释“平水”

An Explanation on the“Pingshui”

"平水"一职最早见于敦煌悬泉汉简与《续汉书》的记载。汉代敦煌设平水史,西凉高昌设平水,北魏西魏敦煌置平水校尉,唐五代宋初敦煌设平水多人,分界主持行水溉田。在要职掌在于"平水相量","务使均普",即对于有限的水资源均衡、普惠、适时地分配使用,公平合理地分配灌溉用水。在"水是人血脉"这样的干旱地区设置平水尤为必要。平水一般设在郡或县一级,为郡县级水官的胥吏,其职级本身尽管不高,在唐代甚至被作为百姓色役的一种,但其发挥的作用十分重要。唐五代任职平水者,职级最高的由节度押衙兼任,有的由地方富户出任,但似乎大多由带有勋衔且年岁较大具有一定声望和经验的百姓任之。平水在我国古代基层(尤其是干旱地区)社会的水利管理中发挥了重要作用。

The tilte,Pingshui(平水)had been recorded initially on the wooden slips of the Han Dynasty from Xuanquan,and XU HANSHU.The Pingshui had been set up by government in Gaochang during the Xiliang Dynasty.The PingshuiXiaowei(校尉)had been set up in Dunhuang in Beiwei and Xiwei Dynasties.There were many Pingshui officials in Dunhuang from Tang to early Song Dynasties,they had managed and channeled water to irrigate the fields.The main obligation of Pingshui officials was to distributed fairly,reasonably and timely irrigate water.In dry areas like"water like human blood",the Pingshui government post was very necessary.The Pingshui had played an important role in water conservancy management in ancient society.