淸代後期陜西省の差徭について

Abstract

Through the area around the confluence of the Yellow River and the Wei River runs the main road connecting Beijing with the provinces to the northwest and southwest and the relay stations there were incessantly made use of. In order to cover the insufficiencies of the funds allotted to the relay stations, Corvee (chai-yao 差徭) was imposed on the populace. Chai-yao changed from being actual labour service in the beginning of the Qing to being a money payment based on size of land holdings from the end of the Qianlong 乾隆 era, and the area of application was enlarged from chai-yao performed for the military 兵差to chai-yao performed for officials generally 流差 and local official duties. Chai-yao was, in the context of their relatively unflexible financial situation, one of the imposts over which commanderies and counties had a high degree of discretionary powers, where the central and provincial authorities interferred little and the yamen and village clerks were able to "squeeze" the funds considerably. Through the office of head of the chai-yao bureau the participation of the gentry was made possible. The provincial authorities put on the brakes to the limitless expansion of the chai-yao demanded. The enactment of chai-yao regulations on provincial scale and the enforcement of reductions in the amount of chai-yao tax demanded meant that chai-yao was placed under the supervision of the provincial authorities. When the Qing court in 1900 assigned contributions to pay the reparations after the Boxer Incident, the provincial authorities responded by demanding the payment of chai-yao tax in silver, thus in effect raising the tax.