中国古代的机要交通工作(国外英文资料)
The confidential traffic work in ancient China
Shuh-Sen Young
(from "secretarial work" in 2007 fifth, published entitled "the ancients how confidential traffic work?")
Abstract: traffic and communication are very convenient in the modern society. When we send confidential documents and important information instantaneously across the country by fax or Internet, have we ever wondered how the ancients transmitted them? The ancient method of transmitting military and administrative decrees and submitting important information was the postal service. Rely on the postal organization to transfer documents and important information system is called the postal system, it appeared in the Qin Dynasty, the custom in the Qin and Han Dynasties, developed in Tang and Song Dynasty, the peak in the yuan and Ming Dynasty to the Opium War, gradually to modern western post system replaced. Ancient postal service only transmits official documents, and its operation mode is similar to today's postal service, but its function is similar to the confidential traffic in modern secretarial work".
Key words: Secretary history; ancient confidential traffic work
Transportation and communication are very convenient in modern society. When we send confidential documents and important information instantaneously across the country by fax or Internet, have we ever wondered how the ancients transmitted them?
Before telling the ancients how to do the work of secret transportation, first read two related ancient poems:
The first is the "Lintong County, Wang Shiji, looks at the Mount Li Beacon Tower poetry":
Mount Li is not very high. There are hundreds of feet on it.
Her a smile, give the fire to princes.
But that was the cause of the disaster into play, Ju er.
What the Rong difficult, chariot dust cheats.
Fire is repeated, four soldiers guess each other.
Zongzhou was extinguished, millet good grief.
Through the ages into Jiong ring, Taiwan is still high.
This is a poem about the Western Zhou Dynasty, Zhou you Wang Bo Chong Ji Baosi smile, Guo Shifu listened to the advice, take her to go to Mount Li. That night, the king ordered them to ignite the flames, but see smoke, flames. All the princes saw flames, hurried to mobilize the armed forces, went straight to the Mount Li, near the attic, but listen to the sound of toast each other but could not see a single enemy. At this time he saw the horror of dysfunction, smiling, the king charming Baosi see Bai Sheng, don't tread on air, so enjoy the "daughter of Guo shifu". Later said "a million-dollar smile is the resulting. Soon, when the dog Rong really only Haojing, princes thought is the beacon alarm Zhou Youwang trick, will no longer send reinforcements. Dogs in the army killed the king Zhou, set fire to the Western Zhou Dynasty and the demise of Haojing.
Second poems of Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu's "China Palace poems":
Changan embroidery back piles, the thousands of sequential open door.
Energy-saving, no one is known to litchi.
According to the "Old Tang book", "new book of Tang" and other historical records: her favorite eat lychee, Tang Minghuang in order to Bo concubine smile, gave orders to build a transport for ordered litchi from Fuzhou Road, Sichuan (now Chongqing Fuling) through Changan (now Shaanxi Xi'an), one day supply. Later, this road is called "litchi road".
The story of the Beacon Tower and the post road, is an important means of the transmission of information. The method is compared to the original fire to princes,
In the road based on established and perfected the postal organization, is the main means of military law, to convey important information. Rely on the postal organization to transfer documents and important information system is called the postal system, it appeared in the Qin Dynasty, the custom in the Qin and Han Dynasties, developed in Tang and Song Dynasty, the peak in the yuan and Ming Dynasty to the Opium War, gradually to modern western post system replaced. Ancient post from born to death, has been the official communication organization, only the transfer of official documents, the general people to transmit information, only the trustee incidentally. It can be seen that postal service is similar to today's postal service, but its function is similar to that of "confidential traffic" in modern secretarial work".
First, the organization of postal organizations in the Qin Dynasty
As early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, with the strengthening of the royal power, the clerical system and the information work network were gradually established, and there were people who were responsible for transmitting official documents and important information. The Oracle appeared in the "man Zhu", archaeologists say, "you Zhu" is the transfer of intelligence.
During the spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, with the development of land and water transportation, all the vassal states established postal organizations. The domestic decrees of the princes and the frequent exchanges of documents between the vassal states were mostly done by post. "How about post recorded in Zuo Zhuan". "Mencius' LLA" Confucius said: "the German popular, in the post commandment and speed." The meaning is: "if you really want to implement benevolent rule, will be higher than the post to convey the king's faster." This "post" as example to describe the speed, indicating that post has developed considerably, document delivery quickly.
The pre Qin era, in addition to the post dispatch organization, release of military information, people also use prompting, ringing bells, drums, trumpet, Beacon Tower and other ways to convey information. The flames at the beginning of this story, also called beacon, is a measure of the ancient military police. Beacon Tower is generally about 10 miles apart, keep the station soldiers found the enemy force, immediately in front of beacon lit, to smoke and light alarm, after seeing the same with the adjacent table, so that the enemy can be quickly transmitted to the Central Military department. The original but quite effective, not only for the ancient society, and has been used in the long feudal society, but they can only transfer some simple and not confidential military information, can not become the main method of ancient information.
Two, the establishment of the relay system in Qin and Han Dynasties
In 221 BC, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty established a centralized destruction of the Qin Dynasty in the six countries, in order to safeguard national unity, the development of agricultural production, defense against the invasion of the Huns, the emperor in the unified text and Metrology at the same time, but also the promotion of "with the rail car, built in the national unity" Chi ", and the excavation of canals and development water transportation, provide favorable conditions for the development of post, formed in the center of Xianyang, east of East China Sea, south of the South China Sea, north to west traffic network Jiuyuan, Western region. Chi road width of 50 step, along with Youting, used to transfer the document order. The Qin Dynasty attached great importance to military transmission speed, communication of military personnel from the capital Xianyang to get to the county, along the way by the Department, no matter what people may stop.
There is a definite provision in the Qin law for punishment of those who obstruct messengers.
In addition to transfer orders, the country inn is also responsible for the transfer, report to the local political and economic, education and other aspects of the official document, official. In order to ensure the correct transmission, but also formulate corresponding regulations, provisions such as "Qin eighteen - line law": "life book and Book Department of emergency, always not urgent; that day to finish, do not dare to stay. The law of the mind." The document was already visible as "urgent" and "no hurry" class two, where the emperor issued edict, book and marked "urgent" the instruments shall be sent immediately; day not anxious to send, not to put pressure.
The Han Dynasty, the further development of the postal business, the provisions of the 5 set in the post, 10 in the booth, 30 located in yicheng. Post by the central administrative affairs, Cao Yiguan Zhang Taiwei mansion, the local military departments shall set up punishment management. The post passage efficiency in Han Dynasty was very high. "After the Western Han Chuan" recorded in the "western regions" in post organization development of the Han Dynasty, "Li Dynasty is in the wild, post column in key road, Chi Yi life go, not at the time of month". The Western Han Dynasty, from Jincheng (near Lanzhou today) to Changan, nearly 700 kilometers away, the official documents only 7 days round-trip. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the emperor's book was a thousand li long day and night. These have greatly facilitated the delivery of government decrees and links.
The establishment of the national postal organization and the formation of the post transmission system played an important role in the rapid implementation of the decrees and decrees of the Qin and Han Dynasties and the implementation of the whole nation.
Three, the development of post transmission career after Han Dynasty
Perish since 220 BC to ad 581 years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Sui Dynasty established, Chinese basically is divided and more than 300 years post split situation under the lack of detailed historical records. But the Jiayuguan tomb murals in the estafette image to tell people, Qin and Han Dynasties established postal system has not been repealed, but has been in slow development.
The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of China's feudal society. The postal organization was larger than the previous generation, and the post system was more complete. At that time, the post station was divided into three types: land station, water station, land and sea station. According to the "Tang Baiguan" statistics, a total of 1643 planned at that time, the staff of 17476 people. Post by driving in the central organization ministry of doctor Hyobu jurisdiction; in place, each under the inspector Jiedushi Inn four states of Cao, our soldiers, the Army soldiers divided by the county magistrate post, and Li Yi. In addition, also established the post appraisal system and inspection system, and the provisions of the judges have a full charge of Tao Yi Zheng appraisal; central censor and a museum of posts, post inspection service.
The Tang Dynasty of the document delivery speed are prescribed: Lu Yi general document on line 300, military affairs and dispatch emperors book on line 500. The famous poet Censen Frontier Poems "early in a way" judge ", depiction of post affairs busy and fast:" a Yi Yi Yi, as we ride, Xianyang daily, evening and in the head."
The post was the only document transfer letters and reception by officials escorted two tasks, and then are used to transfer the important items, and even said in front of the "energy-saving".
The Tang Dynasty by local government in the capital Changan set "on the left after the Wu Di", as today the provinces of Beijing office.
They are responsible for the document on the cashier transfer, and timely collection, the court issued a decree and selected around the Memorial Collection of documents, the court and the country information, and these documents and information compilation, transfer to the Jiedushi by post. This document and information compilation called "Dibao", the later has become an important means of the local government and the imperial court officials understand the nature of information, government gazette. This ancient "newspaper" was also sent by post.
Four, the "urgent delivery shop" system formed in the Song Dynasty
The postal system generally follows the Tang Dynasty, but also will be changed to the military post reform: the nature of the organization, by the Privy Council under the unified management of personnel in the post office, the post transfer by porters to serve as soldiers, known as the "single handed". Another special emergency transfer military instruments in the post "outside the jidipu", like ordinary mail today in abroad to establish a special "ems". "Shen Kuo said:" the term "old horse, three step, urgent delivery, delivery to the most urgent, on line four hundred, only in the use of xing. Xining and jinzipai urgent delivery, such as the ancient Yuxi, red lacquer wooden pyramid, on line five hundred ". The famous Yue Fei framed by Qin Hui, the Kyoto Ling'an recall, the front one day received twelve gold medals, urging him to move southward, abandon the gold anti war, is the jidipu transfer red lacquer jinzipai.
The document is divided into three grades: "the fastest", "the second speed" and "the ordinary". The fastest official document is 450~500 Li, and the second rate official document is 350~400 Li, and the official document is 300 li. The speed is so fast, because the light relay, around the clock to. At that time, the soldiers who sent documents were wearing special raincoats, and their heads were covered with feathers. They had bows and bells, and horses on their necks wore bells. On the road, and pedestrians must give way to hear the bell. The next station hears the bell and immediately gets ready for the horse. The delivery of documents, to seal bagging in different colors, hanging wooden said set, yellow paint green card, black white card, black paint and other brand deficit. Emergency documents, wrapped in a cloth, and then spun silk tie up, and then tied with a splint system. As the frontier urgent document, is the use of "box" blockade, linked to the black paint brand deficit. Where the documents of transfer card and box shall be numbered and registered, indicating the sending and receiving institution, etc. time. The shop where the briefcase is received shall be checked and accepted by the shop manager for registration and handover. Chidebeo local government supervision to transfer documents regularly sent without delay, unpacking, shortage, loss of the check, if found, by the competent authorities and Yushitai shall be punished.
The "urgent delivery shop" system of the Song Dynasty was used in the Jin, yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. "Chinese encyclopedia", the first year (1260) the unification of Yanjing (now Beijing) to Kaiping (now Inner Mongolia, Kaiping to the east of Zhenglan Banner) Jingzhao (now Xi'an) chidebeo, every 10 years or 15 years, 25 in a shop, every shop laid 5 soldiers. Not long after, the States and counties were set up in accordance with the cases and paved with the neighboring areas. To the yuan thirty-one years (1294), in most (Beijing) set up a total of urgent delivery, shop, pick up the collar, the various sets of general shop, set up a leader. To three years (1323), another ten stores were set up as one post. In limine，
Only six, Zhongshusheng, Yushitai, the Privy Council and the provinces, the official documents and local documents, Shen Fang Xu into the pass, then expanded into the delivery area, where the central departments and local government official correspondence can be handed into the.
According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Mr. Lin Lin History Institute, urgent delivery shop and the post of institutions, personnel, management, and so on, the separation of two systems, perform their duties. ("on the Ming Dynasty chidebeo several issues", the north in 1996 sixth) in the Ming Dynasty, the Central Plains Jiangnan generation chidebeo is usually ten in a shop, often seen in many places today ten shop, twenty shop, shops and other names, is an ancient chidebeo place developed the village.
Five, the development of yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties
The Yuan Dynasty was vast in territory. In order to effectively maintain the central government and the documents and contacts between different regions, the rulers absorbed the experience of various dynasties and established a strict system of document delivery. At the beginning of Yuan Dynasty, and the provisions of Hyobu document delivery work, set up various stations in the country over. Not only that, the Yuan Dynasty also set up many post offices in Western Asia and Eastern Europe, where the Mongolian Army control areas were built with post organization. The number of post offices in the Yuan Dynasty reached more than 10000 at most, while at least there were 1496 in China (not including the "express delivery" system mentioned above), which constituted a dense traffic network centered on the majority (Beijing). The road to the Northeast nurgan (now Heilongjiang estuary) to the north, Geely jisy tribe (now the Yenisei River), West Nantong Wusi Tibet agency territory (now Tibet area), the scope of the generation before. The station is divided into a land station and a water station. The station also has a horse station, a cattle station, a station, a bus station and a step station. In the lower reaches of Heilongjiang, a dog station is also provided, and a sled is pulled on the ice with dogs. According to Marco Polo's travels, "there is a post every 25 or 30 miles across all the arteries of the provinces.". No place, no roads, this inn also set up...... In conjunction with the national post station, we prepared 300 thousand horses for special use. Post housing of more than 1, all the equipment beautiful beautiful, luxurious, make it difficult to pen the." Marco Polo's description is not always accurate and reliable, but it can explain the size of the yuan dynasty.
The post office of the Ming Dynasty established a joint pavilion in the capital, where water, horse, post, transportation and emergency delivery were set up respectively. "Ming Hui Dian" records: "from the capital to the Quartet, a post. In Beijing, in conjunction with the museum, said outside the water, horse, post and delivery office, in order to tolerance personnel exchanges, during which there are military matters, will be subject to inspection, in case fraud false. As for the document delivery, and the shop houses, so as not to delay." Ming Dynasty in Beijing and Nanjing are set in conjunction with the museum, this is the central post. Beijing, "water Ma Yi" is the backbone of the national postal delivery organization, a total of more than Yiqian water horse. "Laying house" is the urgent delivery of urgent documents".
The organization is still in the early stage of Qing Dynasty and the development of the mid Qing Dynasty, there are more than 1600 official post, the 7 thousand, more than 40 thousand horse stagecoach, to the competent department. After the Opium War, because of the emergence of modern postal service and the use of telegrams, the post transmission in the Central Plains declined rapidly, but the official documents in remote areas were still transmitted by courier stations until 1913,
The northern government announced the cancellation of all post stations.