论徽州士绅的文化权力与乡村自治

On Cultural Power and Rural Autonomy of Huizhou Gentry

16至20世纪中叶,徽州乡村社会长期保持着稳定的局面。宗族是徽州乡村自治的组织形式,徽商为乡村自治提供经济基础,而士绅则为乡村自治的领导力量。徽州社会系统三要素的良性互动,造成了数量庞大的正途与异途士绅。士绅的文化权力无所不在,主要表现为文会、乡评,以及编纂族谱、地方志两个方面。士绅还交通官宦,参与诉讼活动,这表明士绅是乡村自治的领导力量,具有相当的公信力。

From the 16th to the middle of the 20th century, the rural society in Huizhou had maintained a long--time stability. Clan was an organization form of rural aotonomy, which was economically based on Huizhou merchants and led by the gentry. The positive interaction of the three key elements in Huizhou society caused a considerable number of positive and negative gentry. The cultural power of gentry was omnipresent in the following two aspects： one is intellectuals＇ parties and rural public＇s judgements, and the other is the compilation of local chronicles and genealogy. The gentry also made friends with the officials and got involvd in lawsuits, which signifies that the gentry were the leading power in rural aotanomy with considerable credibility.