五一广场东汉简牍所见“白草”文书探研

A Study of the“Baicao”Documents in Eastern Han Bamboo Slips Unearthed from Wuyi Square

五一广场东汉简牍中的“白草”简属于公文书的一类。“白草”是县曹史向令长呈递文书时的谦辞,应理解为“呈上初步意见”。在“白草”简中可以看出此类文书形成通过4个步骤:一、长沙郡府、县贼曹外派诸部贼捕掾或各乡、亭吏民就某事移书临湘县廷;二、属吏拆启文书后提请丞、掾等合议;三、曹史结合原文书内容与合议结果拟定“白草”文书;四、县长官画诺。“白草”文书格式固定、删繁就简,无过多礼貌用语,可与案情相关的其他简编联成册。通过对“白草”文书的考察可知,东汉中期,临湘县政运行已发生微妙变化,诸曹史地位突出且深受令长倚重,合议成为县廷决策的关键。

The"baicao"(白草)bamboo slips dated to Eastern Han unearthed from Wuyi Square of Changcha belong to official documents."Baicao"was a term used as a humble way of speech in the documents by lower level officials to submit to higher officials indicating the nature of draft of the concerned documents.The formation of"baicao"documents needs to go through four steps.First of all,the local governmental clerks or servants produce reports and submit them to the government of Linxiang county.Secondly,the clerks of the county government inspect the reports and hand them to the assistants of the county magistrate for joined discussion.Thirdly,based on the results of discussion,the assistants write out the drafts of conclusion.Lastly,the county magistrate proves and signs the drafts.With a fixed style,the"baicao"documents adopt a simplified style without unnecessary details and extra polite expressions that make them easy to be collected together with other related documents.Based upon"baicao"documents,it is likely that the governmental operation procedure of Mid Eastern Han Linxiang county was experiencing subtle changes as the jointed discussion became necessary for decision-making.