中央与地方的博弈:古埃及行政区区长探究

The Competition between the Central Authority and the Local Power:An Exploration of District Councilors in Ancient Egypt

中王国晚期,州长退出历史舞台,原有地方行政体系中的最高权力亟待再分配,一些新的官衔应运而生,行政区区长一职正是在这样的时代背景下诞生。尽管行政区区长被视作中王国晚期的重要地方官员,但相关史料却留存较少且分散,其中最具代表性的是十八王朝维吉尔瑞赫米拉(Rekhmire)传记铭文中关于行政区区长职能的描述。然而,除这篇铭文外,行政区区长一职在中王国之后便消失于史料中,这说明行政区区长可能只是特定时代背景下行政管理变革的临时产物,是统治者加强中央集权、削弱地方势力的一种手段。进入新王国后,地方行政体系开始简化,管理权集中于市长,行政区区长的原有职权被拆分,这一官职也随之退出历史舞台。

During the late Middle Kingdom period,nomarchs disappeared from the historical stage while the highest power in the local administration was in urgent need of redistribution,hence some new functional titles emerged,including the district councilor.Although the district councilor was considered an important local occupation during the late Middle Kingdom period,the surviving proofs are few and scattered.The most representative material currently available is the description of the function of district councilors in the biographical inscription of Vizier Rekhmire in the 18th Dynasty.With the exception of this inscription,however,the information about the office of district councilors disappeared after the Middle Kingdom,suggesting that the position may have been a temporary product of administrative reform in a specific time,which attempted to increase centralization and weaken the local power.After the Middle Kingdom,the local administration was simplified,and the power concentrated in the mayor's office,so that the duties of district councilors were split up and the office receded from history.