唐代文獻中里胥的用法與職能

The Usage and Function of the Term “Community Functionaries” (lixu) in the Tang Dynasty

This article discusses lixu （里胥, “community functionaries”） in the Tang Dynasty. I will analyze and generalize the origins and meanings of three different usages of this term: its usage as a literary allusion, a general usage, and a specialized usage. As a literary allusion, lixu invoked a passage in the History of Han（漢書） and is often seen in answers to examination questions, imperial edicts, and literati essays. The general usage referred to those minor officials who were employed outside of the official bureaucracy and performed various tasks at the local government level. The specialized meaning referred to minor officials who were officially added to local governments by the central government and who dealt with specialized administration works.
After the mid-Tang, the general sense of lixu was seen widely in texts, the position of lixu usually being filled by local elites. The emergence of lixu reflects changes in the socio-political sphere after the mid-Tang. This phenomenon is illustrated by the increase in temporary staff in local governments and became characteristic of local government after the Tang Dynasty.