从俺答汗求茶看茶在明朝的政治地位

PoliticalStatus of Tea in the Ming Dynasy Based on Altan Khan's Appealing for Tea

开展对俺答汗求茶的研究,有助于我们了解茶在明代的地位,进一步认识茶对明代社会结构、制度和经济的所造成的影响。明代的汉蒙关系,涉及官方的禁商与民间的通商,为了通商,蒙古人对明朝边境不停骚扰,乃至不惜发动战争,以此达到重开谈判的目的。在明代的决策者看来,茶是文化融合的推动力,是民族矛盾的调节剂,茶叶意味着文化的边界与疆域。

The research on Altan Khan＇s appealing for tea has great significance.Through the exploration of effects which tea had on social structure,political system and economy we can find out the role that tea had played in the Ming dynasty.It involves Sino-Mongolian relationship,the prohibition of tea trade and the smuggling of tea among common people.The Mongols tried to establish a tea market at all costs including conflicts along the border region or even wars.But in the eyes of Ming governors,tea was the driving force to push forward cultural integration and the regulator of ethnical contradiction.More importantly,tea meant the cultural boundary of the great Ming empire.