<論説>清代備蓄考 : 資産形態よりみた経済構造論

Abstract

一八世紀中国では空前の規模の穀物備蓄が清朝により形成される。制度的には穀物相場の調整を中心機能としながら、移入地域でも穀物の消費・補填を現地で完結させる指向をもつものであった。それは通時的にみられる社会政策的様相を伴いはするが、客観的には、在庫更新を通じで穀物と地域通貨たる銅銭との相互代替性を高め、その結果として両者を超地域資産形態たる銀に対して過高評価させる構造を造りあげるものだったのである。その安定が謳われた乾隆の治世とは、市場経済の展開を非開放的な地域資産形成へ誘導させる機能が作用していた時代であった。

During the 18th century, stock in the official granaries had increased to an amount which had not been seen before. Hitherto historians have simply taken the granaries to be a social welfare system, whose ultimate purpose was for famine prevention as in former dynasties. But they could not explain why the dynamic expansion of grain stock occured, especially in the Qianlong period. It is true that the main purpose of the system was for price stabilization, but we should pay attention to another feature. In those days the Qing government tended to restrict the importation of grain from outside districts to make up local shortages. That is, even grain deficit districts were compelled to form their own grain stocks. The renewal of grain stocks was done by paying and receiving copper cash, the local surplus of which was also expanding during this period. The granary system created a situation of easy exchange between grain and copper cash, so that a structure was created whereby both local assets, grain and copper cash, were overvalued against silver, the inter-regional currency. Thus we know that economic policy in the Qianlong period, known as an era of prosperity and stability, functioned so as to lead to the development of a market economy and to encourage local assets which had low lilquidity beyond the local area.