牙商职能演进与近代业态变迁

Function Evolution of Yashang and the Change of Business Form in Modern Times

牙商属于中国传统商业习俗的一段秘史,史海钩沉,鲜为人知。牙商称谓的变化体现了牙商在各个历史时期所具有的功能和从事的活动范围不同,同时也说明牙商从出现之日起就随着历史的发展而变化,迎合时代的需要。秦汉至南北朝时期,牙商的主要职能是促成交易的经济职能。唐宋时期,牙商的职能范围不断扩展,并具有了公法性职能。宋代以来,特别是明清时期,牙商在促成交易的经济职能以外,被赋予了一些官方职能。随着牙商职能演变以及官府对牙商的管理,牙商的社会形象亦发生变化,而牙商的业态也不断发展变迁。

Yashang business is a secret history of Chinese traditional business customs, which is rarely known.The change of the appellation reflects the different functions and activities of the Yashang merchants in different historical periods. It also shows that the Yashang merchants have changed with the development of history since the date of their emergence to meet the needs of the times. From Qin and Han Dynasties to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the main function of Yashang merchants was to promote the economic function of trade. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the scope of the functions of the Yashang merchants expanded continuously, and they had the function of public law. Since the Song Dynasty, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, besides the economic function of promoting trade, the Yashang merchants have been given some official functions. With the evolution of the function of the Yashang business and the government’s management of the Yashang business, the social image of the Yashang business has also changed. At the same time, in the development chain of Yashang business, some new forms and new forms of business emerged in the period of the Republic of China.