<論説>明代茶馬貿易の研究 (上) : 茶法を中心として

Abstract

明代においては初め、四川・陝西に榷茶法が実施され、西番との間に茶馬貿易が行われた。そして洪武二十年前後までは四川・貴州・雲南方面にその重心が在ったが、それ以後は陝西方面に重心が移り、洪武二十六年には「金牌信符」の制が定められた。それは三年に一度づつ四川の巴茶約一百万斤を軍夫によって河州・洮州・西寧の三茶馬司に運び馬約一万四千匹に換えたもので、正統十四年に停止されるまで続けられた。これが即ち官運と云われるもので、明初の茶馬貿易が政府の強い統制下に置かれていたことを物語るものである。然るに成化以来は陝西の漢茶が飛躍的に増産され、弘治三年以後はそれが商人によって茶馬司に運ばれるようになり所謂商運が開始され、越えて正徳元年には「官商対分」の方式が決定された。それは茶馬司に到着せる茶の半額を商人に与えてその自売を許すものであるが、正規の茶馬貿易は之によって側面から圧迫を受け、良茶従ってまた良馬は商人の手に帰することとなった。而してそれはまた内地の民間孳牧制度下において、正徳二年以来公認されるに至った備用馬の買解に当って、その重要な買解の対象ともなったものである。

In the Ming 明 dynasty Ch'üeh-ch'a-fa 榷茶法 was at first enforced in Szŭ-ch'uan 四川 and Shan-si 陝西, and tea and horse trade was carried on with Si-fan 西番; before the 20th of Hung-wu 洪武 around in Szŭ-ch'uan 四川, Kuei-chou 貴州 and Yün-nan 雲南 was its center, and after the time it was shifted to Shan-si 陝西. In the 26th of Hung-wu the system of 'Chin-p'ai-sin-fu' ｢金牌信符｣ was established, by which about one milion Chin 斤 of Pa-ch'a 巴茶 in Szŭ-ch'uan should be brought to three Ch'a-ma-szŭ 茶馬司 in Ho-chou 河州, T'ao-chou 洮州 and Sining 西寧 by Chün-fu 軍夫 every three years, and was exchanged for about 14, 000 horses; which had been continued till it was stopped in the 14th of Chêng-t'ung 正統. This is so-called Kuan-yün 官運, which explains that tea and horse trade in the early Ming was under the strong controll of government. Since Ch'êng-hua 成化, however, the production of Han-ch'a 漢茶 in Shan-si 陝西 developed tremendously, which was brought to the Ch'ama-szŭ by merchants after the 3rd of Hung-ch'ih 弘治, that is, there began the so-called Shang-yün 商運. after that year, the 1st of Chêng-tê 正徳, the way of 'Kuanshang-tuifên' 官商対分 was established, which means that a half of tea which arrived at the Ch'a-ma-szu 茶馬司 was given to merchants who were admitted to sell by themselves. This way pressed indirectly the regular tea and horse trade, and better tea or horses were occupied by the hands of merchants; which became the important object for Mai-chieh 買解 of Pei-yung 備用 horses recognized officially since the 2nd of Chêng-tê under the system of Min-chien-tzu-mu 民間孳牧 in inland.