掌邦之野：清代僚属官分驻乡村的制度表达与实践研究-《中国农史》

文章信息/Info

Title:: Governing the Countryside: A Study on the Institutional Expression and Practice of Dispatching Subordinate Officials to Rural Areas in the Qing Dynasty

Author(s):: CHEN Renpeng; （School of Law, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241）

Keywords:: Qing Dynasty rural governance; subordinate officials; dispatch; Sub-County administrative divisions; dual Judicial framework

摘要:: 清代僚属官分驻之制系州县官将其麾下的佐贰官、首领官、杂职官移驻市镇和乡村分防的制度，其中，分驻乡村者规模尤著。以往学界多视僚属官为微员冗官,然其实践为重新审视清代乡治模式及“皇权不下县”问题提供了新视角。虽然国家制定法对僚属官受理词讼进行严格限制，但复杂的法律实践突破了定章之制。部分地域的分防佐杂不仅掌刑名词讼，而且兼理钱粮，僚属官辖地逐渐成为县辖政区。由于正印官与僚属官之间的司法权责缺乏清晰的制度界分，故造成“双重司法格局”之歧累。正印官与僚属官常因争夺司法权、攫取陋规而矛盾迭起。僚属官分驻乡村之制是皇权下县的明证，也体现出清代地方治理有别于其他朝代的特色。

Abstract:: The system of dispatching subordinate officials to the grassroots level in the Qing Dynasty refers to the practice where county magistrates stationed their subordinate officials in towns and villages, with the majority being posted to rural areas. Previous academic research often regarded these subordinate officials as insignificant; however, their practices provided a new perspective for re-examining the model of rural governance in the Qing Dynasty and the issue of "imperial power not extending below the county level". Although state law strictly restricted subordinate officials from adjudicating lawsuits, complex historical practices transcended these legal provisions. In some regions, subordinate officials not only exercised judicial power but also held taxation authority, and their jurisdictions gradually evolved into administrative divisions below the county level. Due to the lack of a clear division of judicial authority between county magistrates and subordinate officials, a "dual judicial framework" emerged, leading to various drawbacks. Frequent conflicts arose between county magistrates and subordinate officials over matters such as contested judicial authority. The system of stationing subordinate officials in rural areas serves as strong evidence of "imperial power extending below the county level" and reflects distinctive features of local governance in the Qing Dynasty that differed from other dynasties.