14-16世纪日本村落共同体的形成与自治

The Formation and Self-governance of the Village Community in Japan

从14世纪中叶开始,伴随着集村化运动在各地的进展,日本逐步形成了具有一定自治性的村落共同体--"总村"。这一村落共同体区别于之前各历史阶段的村落,很多延续至近世乃至近代。其自治性主要体现在如下几个方面:各类租税的收取和缴纳由"总村"负责,即"地下请";"总村"对村内百姓拥有一定的裁判权,即"自检断";在与外部村落发生冲突时,"总村"通过武装斗争以及申诉等各类手段积极解决争端。这些自治活动显示,"总村"内部存在村落运行组织,但其主导权主要集中于代表上层百姓的"地侍"阶层。15世纪后半期出现的各地域政权利用村落共同体的自治推进统治,使得"总村"成为大名地方支配的基本单位。这一政策基本为之后的织丰统一政权以及德川幕府所继承,反映了日本中世向近世转型过程中断裂与连续并存的复杂面相。

The spread of corporate villages(sō) marked by self-governing features is seen in late medieval Japan(14-16 centuries). Small councils were formed which are responsible for collecting and paying taxes, made decisions regarding laws and punishments, and resolved the disputes through various means in case of conflicts with external villages. The administration of sō is dominated by the upper class people in the village. During the Sengoku Period(Warring States Period, 1467-1590), the local regime, namely daimyo(local warlords), used the self-governance of the village community to promote the rule. This policy was basically inherited by Oda-Toyotomi Regime and the Tokugawa Shogunate.