<Note>New Insights on the Format of Authorization Tallies (勘合) Used in Relations between Japan and the Ming Dy nasty

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  • WU Yue
    大阪経済法科大学国際学部教授

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  • <研究ノート>日明関係における「勘合」の形状についての新知見
  • 日明関係における「勘合」の形状についての新知見
  • ヒメイカンケイ ニ オケル 「 カンゴウ 」 ノ ケイジョウ ニ ツイテ ノ シン チケン

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Abstract

In 2001, I published an essay, "Authorization Tallies in the Context of Relations between Japan and the Ming Dynasty: Their Documentary Format." I noted some problematic issues in the "conventional wisdom" in past scholarship on authorization tallies (Chn. kanhe; Jpn. kangō). Based on the structure of official documents in traditional China, I discussed my views and offered a new interpretation. Since then, academic research has advanced, and new historical sources have been published. In this essay, I, first, review advances in research surrounding the Ming authorization tallies issued to Japan; second, assess past interpretations within and beyond Japan, including my own early views, using recently available historical materials; and third, share some new insights. In recent years, research on both Yuan-period authorization tally documents and Ming-period imperial orders of assignment documents has made great strides. This essay draws on those bodies of work and makes use of recently published Ming-period authorization tally documents. My new insights derive primarily from two examples of Ming-period authorization documents. One is a 1470 tally authorization document related to state artisans that was issued by the Ministry of Work, which was published in 2017. The second is a 1607 tally authorization document related to the state postal relay system that was issued by the Ministry of War, published in 2018. Both documents are large format. The 1470 example is the oldest known surviving manuscript copy of a tally authorization document. The 1607 example, which is woodblock printed, includes an official seal and a stamp, in addition to the document's content. The former is square in shape, while the body of the latter is rectangular with a trapezoidal shape above the main body. The trapezoidal portion of the second document includes the characters "Ministry of War Tally Authorization, " which makes clear the nature of the document. Based on the official seal and stamp, one can ascertain how the document was composed and issued as well as protocols and sequence of its use. For these reasons, the discovery of these Ming-period authorization tally documents is extremely significant. They make possible analysis of actual Ming-period specimens rather than extrapolating from the form of Qingperiod authorization tally documents.

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  • 史林

    史林 103 (3), 395-417, 2020-05-31

    THE SHIGAKU KENKYUKAI (The Society of Historical Research), Kyoto University

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