军功爵制探源

Origin of China's Military Merit Title System

军功爵制萌芽于春秋,确立于战国,商鞅变法定制为十八级,秦始皇统一六国后,确立为二十级。军功爵制最兴盛时期是战国,它在秦汉的历史舞台上,起过极其重要的政治作用。在当时,爵位重于官位。西汉中期以后,军功爵制逐渐趋于轻滥,官位才重于爵位。特别是从二十级军功爵位中分出"民爵八级"以后,一级公士至八级公乘,已成为荣誉头衔,与官位并无直接联系,这说明既得利益集团再也不肯让平民百姓进入统治阶层。在东汉除高爵中的关内侯、列侯还有实际价值之外,其它高爵形同虚设,而民爵八级已成为统治阶级祝贺喜庆大事的点缀品,军功爵制趋于消亡。

China＇s military merit title system burgeoned in the Spring and Autumn Period,and was established in the Warring States Period. Reforms of Shang Yang had it classified into 18 ranks,and after Qin Shi Huang unified China,it was re-classified into 20 grades. After its heyday in the Warring States Period,it played a prominent political role in the Qin and Han dynasties,when ranks and titles were considered more important than official positions. Following the middle period of the Western Han Dynasty,ranks and titles came to be outweighed by positions. When civilian titles of honor came into being,they no longer bore direct relationship with positions,which means that the vested interest groups would refuse to have people of humble origin into the ruling class. Titles in the Eastern Han Dynasty lost their practical functions,and the 8 grades of civilian titles became just icing on the cake for the ruling class on occasions of celebration. The military merit title system was coming to its end.