明代徽州宗族墓地與祠廟之訴訟探析

Civil Litigation Surrounding Grave Plots and Ancestral Temples of Huizhou Lineages During the Ming

明代中後期，徽州發生了圍繞著宗族墓地、祠廟及其附屬墓產、祀產的一系列訴訟紛爭，現存明代徽州的訴訟文書、家譜等史料，保存了很豐富的相關資料。這些資料的內容、數量與時代差異，在很大程度上與明代徽州宗族的變遷息息相關，具有極高的史料價值。本文首先考察明代徽州宗族紛爭的內容與特點，復以茗洲吳氏、呈坎羅氏、柳山方氏、璫溪金氏等宗族墓地、祠廟訴訟紛爭為個案，探討這些訴訟在解決宗族紛爭中的作用。最後指出這些訴訟紛爭的發生，實與民眾祭祀觀念的變化、國家的政策調整之間有著密切關係；所謂明代徽州的「健訟」，實際上就是宗族尋求國家認同的過程。 During the mid- and late Ming, a series of civil litigation cases surrounding the grave plots, ancestral temples, and assets related to the funding of graves and sacrifices occurred in the Huizhou region. A considerable body of materials related to such cases has been preserved in Ming-period litigation documents and family genealogies from Huizhou. These materials reflect changes in the Huizhou lineages during the Ming; as such, they constitute a critical historical set of sources. This essay examines distinguishing characteristics of Huizhou lineage litigation battles during the Ming. It then reviews the litigation surrounding the grave plots and ancestral temples of the Wu family of Mingzhou, the Luo family of Chengkan, the Fang family of Liushan, and the Jin family of Dangxi as case studies to explore the place of civil litigation in the resolution of lineage conflicts. Finally, it shows that these civil litigation battles were closely linked to changes in conceptions of sacrifices and adjustments in state policy. Huizhou’s reputed “fondness for litigation” was in fact the process through which lineages sought state recognition.

During the mid- and late Ming, a series of civil litigation cases surrounding the grave plots, ancestral temples, and assets related to the funding of graves and sacrifices occurred in the Huizhou region. A considerable body of materials related to such cases has been preserved in Ming-period litigation documents and family genealogies from Huizhou. These materials reflect changes in the Huizhou lineages during the Ming; as such, they constitute a critical historical set of sources. This essay examines distinguishing characteristics of Huizhou lineage litigation battles during the Ming. It then reviews the litigation surrounding the grave plots and ancestral temples of the Wu family of Mingzhou, the Luo family of Chengkan, the Fang family of Liushan, and the Jin family of Dangxi as case studies to explore the place of civil litigation in the resolution of lineage conflicts. Finally, it shows that these civil litigation battles were closely linked to changes in conceptions of sacrifices and adjustments in state policy. Huizhou’s reputed “fondness for litigation” was in fact the process through which lineages sought state recognition.