“湘人江督格局”的形成与晚清政治

Hunan Natives’ Occupation of Governor-General of Liangjiang and Late Qing Politics

“湘人江督格局”是晚清史上的重要现象。其形成和终结的历程,既反映了咸同以降清朝政治版图和派系权力的演变,也牵动着朝廷、北洋和南洋的关系,还体现了内政外交的互动。该格局虽奠基于湘军之崛起,但形成过程复杂多变,大体可以1880年分为前后两个阶段。1864年湘军攻破天京后,清廷尽力阻止曾国藩久任江督,遂使曾氏七年三往返,难以稳坐江督。1872年曾国藩去世后,李鸿章为首的淮系和左宗棠为首的湘系都试图影响江督任用。而沈桂芬主政的清廷高层大体有两个用人倾向:进士出身而非军功起家、非湘非淮;希望既能听命朝廷,又可兼顾湘淮。但这令江督既难得人,又动辄得咎,遂使江督人事极为纷更。直到1880年代湘人江督格局才最终形成。这是中俄危机和中法战争形势、左宗棠和曾国荃刻意经营、东南湘系军政实力增强、慈禧和醇亲王平衡湘淮南北等多重因素促成的结果。湘人江督格局形成的历史表明,除了内外轻重和央地关系,南北关系的平衡和演变也是分析晚清权力格局的一条重要线索。

The present paper holds that the phenomenon, in which Hunan natives occupied the position of GovernorGeneral of Liangjiang(including Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Anhui), sheds revealing light on the late Qing’s political map. It points out that this, which should be attributed to the rise of Hunan Army, was long and complicated and might be a key to understand what the roles that multiple elements, such as domestic and foreign affairs and the central-local relations, played in the power configuration of late Qing.