唐代使职的定义

On the Definition of the Emissary Post in Tang China

本文检讨了唐代使职的几种特征,诸如以使为名、出使在外、皇帝钦差、以他官充任等等,认为这些都是片面特色,无法适用于所有使职,所以也无法构成使职的定义。唯一可以适用于所有使职的特征,只有"使职无官品"这一项。因此,本文以此为核心,撰写了使职的定义如下:举凡没有官品的实职官位,都是使职。在这定义下,唐代的使职可分为两大类:一类为显性使职,也就是那些以"使"为名的使职,如节度使、盐铁使等;另一类为隐性使职,也就是那些职称上没有"使"字的,如史馆史臣、知制诰、知吏部选事等等过去经常为人忽略的使职。

This paper reviews several features of the emissary posts in Tang China,such as their title having the word 'emissary,' their assignments taking place outside the capital,their special appointment by the emperor,and their holders concurrently having other posts elsewhere in the bureaucracy,but the review finds that all these are merely partial features,not applicable to all emissary posts,and thus none of them can be used to define what an emissary post is.