Party strife - Tousou

Japanese: 党争 - とうそう

This refers to bureaucrats forming factions and competing for power. Historically, party strife in China and Korea is well known, so here we will explain about these two countries.

[Miyazaki City]

China

Although bureaucrats were prohibited from forming political parties, in reality political strife has always taken place throughout history. It became particularly severe after the Imperial Examinations were held, as close ties arose between examiners and examinees, as well as among fellow examinees, whenever an examination was held. From the time of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty (reigned 805-820) to the beginning of Emperor Xuanzong (reigned 846-859), Niu Sengru and Li Zongmin, both former examinees in the Imperial Examinations, formed a party with Li Deyu, an aristocrat, and others, and fought against each other. This party was called the Niu-Li Party, but this term originally referred to the party of Niu Sengru, Li Zongmin, and other examinees in the Imperial Examinations, and later came to mean both the factions of Niu Sengru and Li Deyu. During the Song dynasty, party strife intensified around the time of Emperor Renzong (reigned 1022-63), and later escalated into a major clash between the party of Wang Anshi, which advocated new laws, and the party of Sima Guang and his successors, who advocated the old laws. Party strife did not only arise from differences in political views; behind it was a campaign for political office (a campaign to obtain official positions). During the Ming dynasty, a faction emerged that colluded with the eunuchs to solidify their own position and eliminate opposing forces, and this is recorded in the biography of the Eunuch Party in the History of the Ming. Eunuch means eunuch.

[Miyazaki City]

Korea

In Korea, this refers to a faction-based struggle for power among court officials that unfolded from the late 16th century to the end of the Yi dynasty. It began in the early years of King Seonjo (ruled 1567-1608) when a dispute over an official position that controlled personnel decisions for civil servants led to the division of the Dongjin and Seojin factions. The Dongjin faction, which was initially dominant, split into the Namin faction, which was gentle toward the Seojin faction, and the Stern Bukin faction, when Jeong Cheol (a Seojin faction) fell from power in 1591. The Bukin faction held power in the latter years of King Seonjo's reign and during the reign of Prince Gwanghae, but after the coup d'état that supported Injo in 1623, the Seojin faction held power for a long time. After 1660, a fierce dispute over the mourning period for the Queen Dowager arose between Westerners such as Song Si-ryeol and Naminers such as Yun and Heo Mok, and power shifted between Westerners and Naminers. Party strife became bloody, as seen in the Great Purge of Naminers in 1680, and the factions became more closed off and conflicts became more severe. In the 1680s, Westerners split into the hard-line anti-Naminers Noron faction and the more moderate Soron faction, and the two sides fought fiercely until the beginning of the reign of King Yeongjo (1724-1776). Yeongjo and Jeongjo (1776-1800) mediated between the factions under the name of Dongpyeong, and the party strife eased, but the Noron faction continued to secrecy.

[Kenichi Kasuya]

[Reference items] | Old Law Party | Niu Li's Party Struggle | New Law Party | Nanjin

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

官僚が互いに派閥をたてて政権を争うことをいう。歴史的には、中国、朝鮮の党争がよく知られているので、ここでは両国について説明する。

［宮崎市定］

中国

官僚が党派をつくることは禁じられていたにもかかわらず、実際には各時代、つねに党争は行われてきた。とくに甚だしくなったのは科挙が行われてからであり、試験のあるごとに、試験官と受験生、また同期の受験生の間に親密な結合が生じたためである。唐の憲宗（在位805～820）から宣宗（在位846～859）初年に至るまで、科挙出身の牛僧孺(ぎゅうそうじゅ)・李宗閔(りそうびん)らが貴族出身の李徳裕(りとくゆう)らと党をたてて争い、牛・李の党と称せられるが、この語はもと牛僧孺、李宗閔ら科挙出身者の党をさすものであり、のちに牛僧孺、李徳裕の両派を意味するように変わった。宋(そう)代では仁宗(じんそう)（在位1022～63）のころから党争が激しくなり、のちに新法を主張する王安石の党と、旧法を主張する司馬光、およびその後継者たちが組成する党との大衝突となった。党争は政見の相違から起こるばかりでなく、その裏には猟官運動（官職にありつこうとする運動）があった。明(みん)代には、宦官(かんがん)勢力と結託して自己の地位を固め、反対勢力を排除しようとする一派が現れ、『明史』の閹党伝(えんとうでん)に載せられている。閹とは宦官を意味する。

［宮崎市定］

朝鮮

朝鮮では16世紀後半から李朝(りちょう)末期に至るまで展開された朝臣内の党派による政権をめぐる抗争をいう。宣祖（在位1567～1608）初年、文臣の人事権を掌握する官職をめぐる争いを機に東人、西人が分立したことから始まる。当初優勢であった東人は、1591年鄭澈(ていてつ)（西人）の失脚時に、西人に対して温和な南人と峻厳(しゅんげん)な北人とに分裂した。宣祖末年および光海君時代には北人が政権を握ったが、1623年の仁祖擁立の政変以後は西人が長く政権を握った。1660年以降、宋時烈(そうじれつ)ら西人と尹(いんけい)・許穆(きょぼく)ら南人との間に激しい礼論（王大妃の服喪期間に関する対立）が生じ、政権は西人、南人の間を移動し、党争は1680年の庚申(こうしん)獄（南人大粛清）のように血みどろ化し、各党派間の閉鎖性と対立は厳しくなった。80年代に西人は対南人強硬派の老論と温和派の少論とに分裂し、両者は英祖（在位1724～76）初年まで激しく争った。英祖、正祖（在位1776～1800）は蕩平(とうへい)と称して党派間を調停したため党争は緩和されたが、その後も老論優勢の下に隠然たる党争が継続された。

［糟谷憲一］

[参照項目] | 旧法党 | 牛李の党争 | 新法党 | 南人

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