Politics and Dynastic Change: On the Alignment of Ming Officials with the Qing

Abstract

中文摘要︰明、清鼎革時期，士人莫不深受命運吉凶未卜的精神壓力所困擾。儘管「忠君」為明末的主導意識形態，但事實上當時絕大部分社會精英，還是基於各種不同原因向現實妥協。這種妥協態度，最終促使他們放棄追隨南明，改而與較有重建社會秩序能力的新興滿族政權合作。甲申之變後，清政府大量起用明降臣，而明降臣又甘心歸附，可以說是結合雙方政治需要下的結果。就後者而言，在滿清、南明及變民隊伍之間，清人似乎是較具朝氣，而又給予他們備受重視的感覺。大順「追贓」的慘痛經 歷，南都「從逆案」的心理威脅，都在親歷故都國變者的心靈上留下不可磨滅的烙印，成了各人生命中的夢魘。既然南明和民變隊伍均不足取，仕清似乎是別無選擇下的政治出路。崇禎皇帝在遺言中對大臣的指責、清高宗於《貳臣傳》對「貳臣」的貶斥，均塑造了清初「貳臣」在歷史上的反面形象。惟用現代的眼光來看，這種本於「一姓之忠」的歷史評價，似亦不無可議之處。

During the Ming-Qing transition, Chinese officials fretted constantly about the impact of the demise of the Ming on their futures. While the dominant ideology advocated loyalty, most were prepared to compromise for various pragmatic reasons. Defection was generally considered the best way to put an end to widespread chaos, restoring the social order. After the Ming capital’s collapse, defection served the needs of both the Manchu authorities and the collaborators. Unlike the Southern Ming court and the late Ming rebels, the Qing was a promising dynastic successor, and its rulers valued the contributions of former Ming officials in the conquest period.