《南山集》案与桐城方氏文化世族的衰落

A Case of Nanshan Ji and the Declining of Fang Noble Family in Tongcheng

桐城方氏家族是明清时期皖桐最负盛名的文化世家之一,不仅族裔繁多,而且以仕宦和治学著称于世。明清易代,由于方氏族众与前明王朝依附甚深,多采取与新王朝不合作的态度,于是频遭疑忌,案狱迭起。康熙五十年,发生了震惊朝野的戴名世《南山集》文字狱大案,方氏家族牵连其中,打击尤为沉重,其族众或流徙边塞,或入旗为奴,由华族沦为囚徒,昔日以仕宦、治学和文学创作为主要特征的文化世家的辉煌气象难以为继,渐呈中衰之势。究其原因,与案后方氏族众趋于淡化学问、疏离仕途的思想认识上的变化和清廷以打击文化世家为主要内容的维系其思想文化统治的政治目的两方面的因素关系密切。

Fang noble family in Tongcheng is one of the most prestigious cultural families in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the period of dynasty changes of Ming and Qing, the cases of literary inquisition happened frequently. A case of Nanshan Ji in 1711 involved members of Fang family, which heavily frustrated the family, and since then it was going to decline. The reason of its declining is that after the inquisition case, Fang family tended to put less focus on learning and writing, and drifted apart from official career.