Training - Danren

An ancient Chinese government-run militia organization. The name dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when civilian self-defense corps were reorganized as a supplement to the standing army, and were called Danchie-bi (United Army) or Danren-bi (Danren Army) and led by Danren-shi (Danren Commissioners) who also served as local governors. As the military commanders (Setsudoshi) became warlords, they became a component of the feudal domain army. In the late Yuan and Ming dynasties, local officials and powerful landlords led village self-defense corps as a measure against civil unrest, and Danren was also called Danren. The most famous Danren was at the end of the Qing Dynasty, when the Eight Banners and Green Camps, which were the government soldiers, were weakened, and armed self-defense corps centered on gentry landlords became popular to maintain order in the villages. From the mid-18th century onwards, the government also used this to suppress the White Lotus Sect rebellion, and the Danren system was born, in which young men were conscripted and trained under the command of powerful landlords and local officials, and food was prepared for local defense. From the mid-19th century onwards, they were widely used to suppress rebellions by the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Army, and were not much different from recruits sent across borders to fight in battles, given weapons and food by the government. The Xiang Army of Zeng Guofan and the Huai Army of Li Hongzhang were also reorganized training camps in Hunan and Anhui. During the Republican period, they were used by local warlords to control villages, and were used as the hands and feet of reactionaries under names such as the Protective Guards, Security Troops, and People's Troops.

[Hideo Kikuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国古来の官設民兵組織。名称の起源は古く唐代にさかのぼり、常備軍の補助として民間の自衛団を改編し、団結兵、団練兵とよんで地方長官の兼任する団練使に率いさせた。節度使(せつどし)の軍閥化とともに藩(はん)軍の構成要素とされた。元、明(みん)の末期にも内乱対策として地方官や有力地主に率いさせた郷村自衛団を団練とよんだが、とくに有名なのは清(しん)末の団練で、官兵たる八旗、緑営が弱体化したので、郷村の治安維持のため郷紳(きょうしん)地主を中心とする武装自衛団が盛んとなり、18世紀なかば以降白蓮(びゃくれん)教の反乱鎮圧に政府もこれを利用し、有力地主や地方官の統率下に壮丁を徴集訓練し、糧食を自備して地方防備にあたる団練制度が生まれた。19世紀なかば以降太平天国や捻(ねん)軍の反乱鎮圧に大いに活用され、官が武器、糧食を与え、越境出征させられる募兵と大差ないものとなった。曽国藩(そうこくはん)の湘(しょう)軍や李鴻章(りこうしょう)の淮(わい)軍も、湖南、安徽(あんき)の団練を改編したものであった。民国時代には地方軍閥の郷村支配に利用され、保衛団、保安団、民団などの名で反動派の手足とされた。

［菊池英夫］

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