明代永顺土司的婚姻习俗及其特点——以湖南永顺老司城碑刻为中心的历史人类学考察

THE MATRIMONIAL CUSTOMS AND FEATURES OF YONGSHUN CHIEFTAINS IN MING DYNASTY:A Historical and Anthropological Research Focusing on the Inscriptions in Laosicheng of Hunan

明代永顺土司所面对的主要问题,是如何在明王朝"以夷制夷"的政策下求得自身地方权力的巩固和稳定,联姻成为永顺彭氏家族势力扩展的最有效的策略之一。基于建构权力网络的需要,永顺土司形成了土司等级内婚、姑舅表婚、同姓为婚三种特殊婚俗。尤其是永顺土司为应对局势变化在婚姻对象选择上所表现出来的灵活性,凸显出土司婚姻极强的政治功利性的特征,且围绕着政治婚姻特点又派生出婚姻交换圈的有限性、女性不拘辈分、成婚年龄小及妇女在家庭中地位高等特点。在某种程度上说,土司婚姻是多种社会关系综合与权利平衡的结果,它是一种特殊的历史文化创造行为。

The major problem that the Yongshun chieftains in Ming dynasty faced was how its reign under the Ming＇ s ruling policy of ＂Controlling local people with local headmen＂. through marriages became one of the most efficient strategies for the Peng＇ s family to enlarge to maintain Connections their ruling region. Three special matrimonial customs, i. e. marriage within the same hierarchy, marriage with cous- ins and marriage with the same surname were taken shape in the Yongshun chieftains for the needs of build- ing a network of power. The flexibility in the choice of mate for such intermarriages indicated that the Yong- shun chieftains＇ matrimonial features bore heavy political utilitarianism tendency in order to cope with the change of political situations. Based on its political matrimonial features, there derived other matrimonial features such as the limitation of marriage range, disregarding brides＇ positions in the family hierarchy, marriages at a very young age and women in a high position of the family etc. To some extent, the chief- tains＇ marriages were outcomes of the synthesis of multiple social relations and the balance of power and in- terest, an exceptional creative cultural behavior in history.