北宋時代の官賣法下末鹽鈔の現錢發行法について

Abstract

In order to be prepared against the Khitan 契丹 who had been a threat since the Five Dynasties, throughout the Sung several tens of thousands of troops were sent to the northern border region. Supply requirements for these troops exceeded 10, 000, 000 kuan 貫 each year. The central government's economic responsibility was for 3, 000, 000 kuan of it, but this money was not sent to the North ；it was paid in the capital of K'aifeng 開封 for promissory notes which were issued to merchants who in turn supplied the necessary provisions for the troops in the North. From the beginning of the Sung, the greater part of this payment process was done with notes for such commodoties as spices and drugs, as well as tea and salt. However, because of the system whereby mo-yen-chao under kuan-mai-fa which were salt notes used in the salt monopoly ia the South of China, were issued in the capital in exchange for cash, when salt revenues in K'aifeng increased, payment came to be carried out in the financially more advantageous medium of cash.