清代赴琉球册封使的选派

The Selection of Royal Envoys to Ryukyu in Qing Dynasty

明清鼎革之后,册封使在中琉封贡关系中继续扮演关键角色。清朝八次册封琉球,共计选派十六位册封使远渡重洋,出使琉球,为中琉关系发展作出了重要贡献。清朝十分重视册封使的遴选,主要体现在遴选主体、遴选程序、遴选标准及要求三方面,相较于明代均有较为明显的升格。在册封使派遣方面,对离京前、抵闽后、赴琉球、返国后的全过程,清朝也作了许多规制设计和精密筹划,确保册封使既能顺利完成使命,又能展示“天朝上国”仪度。清代赴琉球册封使选派的日臻完善是明琉封贡关系的延伸,也是清朝重视属国琉球的反映,进一步增强了琉球对中国的向心力,促进了琉球政治、经济、社会的发展,也使琉球更好地履行藩属国义务,满足了清朝对巩固封贡体系的希求。

After the Ming Dynasties,the close tributary relationship between China and Ryukyu continued,and envoys played a key role in bridging the gap.The Qing Dynasty conferred Ryukyu eight times,and sent a total of 16 envoys across the oceans to Ryukyu,making important contributions to the development of Sino-Ryukyu historical relations.The Qing Dynasty attaches great importance to the selection of envoys,which is mainly reflected in the selection subjects,selection procedures,selection criteria and requirements,and has a relatively obvious upgrade compared with the Ming Dynasty.In terms of the selection of envoys,the Qing Dynasty also made many regulatory designs and precise plans for the whole process before leaving Beijing,after arriving in Fujian,journey to Ryukyu,and after returning to China,to ensure that envoys successfully completed their missions and demonstrated the honor of"the Heavenly State".The improving envoy selection system in the Qing Dynasty to the Ryukyu is an extension of tributary relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Ryukyu,and is also the reflection of the Qing Dynasty's attaching great importance to Ryukyu,which further strengthens the Ryukyu's centripetal force to China,and promotes the Ryukyu's political,economic and social development.On the other hand,it made Ryukyu better fulfill its vassal state obligations and satisfied the Qing Dynasty's desire to consolidate the tributary system.