论先秦九命礼及其历史演变

On the Nine-life Ceremony of the Pre-Qin Dynasties and Its Evolution

九命礼是先秦时期国家礼乐制度的重要内容之一,它用于国家对官吏进行等级不同的册命和赏赐活动以及由此而产生的有严格等级的职官制度。从金文有关册命和赏赐的材料来看,传世典籍记载的先秦九命礼是基本可信的。汉代以后,九命礼逐渐演变成"九锡礼",它是中国封建王朝给予勋臣的一种最高等级的赏赐活动。魏晋至五代时期,"九锡礼"成为权臣扩大自己政治影响乃至改朝换代的重要工具。明清时期,随着中央集权专制主义的进一步加强,九锡礼逐渐衰弱乃至最终退出了中国历史的政治舞台。

The Nine-life ceremony of the Pre-Qin Dynasties was an important part of the national ritual and music system. It was used to appoint and award the officials and resulted in a strict hierarchy of the official system. From the inscriptions about the appointment and reward activities, the Nine-life ceremonies of the Pre-Qin Dynasties is credible. After the Han dynasty, the Nine-life ceremony evolved into the Nine-tin ceremony and it was an important reward activity to reward the heroes. From the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Five Dynasties, the Nine-tin ceremony was used to expand their political influence and change the regime by the politicians. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with the centralized despotism further strengthened, the Nine-tin ceremony eventually withdrew from the political stage in Chinese history.