农业复苏及诚信塑造:清前期官方借贷制度研究

Agricultural Recovery and Trust: Studies of the Disaster Relief Loan System in the Early Qing Dynasty

清前期确立了由官方给灾民借贷钱粮、籽种、耕牛、农具等农本的借贷制度。该制度起源于康熙朝,经雍正初建,乾隆朝完善并确立。规定仓谷借贷据灾情决定是否收息或免息,确立了"春借秋还、秋借春归"借贷期限,重灾时全部或半数免还借贷籽种;兵丁从司库内借支的饷银两年内扣饷还款;向灾民借贷耕牛及草料,禁卖禁宰耕牛,严惩偷盗耕牛者,惩处执行禁令不当的官员及借贷失信者。灾荒借贷保障了灾民的再生产能力,促进灾区农业经济的恢复及发展;借贷免息及豁免制度,凸显了专制统治的温情面纱,有利于统治者获取民心;借贷偿还实践塑造了民众灾害自救、自助的文化心态及诚信行为。

The Qing system of disaster relief loans established in the early Qing Dynasty comprised government loans for disaster victims for taxes,seeds,plow oxen,and farm tools.The system was originated in the Kangxi reign,and then extended in the Yongzheng reign,and finally completed and consolidated in the Qianlong reign.Based on the severity of the disaster,loans were provided with or free of interest,with payments in spring to be repaid in autumn and those paid out in autumn to be repaid in spring,and repayments exempted in the case of particularly severe disasters.Troops received pay in grain and cash was repaid by deduction from their regular pay over the following two years.In addition,local governments lent out plowing oxen and fodder to disaster victims,banned the butchering and selling of oxen,and prosecuted theft,punishing those officials who failed to strictly enforce the measures and recipients who failed repayments.Disaster loans ensured the recovery of agricultural production in disaster areas and stabilized local control.Together with tax exemptions,the interest-free loans were representations of the caring ruler.They contributed to a positive image among the people while also providing practical means of self-help in the aftermath of natural disasters,creating a cultural mentality of trust between the government and the commoners.