<紹介>清代湖広の水稲作と棉業

Abstract

「湖広熟すれば天下足る」の諺が示すように、清代の湖面地方は、長江下流へ湖広米を供給する天下の穀倉として知られていた。しかし湖広の米穀生産力は、長江下流と比較すればかなりの低水準にあった。湖南の大部分の地域は、有機質に乏しい強酸性土壌に覆われ、農作物の栽培に適さなかった。一方、洞庭湖周辺から湖北に亘る低平地には、肥沃ではあるが排水困難な湿田が広がっており、田植えや除草を必要としない、高地より更に不安定で粗放な水稲作が展開していた。農業経営の安定化は、湖南では河谷平地の酸土改良に、湖北では高地の田での棉作・棉紡織業に求められた。湖北の棉業は、農村家内副業であったが、余剰棉布を湖南・四川など棉業が盛んでない内陸諸省へ移出していた。清代の湖広は、総体的には米穀供給地として位置付けられるが、内部ではローカルな地域間分業が開始されていたと言える。

The saying "If the crop is abundant in the Huguang provinces, the provisions will suffice for all of China" suggests that, in the Qing Dynasty, the Huguang ptovinces were known as the national granary supplying rice to the lower reaches of the Yantze River. But the production level of rice in the Huguang provinces was much lower than that of the lower reaches of the Yantze River. The greater part of Hunan 湖南 province was covered by high acid soil, that is soil poor in organic matter, and it was inappropriate for cultivation. On the other hand, in the low lands, from the area of Dongting 洞庭 Lake to Hubei 湖北 province, rice paddies that were fertile but difficult to drain were widespread. Extensive rice cropping was carried out with no need for rice-transplantating or weeding, but the crop was much more unstable than in the high lands. To stabilize the management of agriculture, in Hunan, improvement of the acid soil of the vallays was carried out, and in Hubei cotton cropping and cotton spinning were carried out. The cotton industry of Hubei was rural domestic industry, but the surplus cloth was exported to the inner provinces such as Human or Sichuan 四川 where the cotton industry did not flourish. In the Qing Dynasty, generally speaking, the Huguang provinces held a position as a rice surplus producing area, but within the area, local specialization had started.