提 要：先秦典籍屡见“冢宰”类于后世宰相为君主最高辅相的记载。近代以来，学者中虽有力主冢宰辅相说可信者，然终以否定论为主流。究其实际，宰本是上古贵族家内职役，多与饮食有关，殷商时已成为职官，至周代演变为各级贵族的家务总管，掌财用为其常职，进而发展为君主的最高辅相。春秋以降，随着权力结构的变迁，文献彝铭中的宰官职权在王室和各诸侯国中呈现出复杂有别的面貌，但冢宰或太宰在殷周曾为君王最高辅相的历史之迹依然有端倪可寻。伊尹、周公以宰职摄政之故典和上古封建政体所决定的周代家国同构的王朝政权组织应是宰职演变为君主最高辅相的根因，亦是中国古代将宰相名号制度溯源至“冢宰”的缘由所在。

关键词：殷周 《周礼》 冢宰 辅相 宰相 源流

Title: A Textual Study of Zhongzai(冢宰) as the Prime Ministers in the Yin and Zhou Dynasties and the Origins of the Zai（宰）Position

Author:Xie Naihe, Associate Professor, Faculty of History and Culture, Northeast Normal University, Changchun,130024, China

Abstract: In the pre-Qin sources, Zhongzai is commonly recorded as the highest officers to the monarchs, whose role was similar to the Prime Ministers, occurred during the later dynasties. The modern scholars mainly reject the credibility of these pre-Qin records, although some scholars hold the opposite judgments. This study argues that Zai was low poison of servants related to the preparation of diet in the ancient ages, while in the Shang dynasty; it had developed into an administrative position. By The Zhou period, Zai began to be responsible for the royal family daily life management, usually looked after the financial affairs. Later in the Zhou dynasty, Zai became the position of administrative assistants to the monarch. The practices of Yi Yin(伊尹) and Zhou Gong(周公) conducted as the regents of the Kings based up their positions as Zai and the traditional isomorphism of zhe ancient state and household, which constituted the legitimacy of Zai to develop into prime ministers. This also explains why the traditional Chinese historical sources have often named the prime Ministers as Zhongzai.

Key words: Yin and Zhou Dynasty The Rites of the Zhou Dynasty Zhongzai Prime Minister Origin