<論説>元禄・享保期における前期的資本の動向 : 近江日野の豪商、正野玄三家の場合

Abstract

近世における流通過程の研究は、最近漸く盛んになりつつあるが、本論は一近江商人－日野正野玄三家の経営分析を通じて、前期的資本の動向を解明しようとするものである。正野家は、日野売薬業の創始者であり当地有数の豪商であるが、その家業の基礎は初代玄三により築かれた。彼は貞享年間より享保年間に到る約半世紀間、つまりいわゆる「元禄期」の全国的市場形成を見る中で、活動をした新興近江商人の一典型であつた。それは信越・関東への大衆的商品の持下りから後期には京・大坂へ進出し、貸付資本として成長し、商業活動また薬種と輸入高級織物に限定する。すなわち前期、近江湖東地方を基盤とし、各地の農民的商品経済の発展の上に成長し、これら小市場間或いは三都を結ぶ商品流通を担つたが、なお動揺を重ね、宝永以降、明らかに遠隔地流通機構の担い手となつたのである。本論ではこの過程を通じて元禄・享保期前期的資本の動向を明らかにしたいと考える。

We have many studies on the circulating process in the Edo era. This article will clear up the trend of the early capitalism through analysing the management of G. Shôno (正野玄三), an Ômi (近江) merchant. The Shônos (正野家), who were an originator of the Hino (日野) nostrum, and so on, were one of the most wealthy merchants here, their foundation being constructed by Genzô (玄三) the First. He was a typical Ômi (近江) merchant then in growth who was operating among the formation of national market about half a century from Jyôkyo (貞享) to Kyôho (享保) or so-called 'the Genroku (元禄) era'. His commercial operation, began with carrying popular articles down to Shin'etsu (信越) or Kantô (関東), later grew the putting-out capital into Kyôto (京都) or Ôsaka (大坂), confining his operation within rape-seeds and imported high-class textiles. That is, in the earlier period he grew up by the development of the commodity economy for peasantry on the basis of the eastern-lake district in Ômi (近江), and interested in the circulation of commodities among the three cities (Edo, Kyoto, and Ôsaka) or small markets, after his frequent restlessness he became a carrier of the far-off circulating organization since the Hôei (宝永) period, through the process of which we intend to examine the trend of the early capital in Genroku-Kyoho (元保・享保) period.