从一方新见玺印谈楚官名“柱国”

A Discussion of the State of Chu s Official Title Zhuguo Based on a New Seal

新见一方“上■邦■事鉨”的官印,印文构形与楚文字相同,风格则较为方正、呆板,可能是秦汉之际故楚地起义军政权所制造。印文记录了两个职官,“上■邦”当即上柱国,为楚国官名;“■事”可读为“家士”,是治大夫家邑狱讼之官。本文认为,楚文字中“■”多假借为“属”,柱国的本义当来源于“属邦”,表示委托国事之意,在设立之初即为重要的职官。柱国初设大致在战国中期,地位仅下于令尹,多由将领担任,主于军事,也负责部分行政事务。战国时期,赵国可能也设有柱国。秦汉之际,故楚地起义军政权承袭楚的旧制,柱国的行政权力扩大,相当于相国。柱国官名历代多有沿用,其官或作为戎秩、勋官,呈现变实为虚的趋势。

Recently,an official seal with the words shang dou bang jia shi xi■邦■事鉨appeared.The style of the writing is similar to Chu script,but it is more square and rigid.It may have been made by the rebel regime from the former territory of Chu between the Qin and Han Dynasties.The seal records two official titles.Shang dou bang上■邦should be understood as Shang zhuguo上柱国,which is an official position in the state of Chu.Jia shi ■事could be read as jia shi家士and was an official tasked with hearing disputes in a grandee s estate.Based on this,this paper argues that in Chu script,dou ■ often writes shu属.The original meaning of zhuguo柱国should be derived from shubang属邦,meaning the entrusting of state affairs.When it was just established,it was an important position.The position of zhuguo was first set up around the middle of the Warring States Period.It was only ranked below the prime minister and most of them were held by generals,put in charge of military affairs and also some administrative affairs.During the Warring States period,the state of Zhao may also have established the position of z huguo.During the Qin and Han Dynasties,the rebel regime from the former Chu territory inherited Chu s official system and expanded the administrative power of the zhuguo to be equivalent to the prime minister.The official title of zhuguo has been frequently used in later dynasties.The title was used for military positions but also as an honorary title,and revealed a tendency wherein the title gradually stops reflecting actual practice.