道制政区的起源

The Origin of Dao in the Han Dynasty

道在汉代是与县并列的一类地方政区,自两《汉书》以来,多以县"有蛮夷曰道"来解释其设立的初衷与存在的意义。在已有研究的基础之上,通过对这一观点的辨析可知,道自出现以来即于内部行政架构、层级以及职能上与县无别,因此不宜将之理解为是因民族区域管理问题而设的专门政区。再考虑到其在地理分布上多偏居于西南一隅且终两汉之世数量基本保持稳定等情况,笔者推测,道制政区的起源可能与战国晚期秦对于西南地区的经略,尤其是在此过程中的交通建设活动有关。

In the Han dynasty,Dao(道)was an administrative unit parallel to county.It was first mentioned in Han Shu(《汉书》)as counties with barbarians,which explained the original purpose of its establishment and the meaning of its existence.Based on previous studies,this paper conducts a systematic analysis on the above-mentioned idea,and points out that since the emergence of Dao,it had no difference with county in the aspects of inner administrative structure,hierarchy,and functions.Therefore,it cannot be understood as a special administrative region established for the regional management of nationalities.Given that Dao mostly concentrated in Southwest China and its number remained steady through the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties,the author argues that the origin of Dao was likely to be related to the construction of key routes during Qin’s annexation of Southwest China in the late Warring States Period.