魏晋南北朝太后命令文书考论--以“诏”与“令”的辨析为中心

Instruction from the Empress Dowager in the Era from the Wei through the North and South Dynasties:Focusing on the Distinction of Edict and Decree

太后文书现存数量不多,鲜少为学者关注,但它贯穿魏晋南北朝乃至整个古代史的大多时段,在一些关键政治场景中发挥着重要作用。诏虽是皇帝命令文书的专属称谓,但太后诏是秦以降的常见用法。曹魏时期,在令书变化的背景下,产生了新的“太后令”用法。两晋南北朝,太后命令文书在“诏”与“令”间长期摇摆,具体如何使用,除临朝与否的条件外,还受其时政治局势与太后个人因素的左右。太后令的产生,及太后命令文书用法的频繁变化,是魏晋南北朝皇权不张、政局多变的表现。这一现象常见于集权政治的不稳定时期,与时代特点息息相关。

Documents presenting the instructions of the Empress Dowagers are rarely in existence and they have received little scholarly attention.As a matter of fact,since the Qin period,the Empress Dowagers had been issuing instructions in name of imperial edicts time to time.It became an even more common practice during the era from the Wei through the North and South Dynasties.In the Wei dynasty,a new term to mention the instructions from the Empress Dowagers,namely ling(令,decree)was in use.During the period from the Western Jin to the North and South Dynasties,the official term to mention the instruction from the Empress Dowagers swayed between imperial edict and order,determined by many factors.The appearance of the Empress Dowager instruction and its frequent changes mainly reflect the weakness of the imperial power and political instability.