Akdun [Janggiya]

A-k'o-tun 阿克敦 (T. 立軒, 沖和 H. 恆巖), May 4, 1685-1756, Feb. 22, official, was a member of the Chang-chia 章佳 clan and of the Manchu Plain Blue Banner. He was the father of A-kuei [q.v.]. After receiving the chü-jên degree in 1708 and his chin-shih in 1709, A-k'o-tun became successively a bachelor (1709-12), a compiler (1712-15), an expositor (1715-16), and a reader (1716-17) in the Hanlin Academy. In 1717 he was sent as head of a mission to Korea, being re-appointed in 1722 and 1724. On all of these occasions he was well received, owing in part to his impressive appearance and his dignified bearing. From 1718 to 1726 he served, among other posts, as sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat (1718-22), junior vice-president of the Board of War (1722-23), chancellor of the Hanlin Academy (1722-25), and senior vice-president of the Board of Ceremonies (1726) and the Board of War (1726). When K'ung Yü-hsün 孔毓珣 (T. 東美, d. 1730, age 65 sui), was summoned for an audience with the emperor in 1726 A-k'o-tun was sent to take his place as acting governor-general of Kwangtung and Kwangsi, and in addition was made Tartar General of Canton. In the following year he was transferred to the post of acting governor of Kwangtung, and later in the same year to that of Kwangsi. Unfortunately he did not get on well with his colleagues, and in 1728 as the result of charges brought against him by K'ung Yü-hsün and Yang Wên-ch'ien 楊文乾 (T. 元統 H. 霖宰, d. 1728, age 47 sui), he was deprived of his office and titles.

Three years later (1731) he was reinstated as an extra sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat, serving in the army of the Northwest in a campaign against the Eleuths. The operations proved embarrassing to the government, however, and in 1734 A-k'o-tun was made assistant to Fu-nai 傅鼐 (T. 閣峰, member of the Fuca 富察 clan, d. ca. 1738, age 62 sui), in the peace negotiations held at the tribal headquarters at Ili. Failing to accomplish its aims, the Commission returned to Peking in the spring of 1735. But three years later (1738) A-k'o-tun, in charge of another Commission, succeeded in concluding a boundary agreement. After his return to Peking, early in 1739, he filled many posts, among them the following: junior and senior vice-president both of the Board of Works (1738-40) and of the Board of Punishments (1740); senior vice-president of the Board of Civil Office (1740-46), serving concurrently as lieutenant-general of the Chinese Plain White Banner (1742) and of the Manchu Bordered Blue Banner (1743); chancellor of the Hanlin Academy (1745-48); and president of the Censorate (1746). He was also president of the Board of Punishments (1746-48), and Associate Grand Secretary (1748). In 1748 an error was made in the Manchu translation of an edict conferring a posthumous title upon Empress Hsiao-hsien (see under Mishan). Since the edict was framed by the Hanlin Academy of which A-k'o-tun was in charge, A-k'o-tun was deprived of his post, but remained to serve as sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat. Soon after, he was re-appointed president of the Board of Punishments, serving concurrently as lieutenant-general of the Chinese Bordered White Banner, and later as chancellor of the Hanlin Academy. Early in 1749 he was reinstated as Associate Grand Secretary. Thereafter he served the government without interruption until his retirement in 1755 owing to trouble with his eyes. During his last years of service, when the emperor was journeying to Jehôl, Honan, and Fêngtien, he was three times (1749, 1750, and 1754) entrusted with the conduct of affairs at the capital. He died early in 1756 and was canonized as Wên-ch'in 文勤.

A-k'o-tun was forthright in character, aligning himself with no political party. Though he and Nien Kêng-yao [q.v.] were friends and fellow members of the Hanlin Academy, he declined to join Nien when the latter was in power. He achieved high literary distinction and on many occasions was in charge of examinations. He served as vice-director for the compilation of the second edition of the Ta-Ch'ing hui-tien (see under Wang An-kuo), commissioned in 1724 and completed in 1733; of the first edition of the Pa-ch'i t'ung-chih (see under Li Fu); and of the first edition of the Ta Ch'ing i-t'ung-chih (see under Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh). His collected works, entitled 德蔭堂集 Tê-yin-t'ang chi, 16 chüan, were published in 1778 by his son, A-kuei, and later (1816) were reprinted, together with his nien-p'u, 1 chüan, compiled by his great-grandson, Na-yen-ch'êng [q.v.].

[ 1/309/4b; 2/16/3b; 3/17/1a; 4/26/10a; 9/20/3a; 1/35/53b.]

S. K. CHANG

J. C. YANG

字立軒 一字沖和 號恆巖 謚文勤 康熙戊子科舉人 己丑科進士

《清史稿》卷303

阿克敦，字仲和，章佳氏，滿洲正藍旗人。康熙四十八年進士，改庶吉士，授編修。五十二年，充河南鄉試考官。五十三年，上以阿克敦學問優，典試有聲名，特擢侍講學士。五十五年，轉侍讀學士。五十六年，朝鮮國王李焞病目，使求空青，命阿克敦齎賜之。遷詹事。五十七年，擢內閣學士。六十一年，朝鮮國王李昀請立其弟昑為世弟，命阿克敦偕侍衛佛倫充使冊封。擢兵部侍郎。世宗即位，兼翰林院掌院學士，充聖祖實錄副總裁。雍正元年，命專管翰林院掌院學士，充國史、會典副總裁。復偕散秩大臣舒魯冊封朝鮮國王李昑。三年，授禮部侍郎，兼兵部。四年，調兵部，兼國子監祭酒。兩廣總督孔毓珣入覲，命阿克敦署總督，兼廣州將軍。奏劾碣石總兵陳良弼索漁船陋規、左翼總兵藍奉以二子冒補把總，倚勢累兵。上嘉阿克敦實奏，命擇勝任之人，具本題參。高要、高明、四會、三水、南海等五縣民瀕江築圩，開竇建牐，引水溉田，謂之「圍基」。江漲多潰決，巡撫楊文乾奏請以最衝改石工，次衝改樁埽，計費數十萬，借帑修築，且議以開捐補款，阿克敦意與相左。五年，疏言：「高要等縣沿江圍基，俱係土工，歲十一月後，有司督率鄉民按畝分工，加卑培薄，民不為苦，官無所費。江漲不免衝決。但水性不猛，非必石工、樁埽方能抵禦。請仍循舊法，令有司於農隙督民修補。倘江水盛漲，遣吏巡行防衝決，無煩改築費帑。」上為寢文乾議。尋與毓珣合疏請遣廣南韶道、肇高廉羅道督修諸縣圍基，報聞。蒼梧芋莢山礦民群聚竊發，阿克敦令捕得其渠，上諭嘉之。調吏部，署廣東巡撫。劾肇高廉羅道王士俊侵稅羨，上以士俊尚可用，命訓飭遷改。改署廣西巡撫。文乾劾阿克敦聞盜不嚴緝，新會縣得盜，授意改讞，以竊賊詳結；侵粵海關耗銀，令家人索暹羅米船規禮。毓珣亦劾侵太平關耗銀。六年，命奪阿克敦官，下毓珣、文乾會鞫，文乾卒，上遣通政使留保、郎中喀爾吉善會毓珣及署廣東巡撫傅泰嚴鞫，以諱盜、侵耗輕罪，不議坐；令家人索暹羅米船，擬絞。士俊復揭告阿克敦庇布政使官達婪贓，加擬斬監候。七年，山東巡撫費金吾以疏濬江南徐州、沛縣及濟寧、嘉祥諸縣水道，請派員督修。上命釋阿克敦往江南河工效力自贖。九年，上命撫遠大將軍馬爾賽率師討準噶爾，授阿克敦內閣額外學士，協辦軍務。十一年，命駐扎克拜達里克督餉。十二年，召還。命偕侍郎傅鼐、副都統羅密使準噶爾，宣諭噶爾丹策零，議罷兵息民。喀爾喀與準噶爾以阿爾泰山梁分界，噶爾丹策零欲以杭愛為界，收阿爾泰山為游牧地。阿克敦與議三日不決，噶爾丹策零遣使吹那木喀從阿克敦等詣京師，請以哲爾格西喇呼魯烏蘇為喀爾喀游牧地界。十三年，阿克敦等至京師。上以阿克敦等奏及地圖密寄北路副將軍策棱，令熟籌定議。策棱言準噶爾游牧不得令過阿爾泰山。議中輟。命阿克敦署鑲藍旗滿洲副都統、工部侍郎。高宗即位，命守護泰陵。乾隆三年，復命阿克敦使準噶爾，以侍衛旺扎爾、台吉額默根為副，齎敕諭噶爾丹策零議界。噶爾丹策零使哈柳從阿克敦等詣京師，請準噶爾游牧不越阿爾泰山，而乞移布延圖、托爾和二卡倫入內地。上謂游牧不越阿爾泰山，已可定議，而移二卡倫不可許。命哈柳齎敕還。授阿克敦工部侍郎。五年，調刑部，復調吏部。八年，授鑲藍旗滿洲都統。十年，兼翰林院掌院學士。十一年，授刑部尚書。十三年，命協辦大學士。尋解以授傅恆。四月，翰林院進孝賢皇后冊文，清文譯「皇妣」為「先太后」，上以為大誤，召阿克敦詢之。阿克敦未候旨已退，上怒，謂阿克敦以解協辦大學士故怨望，奪官，下刑部，當大不敬律，擬斬監候。六月，命在內閣學士上行走，署工部侍郎。七月，擢署刑部尚書，授鑲白旗漢軍都統。十月，兼翰林院掌院學士。十二月，復命協辦大學士。十四年，金川平，加太子少保。連歲上幸木蘭、幸河南、幸盛京，皆命留京辦事，迭署左都御史、步軍統領。二十年，以目疾乞假，上遣醫視疾。屢乞休，命致仕。二十一年，卒，賜祭葬，諡文勤。子阿桂，自有傳。阿克敦居刑部十餘年，平恕易簡，未嘗有所瞻顧。一日，阿桂侍，阿克敦曰：「朝廷用汝為刑官，治獄宜如何？」阿桂曰：「行法必當其罪，罪一分與一分法，罪十分與十分法。」阿克敦怒，索杖，阿桂惶恐求教。阿克敦曰：「如汝言，天下無完人矣！罪十分，治之五六，已不能堪，而可盡耶？且一分罪尚足問耶？」阿桂長刑部，屢舉以告僚屬云。