商末至西周早期赐贝研究——兼论册命制度的历史渊源  

Study on the Bestowal of Cowrie Shells from Late Shang to Early Western Zhou Dynasty——Including Study on the Historical Origins of the System for Conferring Official, Noble, and Royal Titles

作　　者：刘源[1] Liu Yuan

机构地区：[1]中国社会科学院大学历史学院,北京100102

出　　处：《历史研究》2022年第5期48-71,M0004,共25页Historical Research

基　　金：“古文字与中华文明传承发展工程”规划项目“西周金文史料解读”(G1603)阶段性成果。

摘　　要：赐贝是商末至西周早期广泛开展的政治活动,一般由最高统治者主持,受赏者可将王所赐之贝分赐臣下或宗嗣。赐贝的核心内涵是确立等级秩序和政治纽带,自上而下贯彻王权统治。赐贝在商末帝辛时代盛行,并为周人继承发展。商王赐贝对象主要是近臣、个别强宗大族的族长;周王赐贝对象范围扩大至外服诸侯,赐贝数目增大,亦出现一并赐予车、马等其他物品的情况,仪式内容也逐渐丰富和程式化。至西周恭王时期,赐贝日渐式微,册命接续而起。册命的政治功能与赐贝相同,仪式内容、文书结构也与西周赐贝相关要素的发展趋势相对应。赐贝可视为册命制度的渊源之一。The bestowal of cowrie shells was a common political activity from the late Shang Dynasty to the early Western Zhou Dynasty. By and large, this was hosted by the supreme ruler and the recipients could give these cowrie shells to their subordinates or younger clan members. In essence, the purpose of the bestowal of cowrie shells was the establishment of hierarchy order and the development of political bonds enforcing the king’s rule from top to bottom. Beginning in the late Shang Dynasty during the reign of Di Xin, the tradition was inherited and further developed by the Zhou people. During the Shang Dynasty, kings mainly bestowed cowrie shells upon their close officials and the leaders of the strongest or largest clans. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the kings would also grant cowrie shells to vassal lords with lands outside the capital. The number of cowrie shells also increased, with carriages, horses, and other articles given alongside them. The bestowal ceremony also became grander and more ritualistic. During the reign of King Gong of Zhou in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the bestowal of cowrie shells began to lose ground to the conferring of offi cial, noble, and royal titles. But not only did these two types of ceremony share the same political function, the content of the latter ceremony, and the structure of associated documents shared similarities with related elements of the former in terms of their development trends. Therefore, the cowrie shell bestowal ceremony could be considered one of the origins of the system for conferring offi cial, noble, and royal titles.

关 键 词：赐贝 册命 礼制 周承殷制 

分 类 号：D691[政治法律—政治学] K223[政治法律—中外政治制度] K224[历史地理—历史学]