Contribution - Ennou

In China, successive dynasties' governments granted official ranks and titles in exchange for having people donate money or rice to alleviate financial difficulties. "Don" means "to donate," and it is also called "donyu" or "donguan." It is said to have begun during the reign of the First Emperor of Qin, and initially only titles were awarded, but under Emperor Wu of Han, officials were given in addition to the sale of titles. After that, it was often used by successive dynasties as a measure to deal with financial difficulties, but from the Jingtai period of the Ming dynasty (1450-57), it was given the qualification to become a national schoolmaster, and was called "donguan," and gradually became a permanent system. In the Qing dynasty, after the Three Feudal Rebellion (1673-81), the use of tributes became widespread, and especially during the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64), they, along with the tax on tributes, constituted the main source of military expenditures. Furthermore, the scope of application was expanded to include not only the sale of government positions by ordinary citizens, but also the restoration of promotions, demotions, and dismissals for government officials. After that, tributes became more and more common in terms of finances, and became a factor in promoting corruption and decadence in the government circles at the end of the Qing dynasty.

[Shigeo Sakuma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国で、歴代の王朝政府が財政の困窮を補うために、人民に金銭もしくは米穀などを納入させることによって、官位、爵位などを与える制度。捐は「寄付する」の意で、捐輸、捐官ともいう。秦(しん)の始皇帝のときに始まるといわれ、当初は爵位だけであったが、漢の武帝のとき、売爵のほかに初めて官を与えた。その後、歴朝において財政窮乏の対策としてしばしば行われたが、明(みん)の景泰(けいたい)年間（1450～57）以来、国子監(こくしかん)生の資格を与えて捐監とよばれ、しだいに恒常的な制度となった。清(しん)では三藩(さんぱん)の乱（1673～81）以後、捐納を利用することが甚だしく、とくに太平天国の乱（1850～64）のときには釐金(りきん)税とともに軍費の財源の主要部分を占めた。さらにその適用範囲も、一般庶民の売官のほか、官吏の昇官および降級・罷免の回復などにも拡大された。その後も財政上、捐納はますます行われ、清末の官界の腐敗、堕落を助長する要因となった。

［佐久間重男］

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