<論説>唐代の塩商

Abstract

唐の中期、国家財政の膨脹に対処するためにはじめられた塩の専売は、あらまし全国庫収入の20％ほどの専売税収を期待出来た。ここに登場する塩商は、大地主或は富商であり、科差の負担を免除されて居り、更には、自己の院場の課利収入をあげようとする官吏との結合から生じた「虚估」によつて多大の利益をあげ得た。一方、郷村では見銭で塩を購入し得るものは少く、塩価と米価の不均衡という不利な条件の下での博易・賖貸によることが多く、塩価に対する借財から、坦保としての田産・人身が塩商の下に集中し、新しい型の大土地所有 (宋代以後に見られる型の) はこの面からもおしすすめられて行つた。 この過程を追求しようとしたのが本稿の目指すところであり、茶商・借商などの論考は後日を期したい。

Salt was monopolized in the middle of the T'ang 唐 era. At the very biginning the salt monopoly was considered as a temporary measure to meet the disorder after the An-Shih 安史 Rebellion, but it remained through the whole era without abolition because of its gradually growing proportion in the state finance, and then it was succeeded and completely equipped by the dynasties after Sung 宋. This article is to trace the character of salt merchants in the period of forming salt monopoly who acted between Yen-ch'ang 塩場 and Min-hu 民戸; the character of salt merchants was that their birth was from great landlords or wealthy merchants who could pay Yenli 塩利 to Yen-ch'ang 塩場 at a time and at once they had that of patent merchants, by the character of which their land absorption downward was considered to be executed. Besides, while they were patent merchants in the court, it is remarkable they turned to have a close contact with local Tsieh-tu-shih 節度使, culminating in their gradual anti-T'ang 唐 character.