宋代乡的性质及职能再认识

Reconsideration of the Nature and Function of Xiang in Song Dynasty

宋元方志对于乡的“书写”,或列于“地理”“疆域”“县境”目中,或置于“城邑考”“叙赋”条下,这是它在基层行政体系中发挥不同作用的体现,以往的“地域化”观点大大弱化了乡在北宋中期以后存在的意义。两宋时代,乡无论是否具有完整的行政职能,它都是维系其他基层区划单位运作的地域空间基础以及连接县与其他基层区划单位的关键区域。北宋中期以后,乡仍具有部分行政职能,但对于“乡政”的认识要避免三个误区:一是此时的乡并不是基层行政运作的主要区划单位;二是很多以乡为空间处理的行政事务并非是“乡政”,而是“县政”;三是以乡为空间范围开展的行政活动很多时候只是临时性质,且不具有普遍性。

Song and Yuan Fangzhi’s writing of“township”,listed it in the“geographical”,“territory”,“county”,or placed in“city”and“tax”,it was not uniform,which reflected its different functions in the grass-roots system.The past view of“regionalization”had greatly weakened the significance of Xiang existence after the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty.Xiang maintained the geographical and spatial basis for the operation of other grassroot units and the connection between the county and other counties The key nodes of the grassroots division units.After the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty,Xiang still had some administrative functions,but three mistaken ideas should be avoided:First,Xiang at this time is not the main zoning unit for grass-roots administrative operations.Second,many administrative services handled by the township are actually“county governments.”Third,in many cases,the administrative ac⁃tivities carried out by the Xiang are only temporary not universal.