由“职”到“役”:两宋乡役负担的演变

Evolution of Rural Service in Song Dynasty

作为职役之一,乡役是宋朝乡村民户的一项徭役负担。在维护社会秩序、征收赋税等诸多方面,处于国家和乡村社会之间的乡役人起着极为重要的作用。由于“职役”的特性,在官僚士大夫和广大民众的心目中,其社会形象有很大差距。随着社会的演进,乡役制度发生了由“职”较为突出到“役”日益凸显的变化。而这些变化则反映出宋朝内外交困、国家财政入不敷出的实况。在这一景况下,国家不得不更多地剥夺广大民户的利益,并以牺牲、侵夺国家政权“神经末梢”的乡役人的利益为代价,来维持国家的长治久安。

Rural service is one of the corvee systems in Song Dynasty and its social image has much difference in the eyes of the villagers and the scholar-bureaucrats. With the social development during the dynasty, the burden of the service become more and more clear. This situation has some bearings on the central government's annexation of benefit belonging to the local organizers.