明清淮盐煎丁身份刍议--兼论生产奴隶的衡定依据

On the Identity of Huai Salt Makers in the Ming and Qing Dynasties--How to Define Slaves

19世纪以前,无论是世界发达国家(如美国),还是传统型国家(如中国),存在奴隶劳动的现象并不鲜见。判断奴隶身份的最重要标准是马克思、恩格斯阐述的劳动者拥有发展自由个性的条件以及作为人的自由发展程度。淮地煎丁受缚于国家法律,从事直接的强制劳动,承受官府、盐商的超经济剥削。他们没有改变身份、职业的自由,且世代相袭;同时,没有自己的主要生产资料,没有迁徙、生产和支配自己劳动产品的自由,甚至婚姻都要靠官府的恩赐,是事实上的国家生产奴隶。其生存状态和自由程度远不如两淮的小农,更无法与美洲种植园的黑人奴隶相比。

Before the 19th century,slavery was not uncommon.The most important criterion to judge the identity of slaves is the conditions for the laborers to have the free personality of development and the degree of free development as human beings.Huai salt makers were bound by the national law,engaged in direct forced labor,and had no freedom to change their identities and occupation,and were inherited from generation to generation.They had nothing and even their marriages depended on the favor of the government.In fact,they were the country slaves.Their living conditions and freedom were far less than those of the peasants in Huaihe Region,and even less than that of the black slaves in the American plantations.