闊闊真太后與元成宗朝政治——兼論太后位下徽政院的建立

Abstract

元成宗登位後，隨即尊奉闊闊真為皇太后，並將原皇太子官署—詹事院，改稱徽政院，轉隸於太后位下。元朝至此不僅首見繼位的新君與正式尊奉的太后，更且出現為太后特設的官署，允為政治新局的開始。本文首先聚焦於闊闊真太后在成宗朝的政治活動與爭議，認為：闊闊真儘管較少直接左右朝政，但在皇家或皇族事務的關鍵決策時，總能見到她的身影及其靈活的政治手腕。對於政權的穩定，功不可沒。過往由於闊闊真在五臺山建寺所引發的爭議，在祈祝戰事順利與皇家成員健康的脈絡下，容可釋疑。其次考察徽政院的建置淵源和定位，指出：元代徽政院的獨特，不僅是其名前所未見，關鍵更在於其前身機構詹事院建置淵源的多元。儘管徽政院的品秩崇高，轄屬龐大，官員足稽者卻是寥寥可數。院使的角色略嫌模糊，或許是中書省包辦大部分院務，省院權責尚難明確畫分的關係。最後，在闊闊真與不忽木兩股象徵穩定朝政的力量相繼逝去後，政治勢力重新洗牌，進而揭開元中期帝位紛爭的序幕。徽政院即便未曾廢罷，政治動向亦復值得注意，卻仍有待深探。

After Emperor Chengzong of Yuan (reign 1294-1307) ascended the throne, one of the first things he did was to honor his mother, Kökejin, by bestowing on her the title of Empress Dowager. He also renamed the Zhanshi Yuan as the Hui-zheng Yuan, which he then placed under her control. Several "firsts" in the history of the Yuan dynasty were thus made: it was the first time that a new ruler had assumed power; the first time that anyone had been given the title of Empress Dowager; and the first time that a newbureau—or yuan (院), to be precise—had been created especially for the holder of such a title. This paper looks firstly at the political activities of Empress Dowager Kökejin during the reign of Chengzong. She did not interfere directly with the workings of the government, but she exerted her influence when key decisions had to be made. Her presence contributed greatly to the stability of the regime; indeed, as the author notes, after the death of Kökejin (and that of Buqumu), the former unity of the Yuan dynasty existed no more. The paper also argues that the controversy over Kökejin's construction of a Buddhist temple at Mount Wu-tai ought to be laid aside, in light of the fact that she frequently prayed for success in war and for the health of the royal family. Finally, the paper examines the origin and role of the Hui-zheng Yuan. The author concludes that even though we already know a great deal about this bureau, its fate after Kökejin's death remains an issue that needs further exploration.