从漕运与北京的关系看淮安城的历史地位

On the Place of Huai'an in History in View of the Relation between Beijing and Water Transport

北京作为封建王朝的都城,其不足的一面就是经济实力的脆弱。北方地区所产的粮食和财富,根本不能满足宫廷皇族、官僚集团、大批驻军及京城居民的消费需求,唯一的解决办法就是漕运,大运河及其漕运是北京城的生命线。淮安地处苏北偏南,约当大运河中点,在元、明、清大运河漕运中处于枢纽的地位,支运是从淮安仓始,兑运也主要在淮安交兑。明清两代,漕运总督皆驻淮安。可以说,淮安一带的黄河安,则大运河安;淮安一带的运河通,则漕道通;淮安的支运、兑运顺,则漕运顺;淮安仓的漕粮足,则京城粮足;驻淮安的漕运总督尽职尽责,则国用无虞。

As a feudalist capital, Beijing was weak in economy. Food supplies and wealth in the northern part couldnt satisfy what was needed by royal family, bureaucratic group, large numbers of army men and residents in the capital city. At that time, water transport was the only way to solve the problem. Therefore, the Great Canal become the lifeline of Beijing City. Located in the north of Jiangsu, Huai＇an was approximately in the middle part of the canal and enjoyed the key position in water transport in dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing, when almost all the transporting work was done in this place. In the dynasties of Ming and Qing, water transport governors stayed in Huai＇an. It may well be said that peace of the Huanghe river led to peace of the canal, that accessibility of the canal led to the opening of water transport, and that sufficient food supply in Huai＇an storehouses brought enough supplies to the capital city. If the water transport governors in Huai＇an did their utmost, the country would have no worries.