Party Ban - Touko no Kin

A series of oppression incidents that occurred in the late Eastern Han Dynasty in China. "Party" means "party people" (a group of intellectuals) and "ban" means "banishment" (expulsion from public office). It was a party struggle between the eunuchs, who were in collusion with and parasitic on public authority, and the private sector, who opposed them and called for the restoration of the Han Dynasty's public institutions. In 159, Emperor Huan, with the cooperation of the eunuchs, eliminated the Liang family, his maternal relatives, and this became an opportunity for the eunuchs to monopolise the government of the court. In contrast to the muddy current centered around the five eunuchs at that time (the five evils), the clean current faction, led by Li Ying and Chen Fan, who were known as renowned men of integrity and loyalty, was formed by scholars from all over the country, including the Grand Student, whose path to government had been blocked by the muddy current. This conflict expanded into a nationwide party strife in which Qingliu attacked the tyranny of the Muddy Water, and in 166 the Qingliu Party members were suppressed for slandering the imperial court, with over 200 sent to prison (the First Party Ban). This was lifted the following year. During the reign of the next emperor, Ling, the eunuchs privatized the Han dynasty, with the Ten Eternal Attendants (ten middle attendants) at the center and their parents, children, in-laws, and guests at the prefectures and counties monopolizing the wealth. In 168, Dou Wu, a relative of the emperor's wife, appointed party members to the position of governor to eliminate the eunuchs, but failed, and the party members were suppressed again. Over 100 high-ranking officials, including Li Ying and Du Mi, were killed or imprisoned, and hundreds of accompanying officials were sentenced to life imprisonment (the Second Party Ban). In 184, following the outbreak of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the central government disbanded the party system, fearing an alliance with the Yellow Turbans. However, the political paralysis caused by party strife led to the self-destruction of the Later Han dynasty.

[Ueda Sanae]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、後漢(ごかん)末期に起こった一連の弾圧事件。党とは党人（知識人のグループ）、錮とは禁固（公職追放）を意味する。公権に癒着し寄生する宦官(かんがん)勢力と、これに対抗して漢の公的機関としての回復を主張する民間勢力の党争である。159年桓帝(かんてい)が宦官の協力を得て外戚梁(がいせきりょう)氏を排除したことは、宦官に朝政を専断させる契機となった。このときの5人の宦官（五邪）を中心とする濁流に対して、当代の清忠の名士と称された李膺(りよう)、陳蕃(ちんばん)を領袖(りょうしゅう)とする清流勢力は、濁流により仕官の途をふさがれた太学生をはじめ、各地の処士により形成された。この争いは、清流が濁流専横を攻撃する全国的な党争へと拡大し、166年、清流党人は、朝廷を誹謗(ひぼう)したという理由で弾圧され、200余人が獄に下された（第一次党錮の禁）。このときは翌年には解除された。次の霊帝の代には、宦官が漢朝を私物化し、中央では十常侍（10人の中常侍）が、州郡ではその父兄、子弟、婚親、賓客が財利を専有した。168年、外戚の竇武(とうぶ)は党人を登用して宦官の誅滅(ちゅうめつ)を企てたが失敗し、ふたたび党人は弾圧を受けた。李膺、杜密(とみつ)ら100余人の高官が殺害、獄死させられ、これに付随した官僚数百人が終身禁固に処せられた（第二次党錮の禁）。184年、黄巾(こうきん)の乱勃発(ぼっぱつ)を機に、黄巾との結合を恐れた中央は党錮を解除したが、党争による政治の空転は、後漢王朝の自滅を招く原因となった。

［上田早苗］

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