中国古代的“天下秩序”与“差序疆域”

On “World Order” and “Hierarchical Structure Territory” in Ancient China

在东亚大陆的广阔空间,古代中国努力构建以"王者无外"为内涵的"天下秩序",积极向外拓展,从而构建起庞大的王朝疆域。在军事、行政能力具有一定局限的情况下,古代中国为管理广阔的疆域,对广阔疆域实行差序治理,在直接控制区施行郡县制度,在无法直接控制的边疆地区实行羁縻制度,而在更为遥远的异国实行藩属制度,于是形成直接控制区——羁縻区——藩属区的层级结构,从而形成与现代民族国家"单一性""均质化"疆界不同的"差序疆域"观念。一部中国史,便是在"王者无外"的天下观念下,差序疆域格局内部不断整合,转变为"均质疆域",而外部不断向外延伸与扩展的历史。正是在不断的边疆内地化浪潮中,中华文明多元一体的历史格局逐渐形成。相应地,无论是对中国古代疆域的历史认知,还是对当代中国疆域的现实认识,我们都应从王朝天下的角度,而非现代民族国家的角度出发,否则难以避免理解错位。差序疆域所具有的弹性空间与灵活方式,也为解决当前现代民族国家普遍存在的族群冲突、宗教对立等现实问题,提供了有益的历史启示与解决思路,是未来值得借鉴与挖掘的疆域管理模式。

In the vast space of the East Asian, the ancient China endeavored to build a “world order” that “the emperor of China is the ruler of all the people”, and actively expanded outward to build the huge dynasty territory. Due to the limited military and administrative abilities, the ancient China had to take the hierarchical governance in the vast territory. In the area of direct control, the county system was implemented, in the border area, the harnessing system was implemented, and in the farther area of other countries, the vassal system was implemented. Thus the hierarchical structure of direct control area-the harnessing area and the vassal area was formed which has huge difference from the single territory of the modern national state. A history of China is a history that the hierarchical structure territory was gradually transferred into the single territory through the constant frontier development under the influence of “the emperor of China is the ruler all the people”. Accompanied by this process, the pattern of pluralism and unity of Chinese civilization finally came into being. The elastic space and flexible way of the hierarchical structure territory provides useful historical enlightenment and solutions to various practical problems such as ethnic conflicts and religious antagonism prevalent in modern national states.