帝国的“面子”:逃人与明代北部边疆

The Face of Empire—Taoren (逃人) and the Northern Frontier of the Ming Dynasty

有明一代,逃人群体日渐扩大,乃前代所未见。为尽可能削弱蒙古、女真等对北部边疆的威胁,明朝随时势采取了一系列刷还、招徕、安置逃人的举措。整体而言,逃人刷还在加强双方往来的同时,逐渐成为一种变相的人口贸易;历经磨难重回明朝的逃人,带回了一些相当有价值的军事情报,得到较为妥善的安置,但生活依旧艰辛不易。诸项举措在一定程度上维护了帝国的"面子",逃人已然成为明代北部边疆力量的一部分。

By the Ming Dynasty the expansion of Taoren number had never been seen before. In order to weaken the threat to the northern frontier by Mongolians, the Jurchens tribes and some other minorities as much as possible, a series of policies had been adopted to repatriate, recruit and settle Taoren as the situation changed. When the repatriation of Taoren had strengthened relations between Ming and surrounding tribes, it gradually became traffic in persons in a disguised form. Most of them were well arranged when they book.