吳橋兵變：明清鼎革的一條重要導火線

“The Wuqiao Mutiny 吳橋兵變”: An Important Fuse for the Ming-Qing Cataclysm

崇禎四年（1631）八月，皇太極親率大軍圍攻關外的大凌河城；閏十一月，孫元化（1581-1632）奉命派孔有德（c.1604-1652）救援，結果該支部隊在北直隸的吳橋叛變，稍後降金。叛變的導火線表面上只是一件因奪雞所引起的軍民衝突，但卻造成類似「蝴蝶效應」（Butterfly Effect）的後果，對明清鼎革產生深遠影響。由於這場明末最大兵變缺乏上述角度的專題研究，為釐清其歷史意義，筆者除嘗試對吳橋之亂的前因及經過作一較完整的析究外，還將追索孔有德、耿仲明（?-1649）、尚可喜（1604-1676）、吳三桂（1612-1678）等遼人家族及其部眾，如何在此一事件後乘勢崛起；並在滿清入主中原的過程中，從關遼裨將躍升權力核心，最後又如何在三藩之亂（1673-1681）後全面退出歷史舞台。

In the eighth month of the fourth year of Emperor Chongzhen’s 崇禎reign (1631), Huang Taiji 皇太極 (1592-1643) led an attack on the Dalinghe Castle 大凌 河城 outside the Great Wall. Four months later, the army of Kong Youde 孔有德 (c.1604-1652), who had acted under the orders of Sun Yuanhua 孫元化 (1581-1632) and protected Dalinghe Castle, revolted against the Ming in Wuqiao County and subsequently surrendered to the Manchus. This mutiny was outwardly triggered by a conflict between a soldier and the local people caused by a seized chicken. Although it started with a seemingly trivial incident, the mutiny at Wuqiao had a butterfly effect and caused significant impact on the dynastic transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties. This paper illustrates the historical significance of the Wuqiao Mutiny in the hope of calling more attention to this event in the research of Ming-Qing history. It provides a thorough examination of the cause and course of the Wuqiao Mutiny, as well as analyzing how the Han families of Liaodong 遼東, including that of Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming 耿仲明 (?-1649), Shang Kexi 尚可喜 (1604-1676), and Wu Sangui 吳三桂 (1612-1678), rose to power after this military revolt. These families started out as local military forces, but entered the political power core of the Qing government, and eventually lost their power after Kangxi Emperor 康熙皇帝 quelled the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories 三藩之亂 (1673-1681).