西漢武功爵對應軍功爵的釋疑與評價

Clarification and Appraisal of the Corresponding Relationship between the Social Class Hierarchy and the Eleven Ranks of the Ennobled Military Hierarchy in the Western Han Dynasty

漢武帝（140-87 BCE在位）在元朔6年（123 BCE）6月以前，對匈奴發動多次戰役，導致無力給付賞賜將士戰功的費用。當時中央政府運用民眾追求「爵」或「級」的心理，由大農令鄭莊提報「武功爵」制度補充軍功爵，將此一財政缺口變相轉嫁民眾。
西漢武功爵制依循先秦的卿、大夫、士細分成11爵級，而1至8爵級以斬首捕虜級數與金、錢產生對價關係，並與當時實行的軍功爵制橫向聯通。武功爵制度實施數年內，確保軍人能靠戰功取得獎賞，並避免政府財政負擔過重而破產。然而富裕者因此晉升爵等而進入政府，隨後衍生富貴一體化進而干預政府財政與地方行政運作，中、低階爵級有價化產生貶值效應等弊病。
漢昭帝（87-74 BCE在位）以後由於戰爭減少，斬首捕虜級數來源大減，戰功的爵賞開銷減至政府財政足以支付。當斬首捕虜的首級數恢復到供給小於需求時，即使宣帝元康4年（62 BCE）以後未廢止武功爵制，也會隨著轉移買賣減少而逐漸罕用，最終或遭到廢除、或形同具文而與西漢政權俱亡。

Before the sixth month of the sixth year of Yuan Shuo元朔(128 BCE), Emperor Wu武帝(r. 140-87 BCE) of the Western Han sent numerous military expeditions against the Xiongnu匈奴; this led to an inability to financially compensate his commanders for their success in battle. The Chamberlain for the National Treasury (danong ling大農令), Zheng Zhuang鄭莊, used the desire of people to obtain a higher social status by imitating the system of the Zhou honorary system. He established a twenty-rank social class hierarchy (jungong jue軍功爵), and then proposed the eleven ranks of the ennobled military hierarchy (wugong jue武功爵). This was a way to turn fixing the financial deficit into an opportunity—with some conditions applied—for people to climb the social ladder.
In order to adapt to the needs of the era, the twenty-rank social hierarchy derived from the Zhou became different than the eleven ranks of the ennobled military hierarchy. This was because the conditions of obtaining such titles were limited to bringing the head of an enemy or capturing prisoners of war. These decapitated heads and captured prisoners could be exchanged for titles within the first eight ranks of the hierarchy, which were equal to the military titles of the tenth social class.
This led to a gradual amalgamation of money and power. Wealthy people could purchase a place in the hierarchy and interfere with real power in the government. They could influence the government’s financial system for their own benefit. They could also extend their local power in the county as well. Putting a price on the lower eight ranks of the ennobled military hierarchy led to the depreciation of the hierarchy as well as other disadvantages.
After Emperor Zhao昭帝(r. 87-74 BCE) of Han, wars became fewer, so opportunities for presenting enemy heads and prisoners likewise greatly declined. The outlay on rewarding military merit dropped steeply until the state financial deficit was resolved. When the demand for enemy heads as well as prisoners of war greatly decreased in the fourth year of Yuan Kang元康(62 BCE), even though Emperor Xuan宣帝(r. 74-48 BCE) did not abolish the ennobled military hierarchy, it gradually became obsolete and was abandoned, existing in name only until the end of the Western Han.