清代四川藏区土司官印初探

Research on the Official Seals of the Chieftain(Tusi)in the Tibetan Region of Sichuan Province in the Qing Dynasty

文章结合文献材料,对作者搜集到的17枚清代四川藏区土司官印的性质、特点、来源、颁授和功用等情况进行了探讨,认为土司所用官印主要是来自清朝中央政府的颁赐,按清廷官方印制,这些印章的质地、形制、尺寸、印文和款识都有专门的规定。清政府对四川藏区各土司颁授官印主要有承袭明朝旧例和清朝因功新赏两类事由形式,这些官印作为政治信物,除具有实用功能外,还在地方社会发挥多方面的功用,并受到历代土司的高度重视。文章通过比较还发现,四川藏区土司所用官印在诸多方面都与西藏的官印系统有非常明显的差异,而与清朝内地省份的官印系统相一致,表明清王朝在四川藏区的行政建置和制度划分都有别于西藏。对土司官印的研究能补清代印制之阙,还可窥探清朝治理边疆地区的政策与特点,具有重要的意义。

Based on the literary sources,this article investigates seventeen seals of the chieftains(tusi,土司)of the Tibetan region of Sichuan Province in the Qing Dynasty in terms of their nature,characteristics,origin,how they were awarded and how they functioned.This paper considers that the official seals used by the chieftains were mainly granted by the central government of the Qing Dynasty.According to the official seal system of the Qing court,the texture,shape,size,impression and inscription of these seals have special provisions.As political tokens,these official seals played a multifaceted role in local society aside from having practical functions.They were highly valued by the chieftains over generations.Through comparison,it was found that the official seals used by the chieftains in the Sichuan Tibetan areas were quite different from those that were in use in Central Tibet.This was no doubt owed to the differences in their administration.The study of the official seals of the chieftains serves to further explore the policies and characteristics of the Qing Dynasty’s governance of the border areas.