水圳经济学——从《宜兰厅管内埤圳调查书》看清代宜兰的社会经济

Irrigation Canal Economics—An Exploration to Yilan's Socio-economic History during Qing Dynasty from"Yilan Canton Pi Chun Survey"

20世纪初,台湾所谓的"总督府"调查宜兰境内各水圳的沿革和相关古文书,汇编成《宜兰厅管内埤圳调查书》上下两册,于1905年出版,全书有319件古文书,涵括了宜兰的开拓、土地分配、商业经营、物价变化、社会习惯等面向,是翔实的庶民经济生活史料,提供研究清代宜兰社会经济史的宝贵资料。汉人入垦宜兰甚晚,但他们援引台湾西部的经验、人才和资金,大面积、大资本的敷设水圳,促使兰阳平原快速地水田化,成为台湾的米仓之一,宜兰人生产的稻米不但足以自给,多余的还可以外销到大陆,形成了"市场导向的农业"。土地开拓,加上水圳打通农产血脉形成重要产业,使得宜兰在有清一代,水圳的兴筑密集出现,水圳成为平原最重要的产业经济的纽带,进而衍化成为社会维系力量。19世纪初期,主导开圳事务者,多为外地人,到了19世纪下半期,本地的士绅也都储备了足够的资本,也有了足够的管理团队,纷纷投入资本购买水圳股权。资本家竞相兴筑水圳,使得宜兰成为台湾水圳分布最密集的区域。从《宜兰厅管内埤圳调查书》古文书的整理,呈现汉人在宜兰开拓的高度自治。为了争夺水资源,各聚落间发展出不同的合作或争斗关系。

In early 20th century, the Taiwan ＂Governor-General＇s Office＂ investigated development of irrigation canals in Yilan and published two volumes of ＂Yilan Canton Pi Chun Survey＂ in 1905. There were 319 ancient documents in the book, including the reclamation as well as allocation of land, business management, price fluctuation, and social custom, reeording Yilan residents＂ economic life in detail. Therefore, it is valuable for research of Yilan＇s socio-eeonomie history. Han group settled in Yilan quite late, but they had spent large amount of money building many irrigation canals with experienees, skills and eapital from western Taiwan, quickly turning Lanyang Plain into paddy fields that later became one of Taiwan＇s granaries. Rice production was so abundant that not only feed people sufficiently but could also be export- ed to the China's Mainland, forming ＂market-oriented agrieulture＂. Agriculture became important with the development of land and irrigation canals, whieh were built in a short period of time. The eanals maintained the economics in plain and even the social order. In the early 19th century, those responsible for eanal construction were mostly from places outside Yilan. Till the second half of the 19th century, the local gentry, who had saved sufficient capital and recruited enough management teams, purchased shares of water canals. They competed building canals and made Yilan the most intensive region of irrigation canals in Taiwan. ＂Yilan Canton Pi Chun Survey＂ showed Han＇s highly autonomous life in reclaiming Yilan and various relationships with different groups like cooperation or opposition when fighting for water resources.