清代晋商茶叶贸易定量分析--以嘉庆朝为例

Quantitative Analysis of Tea Trade of Shanxi Merchants in Qing Dynasty:Taking the Jiaqing Reign as an Example

到底是何等规模的利润,驱使着清代前期的山西商人在与家乡相隔万里的福建、恰克图之间跋山涉水从事长途贩运?有关清代晋商茶叶贸易的利润和经营绩效问题,引起了国内国际经济史学界的广泛关注,其中尤以刘建生、吴丽敏的《晋商茶叶贸易绩效分析》为代表,对这一问题进行了剖析,但遗憾的是,由于史料阙如,这些论述多以定性分析为主,究竟清代晋商茶帮的利润率是多少,目前尚没有定量研究成果问世。本文力图在一个相对纯的环境内,选择嘉庆年作为时代背景,通过对茶路长度的考证、山西茶商每天运程的平均里数、当时人均每日的消耗、船、马、驼的平均运力及消耗,得出运输成本。以武夷山各类茶叶的均价和恰克图茶叶的平均售价进行比较,得出茶商的平均收益,进而推算出清代晋商茶叶贸易的利润率。

After all, what were the dimensions of the profits spurring the arduous Shanxi merchants to engage in the long distance tea trade between Kiakhta and Fujian. The question of the profits and managerial achievements of the Shanxi merchants has drawn the widespread interest of economic historians including Liu Jiansheng and Wu Limin＇s Analysis of the Accomplishments of the Shanxi Merchant Tea Trade for example analyzed this problem. But, regrettably, due to the lack of historical resources these discussions place greater emphasis on analysis and pay less attention the profits the Ming and Qing Shanxi tea merchants earned. At present on one has yet published a quantitative analysis. Taking the Jiaqing reign as its focus, this article undertakes an analysis of literary sources on long - distance tea trade routes, the daily average amount of tea transported, average daily per capita expenditures, average transportation costs to obtain the transportation cost. Comparing the average price of various types of Wuyishan teas and the selling prices of tea in Kiakhta the author calculates the profitability of the Ming - Qing tea trade.