從青銅器銘文看兩周漢淮地區諸國婚姻關係

An Examination of the Marriage Relationships among the Various States of the Han and Huai River Regions during the Western and Eastern Zhou Periods, using Bronze Vessel Inscriptions

本文主要重點是討論西周到春秋時期，漢水流域及淮水中上游各國的婚姻狀況。文中根據青銅器銘文、傳世文獻與考古資料，說明漢淮地區各國，夾在中原大國和南方荊楚勢力之間，透過婚姻關係爭取生存空間的事實。經過有效的分析與統計，發現西周時期漢淮地區各國和周王室的婚姻，主要是與王室經營王都雒邑以南的廣大土地有關。春秋早期和中期，漢淮地區各國多與黃河流域國家締結婚姻，從漢淮地區往黃河流域各國出嫁的新娘數量，是娶入的六倍，嫁娶之間數量懸殊，幾乎可以視為新娘單向往北輸出，雙方缺乏對等基礎。這是漢淮地區各國受迫於當時楚國向中原發展的局勢，往北尋求盟國交好的反映。漢淮地區各國與南方楚國、吳國的婚姻關係，比較集中在春秋中期和晚期，這與吳國、楚國勢力的興起壯大有關。至於漢淮地區國家互相嫁娶，是以婚姻作為鞏固雙方關係的工具，這是小國聯結互利的一種生存方式。本文以實際婚姻事例為討論依據，呈現出兩周時期各國以婚姻作為政治籌碼的事實。婚姻，在政局錯綜的年代，成為各國善加活用的一顆棋子。

The main focus of this article is an examination of the marital relationships of the various states in the Han River (漢水) region and within the mid- and upper reaches of the Huai River (淮水) from Western Zhou period until the Spring and Autumn period. Using bronze vessel inscriptions, historical documents, and archaeological data, the author attempts to demonstrate that states in the Han and Huai River regions that were wedged between the large kingdoms in the Central Plains and the states of Chu in the south, strove to find room for survival through marriage. After an effective analysis and statistical computation of her data, the author found that the marriages during the Western Zhou period between the Zhou royal court and states in the Han and Huai River regions were closely related to the royal court's management of the vast area south of the capital Luoyi (雒邑). In the early and middle periods of the Spring and Autumn period, the various states of the Han and Huai River regions maintained marriage relationships mainly with the states in the Yell ow River region. The number of brides that married out from the Han and Huai River regions to the states in the Yell ow River region was six times greater than the number of brides that latter took from the Han/Huai regions. This difference in the number of brides given and received was so great that one can view this exchange as the one-way export of brides to the north. States in the two areas were not on equal terms. This evidence shows that the states of the Han and Huai River regions were increasingly pressed by the expansion of Chu power towards the Central Plains, and, therefore, these smaller states sought alliances in the north. Marriage relationships between the states in the Han and Huai River regions with Chu and Wu in the south are concentrated primarily in the middle and late periods of the Spring and Autumn period, and this can be explained by the increasing power of the states of Wu and Chu at this time. As for marriages among the states within the Han and Huai River regions themselves, evidence suggests that states employed marriage as a means of strengthening or consolidating extant relationships. This was the survival tactic of the small states; it benefited them to be united by marital ties. This article uses actual marriage cases to argue that the states during the Western and Eastern Zhou periods used marriage as a bargaining chip in political deals. During those years when the political situation was especially intricate, marriage became a chess piece ingeniously played by all kingdoms.