明代吏部尚书的年龄构成特点及其成因和影响

On Age Composition Characteristics of Ministers of Personnel and Its Causes and Effects in the Ming Dynasty

洪武十三年(1380)后,吏部尚书直接向皇帝负责,执掌铨政。至明亡,在该位履职者共有121人。其中,绝大部分皆为进士出身,明中后期则皆为进士出身,其平均中进士年龄为29岁,小于明代进士平均中式年龄5岁多,但其始掌吏部事的平均年龄则超过62岁,显示该职对履任者的仕履资历具有很高要求;与此同时,任此职者又更迭频繁,平均在职时间仅有2.32年。这既有其必然性,又对铨政运作和政局稳定产生了不利影响。该职的年龄构成状况在各级科名和不同任职形式上也呈现出一定的规律性变化。

Since the 13 th Year of Hongwu(1380 AD),the Ministers of Personnel had been directly responsible to the Emperor and took charge of the personal administration;there were 121 people ever appointed to this position in Ming Dynasty,most of whom came from the Jinshi group,while in the middle and late period of Ming Dynasty,all the incumbents were Jinshi.As the elites of the Jinshi group,they passed the highest imperial examinations at the averaged age of 29,which is more than five years younger than the general Jinshi of Ming Dynasty,but their average age of initial appointment was over 62,which indicates the high requirements for the official qualifications of the personnel;at the same time,the alternation of incumbents was frequent,and the average term of service was only 2.32 years.Although this was inevitable,it brought an adverse impact on personnel management and political stability.The age composition of the Ministers of Personnel also showed certain regular changes in the different official honors and appointment forms.