华东师范大学(哲学社会科学版) ›› 2018, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (2): 1-11.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5579.2018.02.001

• 特稿 •    下一篇

郑和下西洋与明朝的“麒麟外交”

邹振环   

  1. 复旦大学历史系, 上海 200433
  • 出版日期:2018-03-15 发布日期:2018-03-27
  • 作者简介:邹振环,复旦大学历史系教授(上海,200433)。
  • 基金资助:
    国家社会科学基金后期资助项目"世界想象:西学东渐与明清汉文地理文献"(项目编号:17FZS037)。

Contents ZHENG He's Voyages to the West and the “Kylin Diplomacy” in the Ming Dynasty

ZOU Zhen-huan   

  • Online:2018-03-15 Published:2018-03-27

摘要: 郑和下西洋时期,明朝与亚洲和非洲各国的交往,不仅是政治和经济上的,更多体现在文化交往上,其中也包含着麒麟(长颈鹿)等动物的交流。郑和下西洋可分为第一至第三次和第四至第七次两个阶段,活动地区由第一阶段在东南亚和南亚,拓展到第二阶段的西亚和东非地区。与郑和七下西洋直接有关的海上"麒麟贡"约有七次,均出现在第二阶段,之后出现的"麒麟贡",也与下西洋有着紧密的关联。或以为第四至第七次下西洋地域上的拓展,是与"麒麟贡"直接有关。永乐大帝在总结了历朝外交思想的基础上,将自己在东亚国际体系中实践的经验和理论,施行于南海西洋。郑和下西洋起初有为寻找失踪的建文帝和打击流亡的反朱棣的残余势力之目的,但之后渐渐演变为搜寻奇兽异物、保护南中国海的航道安全、在南洋宣扬国威和与非属国施行外交的需要。明初通过"麒麟外交"所履行的一系列邦交礼仪,深化天下意识和华夷观念。"麒麟外交"仪式不仅仅为了演示给本土成员,同时也有吸引周边国家及南洋和东非国家加入天朝宗藩朝贡联盟的政治目的,以确立明朝的中华朝贡体系中心的地位。

关键词: 郑和下西洋, 麒麟, 长颈鹿, “麒麟贡”, “麒麟外交”, 物灵政治

Abstract: When ZHENG He travelled to the West, the Ming Dynasty greatly developed not only political and economic but also cultural exchanges, including the exchange of animals such as kylins(actually giraffes) with Asian and African nations. ZHENG He's voyages can be divided into two stages, the first stage including the first three trips, while the second the last four trips. At the first stage, he mainly visited the nations in Southeast Asia and South Asia while at the second stage, he visited those far in West Asia and East Africa. The maritime "kylin tributes" related to ZHENG's voyages roughly happened seven times at the second stage. The later "kylin tributes" were also closely connected with voyages to the West. It was also said that the geographical expansion of ZHENG's last four voyages was directly related to "kylin tributes". In contrast to a nation's domestic affairs, diplomacy is aimed to deal with foreign affairs by peaceful means such as dispatching missions to resolve disputes in order to achieve the maximization of national interests. Emporer Yongle made foreign policies based on the diplomatic experiences of previous dynasties and his own experiences in East Asia and consequently implemented them in the South China Sea and the West at that time. Originally, ZHENG was sent to find the missing Emperor Jianwen and to fight against the remnant rebellions, but later his voyages were gradually aimed to search for rare animals and precious native products, protect the security of waterways, promote the national prestige in the South China Sea and establish diplomatic relations with non-vassal states. In the early Ming Dynasty, the consciousness of "tianxia"(under Heaven) and the distinction between Chinese and barbarians were deepened via a series of diplomatic ceremonies of "kylin tributes", which were not only performed for local natives but also politically served to attract neighboring countries as well as the states in South Asia and East Africa to join the ally of the "heavenly sovereign" so as to establish the central status of China in the tribute system in the Ming Dynasty.

Key words: ZHENG He's voyages to the West, kylin, giraffe, kylin tribute, “kylin diplomacy”, supernatural animal politics