近代长三角邮政空间的演化——兼论长三角基层市场网络

Evolution of Modern Postal Space of Yangtze River Delta:A Discussion about Standard Market

近代邮政史料以往多为邮政史志编纂者所用而未得到经济史研究者的重视。本文试图在已有研究基础上利用近代邮政事务年报、邮政局所汇编、邮政舆图三类史料梳理长江三角洲三省一市近代邮政行业的发展脉络,并从邮区划分、邮政点等级、邮路类型及邮路里程几个方面复原近代长三角邮政空间的形成与演化。研究发现近代长三角邮政行业的演化体现了邮权由分歧走向统一的过程。就近代国营邮政而言,长三角地区在邮政点数量、业务量及邮区收支等方面均走在全国前列。在区域内部,江浙沪两省一市邮政点的等级与所在地的行政等级相对吻合,而安徽省则出现明显的不一致,体现出经济重心与行政中心的背离。长三角核心区(即江南地区)不论在邮政点密度抑或邮路类型上都体现出强烈的区域一致性及与周边地区的明显差异。此外,从邮政点的选择、邮政业务的类型与规模等方面可以进一步发现邮政网络与市场网络的密切关系,邮政网络的复原也为近代江南基层市场网络的研究提供了新的思路,研究发现近代江南地区邮政网络与基层市场网络重合度较高,并体现出极强的地域特征。

In the past,most of the modern postal historical materials were used by the compilers of postal history,but did not receive the attention of the researchers of economic history.On the basis of existing research,this paper attempts to sort out the development of modern postal industry in three provinces and one city in the Yangtze River Delta by using three kinds of historical materials:the annual report of modern postal affairs,the compilation of postal offices and the postal atlas,and to restore the formation and evolution of modern postal space in the Yangtze River Delta from four aspects:the division of postal areas,the grades of postal points,the types and mileage of postal routes.It is found that the evolution of the postal industry in the Yangtze River Delta reflects the process of the unification of postal rights from differences.As far as modern state-owned postal services are concerned,the Yangtze River Delta region is in the forefront of the country in the number of postal points,business volume and revenue and expenditure of postal areas.Within the region,the ranks of postal points of Jiangsu,Zhejiang and Shanghai provinces correspond to the local administrative ranks relatively,while in Anhui province,there is obvious inconsistency,reflecting the deviation between the economic center and the administrative center.The core area of the Yangtze River Delta,namely Jiangnan,shows strong regional consistency and obvious differences with the surrounding areas in terms of the density of postal points or the type of postal routes.In addition,the close relationship between postal network and market network can be further found from the selection of postal sites,types and scales of postal business.The restoration of postal network also provides new ideas for the study of modern Jiangnan standard market network.