清代晋商在禹州的经营活动——兼论禹州药市的发展脉络

The Business Activities of Shanxi Merchants in Yuzhou(禹州) in Qing Dynasty:Including the Course of Development of Yuzhou’s Medicine Market

清代的禹州商业有一个以杂货转运为主到药材集散为主的变化过程。晋商是最早活跃于此的重要商帮,其经营以棉布、茶叶等“杂货”转运山西,以及禹州本地所产瓷器、“禹布”输出为主,药材只是其中的一部分。直到咸同之际杂货贸易仍是禹州市场的主角,故同治元年最早开征的厘金为“百货厘”。禹州作为药材市场的兴起始于乾隆年间,并在与洪山庙药市的竞争中取胜。除地方政府的支持外,晋商早期经营活动奠定的市场基础是禹州药市得以顺利发展的重要原因。清代后期怀帮以及各地药商大量涌入,晋商中经营药材业者也有大幅增长;同光年间药材贸易逐渐超过杂货成为禹州市场上最重要的商品,禹州也成为华北的三大药市之一。

There is a process of change of businesses in Yuzhou(禹州)from groceries transshipment to medicinal materials distribution in Qing Dynasty.Shanxi merchants were the important and earliest active merchant group in this area,whose businesses mainly included transporting cotton fabrics,tea and other groceries to Shanxi Province,and exporting Yuzhou’s local porcelains and Yu fabric,while medicinal materials were just a small portion.Until the reign of Emperor Xianfeng and Daoguang,grocery trade remained the majority of Yuzhou’s market,and that’s why the earliest likin(taxation)collected in the first year of Emperor Tongzhi was called“grocery tax”.The rise of Yuzhou as a medicine market began during the reign of emperor Qianlong,when it won the competition with Hongshan(洪山)medicine market.In addition to the support of the local government,the market foundation laid by the early business activities of Shanxi merchants is the important reason for the smooth development of Yuzhou pharmaceutical market.In the late period of Qing Dynasty,medicine merchants from Huaiqingfu(怀庆)and other areas came to Yuzhou in a large scale,and Shanxi merchants who engaged in medicine businesses increased greatly too.During the reign of Emperor Tongzhi and Guangxu,medicine trade gradually surpassed grocery and became the most important merchandise in Yuzhou’s market,and Yuzhou became one of the three biggest medicine markets of North China..