明末广州的宗族——从颜俊彦《盟水斋存牍》看实像

Clans in Guangzhou in the Late Ming Dynasty: A Real Picture Found in Mengshuizhai-cundu (1632)

本文利用明崇祯五年(1632年)成书的判牍《盟水斋存牍》探讨明代宗族的实像。该书所收录的文件从崇祯元年到四年,其中有很丰富的关于宗族的记录,我们可以充分了解在其他史料中看不到的宗族活动。第一,我们能确认从明代中叶以后开始的建设宗祠这样潮流之下,在明末以宗祠为中心宗族体制发挥了作用,同时揭示在祖先祭祀、维持宗族秩序之际,嫡系子孙受重视。第二,在承继问题纠纷中宗族以"公举"的形式干预,同时,"公举"之际,族长站在代表宗族的立场维持公论,发挥统一族内议论的调整能力,或者说,他被期待具备这样的能力。《盟水斋存牍》收录的是诉讼的例子,只是让我们看到了宗族活动的一个侧面。如果考虑到明代中期以后儒教和民间信仰的对抗情况,就会发现宗祠、族长的存在极其重要这一事实,同时本书并非为直接揭示宗子支持祖先祭祀的例子,在族内共同祖先嫡长血统受重视的事实证明.在明末时以宗祠为主的宗族体制已经在广州地区扎了根。

The purpose of this paper is to get a real picture of clans in the Ming Dynasty based on trial records of Mengshuizhai-cundu. The trial records of Mengshuizhai-cundu vividly tell us about the activities of clans during the three years from the first year in the reign of the Emperor Chongzhen and about the relationship between clan and its members. By the late Ming, the clan system centered on the clan ancestral hall had come to function properly. The first descendant (Zongzi) was held in great esteem when holding rituals or in maintaining order in the clan. When a dispute about an inheritance became entangled, the clan intervened by recommending a proper successor. The clan leader (Zuzhang) was expected to, and indeed did, play a role of mediator when a problem arose in the clan. Since Mengshuizhai-cundu contains only the cases developed into lawsuits, we have seen only a part of the activities of clans. The most noteworthy is that the very existence of Zongci, Zongzi, and Zuzhang is confirmed, for this proves that the clan system centered on the clan ancestral hall was indeed rooted in Guangzhou. It was in the last years of the ming Dynasty that the Zongfa system with a Zongzi and a Zuzhang as leaders was established.