古代治水、开河与通漕的历史逻辑

Historical Logic of Water Control, Opening up Waterways and Grain Transport by Water in Ancient China

政治是理解中国古代社会治水、开河与通漕历史逻辑的一把关键钥匙。从历史发展来看,先有中央集权的大一统体制,后有因治水而孕育的水利社会,而不是相反。随着历代政治中心和基本经济区不断分离,以及王朝集权政治的不断发展,运河得以开凿,各地漕粮源源不断地运往京师,漕运及漕运制度应运而生。但从历史逻辑来看,通漕与开河之间只存在着间接的因果关系,运河既非漕运制度化的充分条件,也非其必要条件。漕运的制度化归于运河的政治化,这不仅表现为运河与漕运职官设置日趋完善,还反映在中央政府不惜动用一切政治资源全力奉漕,甚至于牺牲局部利益,形成一股政治利益集团。

Politics is an important key to understanding the historical logic of water control, opening up waterways, and grain transport by water in ancient China. From the point of view of historical development, there was a centralized system of unification in the first place, and then the water conservancy society developing from water control and not the opposite. With the political center and the basic economic zone gradually separated, and the continuous development of centralized political dynasty, canals were dug and grain was constantly transported to the capital, and grain transport by water and the corresponding system thus came into being. From the historical logic, however, there is only indirect causality between grain transport by water and opening up waterways. Canals are neither a sufficient condition nor a necessary condition for the institutionalization of grain transport by water. Institutionalization of grain transport by water can be attributed to politicalization of canals, which is reflected not only by the improvement of canals and establishment of official positions in grain transport by water system, but also the fact that the central government used all political resources, and even sacrificed local interest to give full support to grain transport by water, and in this process emerged a political interest group.