保息斯民：雍正十年江南特大潮灾的政府应对

Nourish People: The Colossal Tsunami in 1732 and Qing Government's Performance

雍正十年,江南沿海遭遇特大潮灾,对地区经济与社会生活造成了巨大的负面影响,危及清政府财赋中心区域的社会安定。清政府动员各级官员积极赈灾,在主持救灾的过程中,清晰地认识和利用了省区间粮食供求变化规律,适时调控粮食供给,以维持灾区粮价稳定,具有较强的应对灾害破坏、落实赈济措施的能力。这次灾赈中的政府表现说明,在18世纪前期,国家是灾后救济的主要力量,也只有一个强势的中央政府和各级地方政府的有效组织,才能实现如此长期的大规模粮食调控目标。

In 1732, a colossal tsunami swept the coastal areas of the Yangzi Delta. The disaster generated huge negative impact on the economic and social life of the local people, and consequently threatened the social security and stability of the Qing government＇s revenue center. The government mobilized officials at all levels to fully engage in the disaster relief. While leading the relief campaign, the government exhibited impressive capability to cope with the destructive disaster and implement relief measures by properly utilizing the interregional law of food supply and demand to timely regulate grain supply so that food prices could be stabilized in the disaster-stricken areas. The government performance in the disaster relief indicates that governmental effort is the primary resource of the post-disaster relief during the first half of the 18th century, and that such long-term and large-scale grain supply regulation can only be achieved through effective organization of a powerful central government and local governments at various levels.