明朝西南驿递与西南土司的关系探析

On the Relationship between System of the Mail or Rest Stations and The Chieftain System in the Southwest Region of Ming Dynasty

为了维护边疆的稳定,明朝在西南地区设立了众多的土司,土司制度与驿递制度形成了十分复杂的关系,土司不仅在驿递的管理中起着不同的作用,土司及土司地区的人民在驿递的运行中,亦发挥着重要的作用,很多驿站或者全部费用由土司地区承担,或者全部以劳役的形式由土司地区的老百姓承担。由于官员的过分索求,驿站带给土司的负担越来越重,形成了多个恶性循环链,最终导致了土司地区的反抗。

In order to maintain the stability of the frontier region,the emperor of Ming Dynasty appointed a lot of chieftains in the southwest of China and formed the chieftain system,resulting in a very complicated relationship between chieftain system and the system of the mail or rest stations.The chieftains not only played different roles in managing mail or rest stations but also in the operation of the mail or rest stations in chieftain areas.The expenses of most or all of the stations would be accounted for financial expenditure in chieftain areas,or paid by the people living there.Due to excessive demand by officials,chieftains were getting heavier and heavier burden,causing vicious cycle chain,which eventually led to the resistance in the chieftain areas.