清代垦殖政策的两难选择——以珠江三角洲沙田的放垦与禁垦为例

On the Dilemma of Cultivation Policy in the Qing Dynasty——Cultivation Forbidden and Lift in Zhujiang River Delta as a Case

清代珠江三角洲农业大发展的同时,面临环境更为恶化的局面。围垦增加了土地资源,同时增加了环境重建的成本,并且造成灾害,加剧了水利社区之间的矛盾。广东地方政府试图通过发布禁令,阻止有碍水道的围垦活动。但在实际执行中存在各种利益集团与政府的博弈与互动。在两难选择之间,为了保护水环境和防止灾害的发生,清代仍在有限的时间和范围内实行了禁垦令。

Zhujiang River Delta witnessed great agricultural development in the Qing dynasty and faced the deteriorated environment at the same time. The land area had been increased through cultivation, but the policy also caused a large amount cost of reconstruction, natural disasters and conflicts among different communities by the river. The local Guangdong government tried to issue bans to forbid cultivation activities that damaged river channels, but struggles between government and different interest groups made those bans difficult to carry out. Facing this dilemma, in order to protect environment and to prevent natural disasters, government in the Qing dynasty still issued some bans to forbid cultivation occasionally.