Wang Anshi - Wang Anshi

A politician from the Northern Song Dynasty in China. Born in Linchuan, Fuzhou (Jiangxi Province), his courtesy name was Kaifu and he was called Banshan. He was also known as the Duke of Jing after he was bestowed the title of Duke of Jing. Born into a family of low-ranking local officials, he passed the Jinshi exam in 1042 with a high rank, but did not take a central post. He instead voluntarily served as a local official and gained administrative experience. When he returned to the center at the end of the reign of Emperor Renzong (reigned 1022-1063), he submitted a lengthy report titled "Book of Ten Thousand Words" to the emperor summarizing his experiences over the past decade, in which he advocated the need for political reform, but this was not noticed by the ministers at the time. He then returned to Jiangning (present-day Nanjing) to mourn the death of his mother, remaining there even after the mourning period was over. When the young Emperor Shenzong ascended to the throne in 1067, he was appointed Hanlin Scholar, the emperor's political advisor, and summoned to the court to be entrusted with reforming national affairs. In 1069, he was promoted to Changzi Zhengshi (Deputy Prime Minister), and began to put into action his long-held ambitions. First, he established the Seiki Sansi Lawrei-shi, a deliberative body directly under the emperor, where he gathered young and young bureaucrats to devise new policies, which were then issued. In 1070, when he was promoted to Tongshumen Xiaping Zhangshi (Prime Minister), the Lawrei-shi was no longer necessary and was abolished.

The new policies, collectively known as "Wang Anshi's New Laws," included many others, such as the Equal Transportation Law, the Green Miao Law, the Farmland Water Conservancy Law, the City Change Law, the Recruitment Law, the Baojia Law, and the Baoba Law, and their immediate objective was to eliminate the fiscal deficit that had existed since the mid-Northern Song Dynasty and strengthen the nation's power. The large landowners, bureaucrats, and wealthy merchants who had previously benefited from these laws raised fierce opposition to these new laws, but they were carried out with the strong support of Emperor Shenzong and were effective. However, the new laws were not only aimed at enriching the country and strengthening the military, but ultimately they were aimed at refreshing the spirit of the scholar-officials and nurturing talented people who were skilled in practical matters and useful to politics. As a measure to achieve this, he made officials study law, placed importance on school education, established the Three Schools Law, and created a system in which graduates were directly appointed as bureaucrats. In 1076, he retired and lived in Zhongshan, Jiangning, for the rest of his life.

He was also one of the leading scholars and writers of his time. In the study of classics, he wrote "New Interpretations of Zhou", in which he added his own annotations to the "Records of Zhou", which he described as the ideal of political reform, and used it as a school textbook and guide for new law. In prose, he studied under Ouyang Xiu, and with his bold ideas he created a clear and powerful style, making him one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song dynasties. His poetry has also been highly praised, and it is said that his works about nature, which he produced after retiring to Zhongshan, are particularly excellent. He has a collection of Tang poetry titled "Selections of Poems from the Hundred Schools of the Tang" in 20 volumes, and a collection of poems and prose titled "Collection of Works by Master Linchuan" in 100 volumes.

[Masaaki Chikusa February 17, 2016]

"Shige Shimizu's Selected Collections of Chinese Poets 2nd Collection 4 Wang Anshi' (1962, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Wang Anshi' by Tomi Saeki (1941, Tomiyamabo/Chukō Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、北宋(ほくそう)の政治家。撫州(ぶしゅう)臨川(りんせん)（江西省）の人。字(あざな)は介甫(かいほ)、半山と号し、荊国(けいこく)公を贈られたので荊公ともよばれる。下級地方官の家に生まれ、1042年の進士科に高位で及第したが、中央のポストにはつかず、自ら望んで地方官を歴任して行政の経験を積んだ。仁宗(じんそう)（在位1022～1063）の末年に中央に帰ると、十数年の体験をまとめた長文の報告書「万言の書」を皇帝に提出して、政治改革の必要性を説いたが、当時は大臣たちに注目されなかった。その後、江寧(こうねい)（いまの南京(ナンキン)）に帰って母の喪に服し、喪があけたのちもここにとどまっていたが、1067年青年皇帝の神宗が即位すると、皇帝の政治顧問である翰林(かんりん)学士に任命されて朝廷に召され、国政改革をゆだねられた。1069年に参知政事（副宰相）に上り、年来の抱負を実行に移すことになった。まず皇帝直属の審議機関である制置三司条例司を設けて、ここに少壮官僚を集めて新政策の立案にあたらせ、できあがったものから発布していった。1070年に同中書門下平章事（宰相）に上ると、条例司は必要がなくなり廃止された。

　新政策は、まとめて「王安石の新法」とよばれ、均輸法に始まり、青苗(せいびょう)法、農田水利法、市易(しえき)法、募役法、保甲(ほこう)法、保馬(ほば)法など多くのものがあり、北宋中期以来の財政赤字を解消して国力を増強することを当面の目的とした。これらの新法に対して、従来甘い汁を吸っていた大地主・官僚・豪商らは猛然と反対の声をあげたが、神宗の強力な支持を得て遂行され、効果をあげた。ただ新法は富国強兵のみを目的としたのではなくて、究極的には士大夫の気風を一新し、実務に堪能(たんのう)で政治に役だつ人材を養成することにあり、その方策として、官吏に法律を学ばせ、学校教育を重視し、三舎法を定めて、卒業者をそのまま官僚に任命する制度をつくった。1076年に引退して江寧の鍾山(しょうざん)に住み、余生を送った。

　また学者、文人としても当代一流であった。経学では、政治改革の理想とする『周礼(しゅらい)』に自ら注釈を加えた『周官新義』を著し、学校のテキストに用いて新法の指針とした。散文は欧陽脩(おうようしゅう)を師とし、警抜な発想をもって明晰(めいせき)で迫力ある文体をつくり、唐宋八大家の一人に数えられる。詩も高い評価を受けてきたが、鍾山に隠棲(いんせい)してからの、自然を詠じた作品がとくに優れているといわれる。唐詩を選集した『唐百家詩選』20巻、詩文集『臨川先生文集』100巻がある。

［竺沙雅章　2016年2月17日］

『清水茂注『中国詩人選集二集　4 王安石』（1962・岩波書店）』▽『佐伯富著『王安石』（1941・冨山房／中公文庫）』

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