太平天国时期的“红单船”

THE RED-BILL SHIPS DURING THE TAIPING REVOLUTION PERIOD

“红单船”是广东民间用于对外贸易的大货船。太平天国时期,清政府利用红单船武装镇压农民起义,给农民起义军造成了重大的损失。由于其月饷不能及时供给,于是私设关卡,抢劫商旅,杀害民众。祸行终被揭发,被陆续裁撤。红单船问题是太平天国史上很值得研究的课题之一。

The red-bill ships were large cargo vessels used by people in Guangdong for overseas trades. During the period of the Taiping Revolution, the Qing government made use of the red-bill ships to put down the peasant uprisings, bringing about great losses to the insurgent army. Due to undue supply of monthly pay, the insurgents illegally set customs pass, robbed the praveling merchants, and killed common people. Their brutality was later exposed and put down. The problem of the red-bill ships has been one the topics worth studying in the history of the Taiping Revolution.