海南首位贬官考议

A Talk on the First Demoted Official to Hainan

海南岛从早期的荒服之表、象郡外徼发展成明清时的"海滨邹鲁",其原因与海南的贬官文化息息相关。唐以前中原礼乐文化对海岛影响甚小。唐以降,明文史载的贬官不下一百三十人,主要集中在唐宋。唐宋是海南文化由蛮荒到粲然的过渡阶段,贬官则是期间的关键播种者和主要培育人。有史载后汉初苏定贬谪儋耳郡,但材料多处失实,且与其他史实相抵牾,故不可信。第一个贬官是入唐后封为怀国公的隋代王室滕穆王杨纶。杨纶贬谪珠崖之因果事迹正好昭示了此后近千年流贬的主要特征:帝王忌刻寡恩,贬官位高身显。

The change of Hainan from a backward place culturally and economically in its early phase to a fairly moderate region in culture and economy in Ming and Qing dynasties is closely linked with the demotion culture.Before the Tang Dynasty,the culture of rites and music in the central plains had exerted little impact on Hainan Island;but since the Tang Dynasty on,there have emerged at least 130 demoted officials to Hainan as recorded in official literature,a great majority of whom were of Tang and Song dynasties—which were the period of transition from an uncivilized region to a civilized one for Hainan;while various demoted officials were key disseminators and cultivators for such a transition.In line with some historical record,Su Ding of the late Han Dynasty,exiled to Dan Er County of Hainan,is said to be the first demoted official to Hainan;but it is not credible for the record is inconsistent with the fact in many aspects or conforms to other historical facts.In fact,the first demoted official to Hainan is Yang Guan,a member of the Sui Imperial family but knighted as Huan Guogong in the Tang Dynasty.The exile of Yang Lun to Hainan has just declared publicly main traits of the demotion of officials in the following thousands of years,that is,the emperor,jealous and malicious,harbored little compassion for others;while the demoted officials held key positions and enjoyed much popularity.