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Retainers in China from pre-Qin through Han times were a special social group, who lived as dependents under a noble, an officeholder, or a powerful landlord.〔Editorial Committee of the Encyclopedia of China中国大百科全书编委会 (1986): Zhonguo dabaike quanshu中国大百科全书Encyclopedia of China. Vol. History. Beijing and Shanghai: Zhongguo dabaike quanshu chubanshe, p.50.〕 They were designated binke, (simplified Chinese: 宾客; traditional Chinese: 賓客; pinyin: bīnkè), shike (Chinese: 食客; pinyin: shíkè), menke (simplified Chinese: 门客; traditional Chinese: 门客; pinyin: ménkè). Retainers stayed long-term at the house of their host, were fed by him,〔Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972): Han Social Structure. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, p.127.〕 and obtained also many other benefits through him, such as money, reputation, social position, appreciation, and so on.〔Bao Jiashu 鲍家树 (2010): "Xian Qin 'menke' jiqi jingshen jizhi tanjiu" 先秦"门客"及其精神基质研究 (Study of Retainers in the Pre-Qin Period and Their Spiritual Basis ). Journal of Hainan Normal University 海南师范大学报, no.5 (2010), p.142.〕 In return, a retainer would have rendered certain services to his host. But he was free to come and go, and he could leave when he was not treated politely or when he disapproved of the behavior of his host.〔Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972), p.129.〕 == The historical development == The practice of keeping retainers can be traced back to the Warring States Period (ca. 476-221 BCE). Ancient Chinese social structure was changing during this time, the system of feudal states created by the Western Zhou dynasty underwent enormous changes after 771 BCE with the flight of the Zhou court to Chengzhou (modern-day Luoyang) and the diminution of the court's relevance and power.〔Scott Cook (2010): "'San De' and Warring States Views on Heavenly Retribution." Journal of Chinese Philosophy, no.37 (2010), pp.101-123.〕 The sovereign (king of Zhou) was merely a figurehead and the social hierarchy which formerly had depended on blood-relationship to the king of the Zhou was severely impacted by the move.〔Bao Jiashu鲍家树 (2010): Journal of Hainan Normal University, p.142.〕 The Springs and Autumns period led to a few states gaining power at the expense of many others, the latter no longer able to depend on central authority for legitimacy or protection. During the Warring States period, many rulers claimed the Mandate of Heaven to justify their conquest of other states and spread their influence.〔S. Cook (2010), p.102.〕 The number of retainers one was able to keep seems to have been a status symbol, and keeping retainers also served as a means to augment political power.〔Shiji 史記 (by Sima Qian司馬遷 (145-86 BCE ) et al., Baina edition, 1931, 77:1a; cited in Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972), p.128.〕 A retainer could with his own ability and efforts acquire benefits and improve his social status.〔Bao Jiashu鲍家树 (2010), p.142.〕 Therefore, there were lots of noblemen keeping retainers, and some of them kept a maximum of about three thousand retainers. This pre-Qin practice of keeping retainers was continued in Qin times (BCE 221-207). Li Si 李斯 (BCE 280-208), the imperial chancellor, and Zhao Gao 赵高, the powerful eunuch, each kept a number of retainers.〔Sanguo Zhi三國志 (of the Three Kingdom ) (by Chen Shou 陳壽 (233-297 BCE ) et al.), Baina edition,1931, Wei, 12:20b, 18:1a, cited in Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972), p.130.〕 Having retainers was still very popular in Han times, the largest number of retainers reported for the Han was ca. one thousand.〔Hanshu漢書 (by Ban Gu 班固 (BCE ) et al.), Baina edition, 1931, 34:24a, cited in Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972) p.130.〕 Under the protection of a powerful master a retainer usually was able to avoid the payment of taxes. Furthermore, the government had difficulty in levying labor and military service from the retainers of powerful person. Under the protection of a master some guests engaged I robbery, murder, and other unlawful activities.〔Hanshu 86:2a, cited in Jack L. Dull (1972), p.131.〕 It seems that there developed a sort of patron-client relationship. The host became more demanding and arrogant, while the retainers became more subservient.〔Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972), p.131.〕 The number of retainers kept by a host again increased in the era of the Three Kingdoms (220-280 CE). There were two instances of men who kept more than a thousand retainers. This sudden increase is understandable: during the wars and disturbed periods of the Later Han and thereafter, every powerful person was ambitious to use his strength to acquire political power and tended to keep a large number of retainers who actually were his personal troops.〔Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972)., p.130.〕 From the end of the Early Han the retainers began to participate in production, particularly in the cultivation of land. This tendency was more dominant at the end of the Later Han and in the years of the Three Kingdoms. For example, a provincial governor sent ten of his retainers to build a house and plant orange trees. The family derived a profit worth several thousand rolls of silk from the produce yearly and became wealthy. They actually became tenants, who paid labor and earned remunerations.〔Ch'ü T'ung-tsu (1972), p.132.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Retainers in early China (social group)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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