林梅村《蒙古山水地图》商榷

A Critical Discussion of the Menggu Shanshui Ditu by Professor Lin Meicun

林梅村先生对一幅据称从日本回流的手卷进行研究,判定其为明官方于嘉靖三年至嘉靖十八年间绘制的原名为“蒙古山水地图”的明朝宫廷用地图,并在其同名专著《蒙古山水地图》一书中对该图性质、绘制年代、绘制者等做了一系列判定。本文认为,林梅村先生对该图性质的基本判断不能成立,其最主要原因在于明嘉靖前期蒙古诸部主要驻牧、活动范围在长城沿线以北而不是嘉峪关以西,明嘉靖时期人对当时蒙古各部方位皆有比较清晰认知且有密切互动往来,绝不至于将嘉峪关至天方之间遥远广大的区域当作“蒙古山水”来绘制地图。该图所示地理范围在明朝大致被统称为“西域”而非蒙古。除此之外,林梅村先生关于该图绘制时间、该图其他版本、绘制者为谢时臣等判断,也都不能成立。

In his book entitled Menggu Shanshui Ditu(《蒙古山水地图》,Mongolian Landscape Map), Professor Lin Meicun( 林梅村) announced that a handscroll purportedly purchased back from Japan was actually a map drawn by a court painter in a time range from 1524 to 1539 for the official usage of the Ming royal house. According to Professor Lin, Menggu Shanshui Ditu is the original title of this so called map. In this book, a series of judgments concerning the nature of the "map" were also made. This paper argues that Professor Lin ’s basic judgments on the nature of the map are invalid mainly. The main reason is that in the early Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Mongolian tribes mainly settled in the north of the Great Wall rather than the west of Jiayu Guan( 嘉峪关). During the Jiajing period, people on the Ming side had clear knowledge about the whereabout of the major Mongolian encampments because they had close interaction with the Mongols. Therefore, it is impossible for them to draw a map to place the Mongolian settlement to the vast and remote area between Jiayu Guan and Mecca. For the court of the Ming, the geographical area shown in this so called map might be roughly referred to as Xiyu( 西域,western territory) instead of Mongolian regions. Moreover, Professor Lin’s judgments about the other versions of this "map", and the cartographer are also invalid.