客家地域社會組織的變遷─以北台灣「嘗會」為中心的討論

林桂玲(Kuei-Ling Lin)

指導教授 ： 陳華 ； 莊英章

國立清華大學/人文社會學院/歷史研究所/博士(2013年)

摘要

客家地域社會組織的變遷─以北臺灣「嘗會」為中心的討論

摘 要

　　清治時期台灣史是一個漢人移墾的過程。自清治以至日治時期（1683～1945）移民至台灣的漢人如何在此地重新建立基層地域社會？雖然過去的研究指出拓墾、宗教等活動所建立的組織，是地域社會建構的主要因素，但是在這個複雜變動的社會，人與人建立關係網絡必然也具有複雜的多重面向，絕不僅止於拓墾和宗教。本文嘗試以另一個角度檢視清治時期移民至北台灣的客家方言群（Hakka people），他們在重新建構基層地域社會之時，透過成立「嘗會」組織（share-holding worship associations），一方面維繫在異地（台灣）仍能綿延不絕的血緣關係；另一方面重新建立一種「秩序」或者「認同」，以形成一種「地域社會」。換言之，「嘗會」在客家的基層地域社會中，扮演了多重的角色，其間牽涉到宗族、經濟生活、族群認同等相關的面向。
客家人在從事社會活動的時候，經常不是用個人的身分，而是以「嘗會」的形式出現。何謂「嘗會」？筆者的觀點是：原來客家社會中為祭祀祖先而保留的財產稱為「蒸嘗」（Zheng-Chang）。如果以財產持有的角度觀察，這是一種公同共有資產的型態，後來客家人就把類似的、屬於公同共有資產型態的團體稱為「嘗會」（Chang-Hui）。清代在臺灣出現的嘗會有兩種類型：祭祀祖先的「蒸嘗」和祭祀神明的「神明嘗」（Shenming-Chang），兩種類型都包含了祭祀活動。
1895年日本殖民臺灣，將客家方言群的「嘗會」改名為「祭祀公業」。日治時期法學界曾經熱烈討論這種組織的法律定位問題，主要焦點是如何將「民間習慣」下的祭祀公業，納入「國家制定法」。法學界對「祭祀公業」的關注，到了中華民國政府遷台以後仍然方興未艾。1999年臺灣發生的921地震，為臺灣社會帶來極大衝擊，成為這一代臺灣人的共同歷史記憶。在這次巨大影響中，長期存在台灣社會中的「祭祀公業」，因本身性質複雜導致財產歸屬無法定位，再度引起法律界的熱烈討論，也成為政府不得不面對的課題。因此，自2000年至今，10年來祭祀公業又再度成為政府與社會大眾面臨的重大議題。
嘗會（祭祀公業）在近兩百五十年的臺灣社會中，與許多臺灣人息息相關。它曾經是經濟生活的一部分，是人際網絡的一部分，也是一個新的地域社會建構的一部分。時至今日，它依然是社會熱烈討論的話題之一。客家方言群將嘗會當作投資土地的組織；融通資金的商品；劃定宗族「邊界」的場域；甚至是建立地域認同、族群認同的重要媒介。嘗會，或者說祭祀公業所以如此難解，正是因為它特殊而複雜的性質。

關鍵字：客家、嘗會、地域社會、祭祀公業、宗族

關鍵字

客家 ； 嘗會 ； 地域社會 ； 祭祀公業 ； 宗族

並列摘要

The Transformation of Hakka Local Organizations: A Case Study of “Share-holding Worship Associations” (嘗會) in Northern Taiwan

Abstract

One key trend of Taiwanese history under Qing rule (1683-1895) was the island’s settlement by Han Chinese people, as well as their efforts to establish (or “re”-establish) local communities. While previous research has indicated the importance of some settlement and religious organizations, this thesis attempts to enhance our understanding of these phenomena by exploring the roles played by “share-holding worship associations” (changhui 嘗會) that were set up by Hakka migrants in northern Taiwan. On the one hand, such associations served as a means to maintain blood relationships among families; on the other hand, they helped establish a new “order” or “identity” that contributed to the growth of local society. In other words, share-holding worship associations exerted profound influence on Hakka communal life, and were intertwined with facets of lineage growth, economic development, and ethnic identity.
When Hakka people were engaged in social activities, they tended to do so via changhui. What exactly does the term changhui mean? In general, changhui are organizations devoted to ancestor or deity worship that possess common property that is managed by the association’s membership. Two types of changhui existed in Taiwan during the Qing dynasty: those for ancestor worship (zhengchang 蒸嘗) and those for deity worship (shenmingchang 神明嘗). Both types centered on the practice of making sacrificial rites, but the object of these offerings differed.
After the Japanese established colonial rule over Taiwan in 1895, the authorities changed the term “share-holding worship associations” to “common property organizations for ancestor worship” (jise gongye 祭祀公業). Moreover, during the Japanese colonial era, legal experts engaged in a heated debate over the future status of these organizations, particularly in terms of conforming to new laws that had been enacted by the state. Such concerns persisted even after the ROC government established its rule over Taiwan in 1945. As recently as 1999, after the devastating 921 Earthquake, the importance of common property organizations for ancestor worship continued to attract the government’s attention and has remained a serious matter of public debate.
Changhui have played a crucial role in the lives of many Taiwanese people during the past 250 years, especially in terms of economic life, social networks, and personal relations, and their importance has persisted to the present day. For nearly three centuries, the Hakka people have utilized changhui to raise capital for investments (especially real estate), to mark territorial boundaries, and to establish social and ethnic identities. Their unique and intricate properties of can be difficult to comprehend, but their significance merits further scholarly attention.

keyword：Hakka, share-holding worship associations, local society, common property organizations for ancestor worship, lineage

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