西魏冯景之墓志所见中古寒士之升进

The Rise of Disadvantaged Scholars in the Medieval Period:Case Study of Feng Jingzhi’s Epitaph in the Western Wei Dynasty

1993年西安出土的西魏冯景之墓志是了解中古北朝社会的重要资料,破解该墓志的锁钥是厘清志主在中古阀阅等级序列中的位置。通过核算世资,发现冯景之乃出身次等门第的寒士,这直接决定了他未来的仕途和人生轨迹。凭借府主、僚吏间缔结的君臣之义,仰赖重臣萧宝夤的提携,他得以摆脱家格门品的束缚,破例跻身流内士族行列。萧宝夤叛乱虽使其深受牵连,但魏末乱局却又带来起死回生的良机,他屡屡易府站队,此后扶摇直上、备受优礼,最终于西魏文帝大统初年一举奠定高门名望的地位,开启家族事业新篇章。墓志揭示出附庸关系下的权力寄生是寒士群体进身的快捷途径,其所反映的河间冯氏之变迁是探讨中古门第升降的生动实例。

Feng Jingzhi’s epitaph in the Western Wei Dynasty unearthed in 1993 in Xi’an serves as significant documents for the study of the society in the Northern Dynasties.And it is critical to figure out the tomb owner’s exact position in the medieval hierarchy.According to the calculation of Feng’s assets,it was found out that he was a poor scholar born with the inferior social status,which directly determined his future career and the life trajectory.With the political interdependence between Feng and his superior and aids as well as Xiao Baoyin’s help,Feng got promoted quickly and got into the upper class.Though Feng sustained adverse impacts due to Xiao Baoyin’s rebellion,he seized opportunities to rise again in the late Wei Dynasty.Afterwards,he frequently changed his position according to political situation,by which he was well established in the officialdom and finally entered noble class in the reign of Emperor Wei.His epitaph revealed that the political interdependence is a shortcut for poor scholars to pursue promotion in the government and the vicissitudes of Feng’s family reflected by this epitaph is representative of the rise and fall of family status in medieval times.