两汉“守冢”制度

On the Tomb Guardianship System in the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties

两汉时期出现的由最高执政集团设定的“守冢”制度,是对战国以来兴起的盗墓风习的抗御方式。“守冢”制度维护了政治等级,提倡一种政治文化取向,亦表现出仁政关怀,同时也顺应了国家作为意识形态主导的“孝”的伦理原则的社会普及。“予守冢”“置守冢”,又体现出皇帝对某些家族和个人的特别恩宠。两汉“守冢”制度对后世产生了重要的影响,成为帝王的一种政治表演形式,也成为帝制时代的行政规范之一。“守陵”“守冢”“守墓”作为国家行为,可以防止民间个体及小群体隐秘的盗墓犯罪,却无法阻止军政实力集团大规模的公开的盗掘,但是对于这种体制在客观上有益于保存古代文明遗产的意义,应当给予肯定。

The tomb guardianship system established by the top ruling class during the Western and Eastern Han dynasties was a way of curbing illegal grave-digging activities that had emerged since the Warring States Period.This system served to maintain the political hierarchy,promote a general psyche or orientation in terms of political culture,and also manifest the care and benevolence accorded by the state.At the same time,it also catered to the social popularization of the ethical principle of“filial piety”,a vital component in the ideology of the state.Placing tombs within the imperial guardianship system was oft regarded as a special kindness or favor bestowed from the royal court upon certain families and individuals.The tomb guardianship system during the Western and Eastern Han dynasties had had an important impact on later generations,becoming a form of political show by the emperors and one of the administrative norms of imperial times.Guarding tombs,graves,or mausoleums as a national act could effectively defer crimes of tomb robbing or tomb raiding on the part of robbers either individually or in small groups,despite the fact that such a system was not able to prevent large-scale tomb digging and robbing by military and political power groups.Objectively speaking,this system did have had its part to play in preserving the heritage of ancient Chinese civilization,whose significance should be duly recognized.