明清来华琉球留学生与王府政治

The Overseas Students from Ryukyu in Ming and Qing Dynasties and Royal Politics

1372年,中国与琉球建立了宗藩关系,琉球国即向中国派遣留学生。琉球向中国派遣留学生之举,不仅仅是单纯地学习中国文化,它更是琉球王府培养精英人才、强化王府政治的重大举措。实际上,在琉球王府向中国派遣留学生的这一过程中,我们看到了留学生与琉球王府之间的密切关系;看到了琉球留学生回国后大显身手,在完善国家政治制度、健全机制等方面的贡献;看到了留学生成为政治集团的中坚力量,在琉球社会变革中的重要作用。这一过程也使我们对中国培养外国留学生制度有了新的认识。

A suzerain vassal relationship between China and Ryukyu was established in 1372. Sincethen, Ryukyu sent overseas students to China regularly. It not merely learned cultures from China, butalso trained elite talents and strengthen royal politics as a major move. As a matter of fact, the processof sending students to China from Ryukyu disclosed a close relationship between the royals and overseastudents, who, when returning home, displayed their skills, made significant contributions in developingand improving national political systems and mechanism, and became the backbone of political groupsand played central roles in local social changes. This process also gives us a new understanding ofChina’s system of training foreign students.