明代宗室禄饷制度影响之探究

A Study on the Effects of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Clan’s Official Salary System

明代宗室禄饷收入丰厚,随着宗室人口日蕃,既有的宗室制度渐渐不合时宜,宗室耗费财富的增加,成为政府财政陷入窘境的一个重要原因。为了增加财政收入,有司百计周转,最终还是增加税赋,小民负担加重,民土分离增加,宗室等阶层趁机占有土地及户口,揽取商税收入,国帑渐入私家,国家财政状况陷入恶性循环。虽有改革措施,但效果不彰。总的来看,明代宗室制度利弊兼有,但在后期,众所认同,弊端明显,积重难返,宗室随明王朝覆亡。明太祖朱元璋遗泽子孙太厚,积世而不斩,小民不堪,各种因素叠加,易流于乱。

The imperial clan＇s official salaries became the serious financial burden of the government with their population increasing. The increase in tax rates led to such a serious problem that the imperial clan and other pow- erful people occupied large quantities of population and land. The financial situation fell into a vicious cycle. Al- though some reforms were carried out, the efforts trying to tackle the crisis failed in the end. In the late Ming Dy- nasty, the imperial clan system had obvious shortcomings, and those imperial clan members disappeared with their dynasty at last.