Water transport is the product of the combination of centralized politics and small-scale peasant economy. middle
In ancient China, the establishment of the unified dynasty led to a major change in the ruling pattern, that is, the establishment of the national ruling center, the formation of a bureaucratic system from the central to the local, a huge military system and the establishment of the national social order. This change prompted the dynasty to establish an orderly and safe material supply system with grain as the main body. However, the economic characteristics of building the country by agriculture made the unified centralized dynasty have to face the extensive and scattered small-scale peasant economy when establishing the material supply system. Centralized politics effectively makes small farmers become the double burden of taxation and shaking labor, and becomes the survival foundation of the country. This is the historical motivation of the formation and development of grain transportation.
As a large-scale grain collection and transportation activity, with the continuous improvement of the grain transportation system, the scale is expanding and the use is more and more extensive, and the social significance and social role of grain transportation are becoming more and more prominent. Mainly in two aspects: first, the evolution of the center of gravity of grain transportation reflects the changing pattern of the economic center of gravity in ancient China; Secondly, the relationship between water transport and China society is increasingly close and extensive, which has penetrated into many fields of society.
During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chang 'an in the northwest was located in Dingding, and the economic center of the country was also in the north. Guanzhong and eastern Shandong were the most developed areas, and most of the grain was taken from these two areas, while the grain transportation crossed the Central Plains through the Yellow River and Weishui, and the direction was from east to west. Because the political and economic system is still in the primary stage, grain transportation shows the characteristics of impermanence, impermanence and impermanence, and grain transportation is mostly military. The Tang and Song Dynasties were a period of great development of water transport. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was still the capital of the north. However, due to the economic rise in the south and the long-term turbulent social environment in the north, the grain transportation center gradually moved south. Especially in the Tang Dynasty, the grain transportation group relied more and more on the south, and the grain transportation direction changed from east to west to southeast and northwest. At this time, the dredging project of the Grand Canal also makes its important role in water transport and north-south traffic gradually appear. Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, transports grain from Bianhe River, Yellow River, Huimin River and Guangji River, among which Bianhe River transports the most grain, and the grain transportation direction is roughly southeast and northwest. Due to the opening of the canal and the shift of the economic center of gravity to the south, the south has become the center of gravity of grain transportation. This period is an important period for the development of grain transportation system, which gradually formed corresponding laws, fixed official system and fixed annual grain transportation, and grain transportation became a relatively complete economic system. In the Yuan Dynasty, for various reasons, most capitals were transported by sea, but the Grand Canal was still the only waterway for transporting grain by river in the south. Beijing was built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and most of the grain was collected in the south, and the canal became the only channel for transporting grain from the south to the north. During this period, due to the accumulation of past dynasties and the attention of rulers, the system of grain transportation was constantly improved, and the organization, institutions and policies of grain transportation were very strict and sound.
In the process of changing the direction of grain transportation from east to west to north and south, great changes have taken place in the political and economic structure of China, especially in the process of shifting the economic center of gravity from north to south. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the northern agricultural economy was far ahead in the country, while during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the southern economy developed rapidly. The proverb "Su Hu is ripe, the world is sufficient" was popular in Song Dynasty, and the new proverb "Hu Guang is ripe, the world is sufficient" spread in Ming and Qing Dynasties. This development track and characteristics of ancient agricultural economy in China have been fully reflected in grain transportation.
The social function of water transport is mainly embodied in the Grand Canal era. After the Grand Canal became the main waterway for transporting grain, it used the convenience of connecting the north and the south to transport grain to most parts of the country, which became a powerful means for the dynasty to adjust materials and balance society. Especially in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the social and historical role of water transport was fully exerted.
In the political field, water transport has always been the most important material basis for maintaining the central government in past dynasties. Especially after the ancient economic center of gravity moved south, the political and military center of gravity was separated from the economic center of gravity, and the political and military significance of grain transportation for various dynasties became more prominent. Year after year, the imperial court carried out the transportation of grain from the south to the north, which supplied almost all residents in Beijing with daily food and greatly supported the normal operation of the whole central government organs. At the same time, grain transportation became an important material force to support the military system of the dynasty. Many of the huge local garrisons conquered by the four sides in the past dynasties, the defense and attack on the long border and various wars were backed by grain transportation. Zhang, a Song Dynasty man, once said: "In today's situation, the country is based on soldiers, soldiers take grain as their life, and grain is based on water transportation." (Zhang: "Complete Music" Volume 23 "On Military Affairs of Imperial Capital", the first series of rare books of Sikuquanshu, Commercial Press) Other dynasties are not the same!
In the economic field, the key areas of grain purchase and distribution are mostly developed agricultural production areas; However, the development of water conservancy to meet the needs of water transport has promoted the development of agricultural water conservancy in some areas to some extent. The role of water transport in promoting commodity economy is particularly prominent. Grain transportation has greatly promoted the circulation of commodities. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, there has been a phenomenon of smuggling in grain transportation. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the imperial court began to realize this phenomenon and formulated relevant policies to regulate it. Especially in the Qing Dynasty, the restrictions on the number of "Yi Tu" carried by waterwheels were relaxed. For example, in the Kangxi period, each waterwheel was allowed to hang 60 stones of "Yi Tu", and in the Yongzheng period, 40 stones were added on this basis. A year later, this figure further increased to 65,438+026 stone "Yi Tu". It is also common for returning ships to carry goods from the north. The large-scale water transport activities of the Grand Canal year after year have effectively promoted the circulation of goods between North and South.
In the economic field, water transport has the most obvious influence on the rise and fall of towns, especially those along the canal. On the one hand, with the opening of the canal and the continuous improvement of traffic conditions, a large number of towns have sprung up; On the other hand, the increasing frequency of canal water transport and the large number of commodities and trade opportunities brought by it have greatly attracted the gathering of "predatory" people such as businessmen and vendors from all over the world, and the prosperity of towns along the canal is logical.