賞有常典：「義民」旌表與明代地方社會

Abstract

本文以明代「義民旌表」制度，以及被國家旌表為「義民」、「義官」的人民為核心，透過民間助賑探討國家對社會財富的重視與運用，以及獲旌富民對地方建設與社會秩序的影響。獲旌表的「義民」、「義官」為響應官方勸分號召，於災荒時提供物資賑災的富民。他們懷有貧富相資的無私精神，願捐獻私產紓緩政府救荒、賑貧的財政負擔，並為災民帶來生計上的援助，降低天災人禍對社會秩序的衝擊。政府為勸富戶出賑，以國家殊榮作為誘因與補償之道，但並非每次都能奏效，其中隱藏著官民之間的角力。統治者表彰賑濟之民並非起自明代，但自明代起，政府訂定詳細的旌表標準，並將這些旌格推行至全國各地，故得見為數可觀的「義民」，義民旌表趨於制度化。然稍晚施行的捐納制度，亦由官方勸誘平民捐獻錢糧，與義民旌表之間存在競爭關係，使家產豐饒者有旌義以外的選擇。

旌獎表揚與徭役優免使義民名利雙收，他們多以此殊榮結交士紳，並且鼓勵族內親人同樣出粟賑濟，使一家內有多位義民；或是栽培後人從事舉業，提升家族的社會地位。地方上的公共建設常有義民參與其中，他們利用家中財富與影響力協助政府推動政務，有利於當地社會發展。然而，有的不肖義民被旌表後目無法紀，危害鄉里秩序。明廷決議追討義官的冠帶，以此作為對違法義民的警惕，顯示義民所具有的旌表榮譽並非永久，政府保有追奪的權力。

晚明地方官吏為節省支出，將額外的力役加諸於義民身上，形成「義民差役化」的現象。此舉導致許多富戶失去追求旌義的動力，因而避不出賑。官方為彌補財政缺口，只好尋覓新的勸分對象，改將旌義榮譽授予宗室成員或官吏，打破旌表對象通常為平民的慣例。官員與宗室獲旌，象徵著明末國勢衰頹、國庫收支入不敷出，最終導致獎勵人民捐賑的制度淪為官方開源以及權貴階級增添名譽的手段。This thesis focuses on the system of"Yimin Jingbiao" (義民旌表 honour conferring of righteous citizens) in Ming Dynasty and the individuals recognized by the state as "Yimin" (義民 righteous citizens) and "Yiguan" (義官 righteous officials). It explores the government's emphasis and utilization of social wealth through private donation during times of disaster. Additionally, it discusses the influence of the honored rich people on local development and social order.

Those honored as "Yimin" and "Yiguan" were individuals who responded to official calls and provided material assistance to the government during times of famine or disaster. They possessed a selfless spirit of sharing wealth, willingly donating private property to alleviate the financial burden on the government for famine relief and poverty alleviation. Their contributions also assisted disaster victims, reducing the impact of natural disasters on social order. The government, in order to encourage wealthy individuals to contribute, used national honors as incentives and compensation. However, this approach did not always succeed and involved power struggles between officials and the citizens.The honour conferring of citizens for charitable deeds did not originate in the Ming Dynasty, but during this time, the government established detailed standards for such recognition and implemented them nationwide. This institutionalization led to a considerable number of recognized"Yimin", making the system of honour conferring of righteous citizens formalized. The later implementation of donation systems by the Ming government competed with the the system of "Yimin Jingbiao", providing wealthy individuals with alternative options for contributing beyond receiving honors.

The recognition and exemption from certain duties made "Yimin" benefit both socially and economically. Many of them used this honor to connect with the privileged class, encouraging family members to also donate and thus having multiple"Yimin" within a family. Some even cultivated successors to engage in Imperial examination, elevating the social status of their families. Public constructions in local areas often involved the participation of "Yimin", who used their wealth and influence to assist the government in promoting local development. However, some unworthy "Yimin", once honored, behaved recklessly, and disrupting local order. The Ming government decided to withdraw their recognition, serving as a warning against unlawful actions by "Yimin", emphasizing that the honor of recognition was not permanent, and the government retained the power to revoke it.

In the late Ming Dynasty, local officials imposed additional corvée labor on "Yimin" to save expenses, leading to the phenomenon of "Yimin Chayi Hua" (義民差役化 the compulsory service of righteous citizens). This caused many wealthy households to lose their motivation to seek honour conferring, resulting in a decline in contributions. To compensate for thefinancial shortfall, the government sought new targets for encouragement, shifting the honour conferring of righteous deeds to family members of the imperial clan or officials. This violated the tradition of recognizing commoners, and signaled the weakening state of the Ming Dynasty, with financial difficulties ultimately causing the system of rewarding people for charitable contributions to become a means for the government to generate revenue and add prestige to the privileged class.