“海昏”名义补议

Revisiting the Designation of Haihun as in the Marquis of “Haihun”

刘贺被霍光等废黜,丞相张敞等提出"陛下未见命高庙,不可以承天序,奉祖宗庙,子万姓,当废"是重要缘由。结合湖南益阳出土秦二世诏书称"朕奉遗诏,今宗庙吏及著以明"可知,"宗庙"认可是取得执政合法性的必要程序。刘贺封"海昏侯",其名号所具有的贬斥涵义,可以理解为站在正统立场上的否定态度的明确表露。对照南齐败亡君主萧宝卷得"东昏侯"名号,史称"依汉海昏侯故事",可知"海昏"应"非县邑名",当有文化象征意义。宋金外交史中,被金军北掳的赵佶、赵桓称"昏德公""重昏侯","昏"字的涵义也与"海昏侯"的"昏"接近。《降封昏德公诏》称"用遵旧制","事盖稽于往古",体现出历史继承关系。

Liu He was a transient emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. Originally King of Changyi, Liu was installed as emperor in 74 BC, but deposed only 27 days later, by court factions led by the powerful regent minister Huo Guang. Of the many reasons behind his deposition, a major one is reflected in the representations made by the court＇ s Prime Minister Zhang Chang to the effect that Liu did not pay tribute to the founder of the Han Dynasty at the ancestral temple, thus lacking the legitimacy to serve as the emperor. By all accounts Liu lost his original kingdom of Changyi and was demoted to the rank of marquis, namely, the Marquis of Haihun, after having been given the new fief of Haihun in modern Jiangxi Province. However, we contend that the designation of Haihun as in the Marquis of Haihun did not refer to the name of the Haihun County located in modem Jiangxi Province but rather cawy some derogative meanings as a clear manifestation of a negative attitude towards Liu on the part of the orthodox ruling class. The culturally symbolic meaning implied in the designation of the Marquis of Haihun is further revealed after we cross-reference Liu＇ s designation with those of others such as Xiao Baojuan, the emperor of the Southern Qi Dynasty, who was posthumously demoted to the title of Marquis of Donghun, as well as Zhao Ji and Zhao Huan, the two former emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty who was given such contemptuous titles to humiliate them as Duke of Hunde and Marquis of Chonghun.