清代武生的管理、训练与考课

Supervision,Training and Examination for Military Licentiates in the Qing Dynasty

清代在学武生归儒学教官监管,随营武生则归营员将弁约束。其常规月课,除骑射训练外,亦须研习兵家及儒家经典。武生岁试三年一次,学政按临主试,合格者得应武乡试。武生亦有入伍食粮、举优升监、改应文试、改捐文职、呈请游学、佥运漕粮、入营效力等机会,以助其历练发展。清代管课武生定例綦严,然武生犯赌涉讼、罢考闹考、贩售私货等弊情亦层出不穷。将文、武生员同附于儒学,并以儒学教官管课武生,使之符合传统养士"文武合一"之理想,乃清代武生管课之重要特征,亦为弊窦根源。武生在学未受到足够的军事训练,加之本身文艺荒疏,结果多是武艺不堪驰骋武场,文才亦不能决胜文闱,久试不第者,甚或为祸乡里,大悖朝廷设科初衷。武举终在清季危局中停废。

During the Qing dynasty, military licentiates registered in Confucian schools were supervised by the Confucian instructors, whereas those registered in local armies were regulated by the military officers. Apart from having horsemanship and archery as monthly regular training program, military licentiates also needed to study relevant Confucian and military classics. Military licentiates could take the tri-annual examination presided by the provincial educational commissioner, competing for the qualification of participating into provincial military examination. Besides, special opportunities were available for their training and development, i. e. , enrolling into the army to receive due provisions,being promoted by merit as student of the Imperial Academy, turning to the track of civil examination, securing civil positions through donation, conducting tour studies to broaden horizons, assisting in the transport of grains to the capital, and serving in the local garrisons. Regulations of supervision and examination for the Qing military licentiates were designed in an extremely stern nature, yet misconducts of military licentiates, such as gathering for gambling, inappropriately involving into lawsuits, inciting examination boycotts, and illegally selling private goods, etc. , still occurred frequently. In order to fit the traditional ideal of＂integrating military and literary abilities＇in fostering talents, both civil and military licentiates were set affiliated to Confucian schools and were thus mainly regulated by Confucian instructors, which appeared as an important characteristic in the supervision and training for the military licentiates in the Qing dynasty, meanwhile became the cause of prevailing malpraetices. Military licentiates did not receive enough martial training, and they themselves often lacked commendable literary competence. As a result, the military licentiates＇ martial arts were increasingly insufficient to perform in the field of military examination, whilst their literary abilities were equally inadequate to compete in the hall of civil examination. Those who failed to obtain an imperial degree after repeated examinations even became the source of local unrest, standing starkly opposite to the government ＇s original intention in adopting the military examination system which was inevitably abolished in the crisis of late Qing era.