New Law Party - Shinpoto

A political group of bureaucrats formed in the Song dynasty in China. Its leader was Wang Anshi, who became prime minister in the early days of the reign of Emperor Shenzong (1067-85) and implemented bold reforms based on ancient ideal politics, in response to the government's crisis of facing increasing military expenditures for border defense and growing social contradictions due to the widening disparity in land ownership. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Cheolzong (1085-1100), their policies were criticized for a time, but as long as the contradictions were not resolved, the faction's claims had a certain justification for existence, and they were inherited by Cai Jing, a powerful figure in the Huizong dynasty, and their influence continued even after the fall of the Northern Song dynasty (1127), when they maintained one side of the policy, intertwined with the fierce conflict between the pro-war and pro-peace positions against the new Jin dynasty. Externally, he actively promoted friendship with Japan and other countries, and internally, he was eager to build schools, bridges, and embankments, and to develop new fields. These policies, which were based on quantitative analysis of facts, provided a foundation for the creation of original science and art, but on the other hand, they ran counter to the comprehensive worldview that had existed in ancient China.

[Masahiro Yamauchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、宋(そう)代に形成された官僚の政治的集団。辺境の防衛に年ごとに増加する軍事費と、土地所有の格差の広がりに深刻化する社会的矛盾に直面した政府の危機に対し、神宗（在位1067～85）朝の初期に宰相に就任し古代の理想政治を範として大胆な改革を実施した王安石をその領袖(りょうしゅう)とする。哲宗（在位1085～1100）朝の初め、一時その政策は批判されたが、矛盾が解決されない以上この党派の主張はそれなりに存在意義をもち、徽宗(きそう)朝の権力者蔡京(さいけい)によって継承され、その影響は北宋の滅亡（1127）後もなお新たな金国に対する主戦・主和の激しい主張の対立と絡んで、政策の一方を保守した。対外的には日本をはじめ諸外国との友好を積極的に進め、対内的には学校、橋梁(きょうりょう)、堤防の建設や新田の開発に意欲を示した。それらの政策は、事実の数量的な分析を立案の中心に据えたことから、一方では独自の科学や芸術の創出にある基盤を与えたが、一方では中国古来の総合的世界観とは逆行するものであった。

［山内正博］

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