清代北京煤炭开采与矿工受虐事件

Coal Mining in Beijing and the Abuse of Miners during the Qing Dynasty

本文从三个层面考察清代北京的煤矿开采及其劳资关系。首先,是煤矿的消长。16、17世纪之交,北京近郊西山的煤矿有360余座。明清之际战乱,1649年降至170余座,后来逐渐增加,1762年有270余座。然而,由于积水问题无法解决,1801年降至185座,1886年更减至115座。这样一来,导致煤炭供应吃紧。清高宗与清仁宗体察到这一问题的严重性,曾下令官员借款给商人挖掘泄水沟,试图恢复某些矿坑的运作,但成效相当有限。其次,是矿场的经营管理。依照规定,开矿必须向官方申请煤矿执照。投资者通常不直接参与经营,而是由申请者或其委任的管理者掌理,雇用矿长与矿工等,包括专职淘矿坑积水的"打水工"。矿工的工作极为辛苦,而为避免瓦斯中毒,矿坑中设有排气装置。其三。

This article examines coal mining and labor-management relations in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty from three different perspectives. First, the article considers the growth and decline of coal mines. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, there were more than 360 coal mines in Xishan, a suburb of Beijing. During the warfare of the Ming-Qing interregnum, the number of coal mines fell to about 170 in 1649, but gradually increased to nearly 270 by 1762. However, due to drainage problems, the number of coal mines fell to 185 in 1801 and 115 in 1886 and the supply of coal tightened. Realizing the gravity of this problem, emperors Qianlong and Jiaqing both ordered officials to lend money to merchants to dig drainage ditches to resume the operation of some mines, but the effectiveness of this measure was very limited. The second perspective is the management of coal mines. According to regulations, a mining license application had to be filed with the authorities before a mine could be opened. Rather than directly manage the mines most investors asked the applicants to oversee the mines or entrusted managers to employ foremen, miners and full-time workers to drain the mining pits. Miners＇ work was extremely hard, and exhaust devices were also installed tO avoid gas poisoning. Third, there were contractors similar to labor resource companies, who built the so-called guohuo, a combination of dormitory and canteen, to provide accommodation for miners and hydraulic workers. Because many of the miners were unreasonably held in captivity in the guohuo, the Qing court launched several crackdowns on unlawful practices and promulgated regulations on the management of guohuo and miners in 1822. Even so, similar situations still existed at the end of the nineteenth century.