淸代中期の浙西における食糧問題

Abstract

From the 16th century 3 prefectures of Western Zhejiang 浙江 province--Hangzhou 杭州, Jiaxing 嘉興 and Huzhou 湖州, namely Zhexi 浙西--depended for their own demand upon the rice which was produced in the areas around the upper and middle stream of Changjiang 長江 and then was transported to them via Jiangsu 江蘇 and Suzhou 蘇州. This supply-demand relationship brought this region short-term rises in the price of rice under the influence of some elements on the part of the circulation system. To keep the rising control, the local government of Zheiiang had to take great measures, among which of great importance were food circulation management policies executed under its own direction. Finally, in the 24th year of the Qianlong 乾隆, it introduced a new rice-supply system through which Zhexi would receive stored rice of Fujian 福建, the latter's loss being made up for with rice from Taiwan 臺灣. This new system was to fix itself in Zhexi and grow into a second constant rice-supply route employed by the local government, with the result that the importance of the Changjiang route turned out to be relatively played down.