宋代地方行政體系中，府州這一級的行政區劃，經常可以見到墓誌銘或文集中記載了另外一種不同於官方等級標準的認定，也就是所謂「閑郡」與「劇郡」的差別。然而對於「閑郡」與「劇郡」的認定，在宋代官方史料的相關記載中，卻難發現其明確的解釋或定義。因此本文將探討是哪些客觀環境上的條件，構成了官員心中對於州郡「閑」或「劇」的主觀認定。這樣的主觀認定，是否有別於宋朝官方對於州的等級劃分。宋朝的州級政區大致有兩種劃分，第一種是分為節度州和防禦州、團練州、剌史州四個等級，表明州的重要程度以及決定州的官廳設置。第二種則按政治地位以及戶口數劃分為雄、望、緊、上、中、下州六個等級。但是，州郡政務的繁簡與閑劇是否與官方劃分的等級相符、相等，抑或另有分別？其次，就地域分佈而言，「閑郡」的分佈是否代表著當地的人口、開發均不及被認為「繁劇」的地區，因此才會有行政業務量上的不同以及駐地官員數目的不同，並形成了易治與難治之地的差別。而關於州縣等級依據繁簡劃分，在宋代雖然曾被提出，卻沒有具體落實在在地方制度中，一直履到清代才被具體的實施。所以本文希望藉由探討北宋究竟有哪些州府被當時的官員認定為「劇郡」或「閑郡」，而在這些主觀認定的背後，是否存在著如地理位置、開發程度、風俗民情及選任標準等的客觀條件，以致於形成了時人觀念中的閑劇差異。

In the song dynasty, the local administrative system in could concentrate on seeing the terms of the ‘Xian-jun’ and Ju-jun’ in the epitaph or officer’s documents. The difference between these two grades is completely different from official division. At the same time, the formal historical data or dossier had not seen clear definition and explanation. So environment and terms that it is objective which what this text should discuss is, the ones that formed the person at that time in the heart were asserted subjectively. The official side divided the grade of the state into two big classes in Song Dynasty; one was used for indicating that its important degree and officer’s drawing room were set up. Another kinds is divided into six grades according to political position and registered permanent residence. And whether the similar objective condition exists with the division of the ‘Ju-jun’ too in the “Xian-jun’ will become the target probed into of this text.