明清苏州经济中心地位略论

A Study of Suzhou as the Economic Center of China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

明清时代的苏州,交纳赋税最多,负担最重,是全国最为突出的赋税钱粮重地;丝绸、棉布及加工业和书籍刻印等大宗商品生产极为发达,木器制造加工业独步全国,玉器雕琢、绣作、裱褙作、漆作、乐器、铜铁金银器加工业等极其精巧,是举世闻名的商品生产加工中心;大规模输出当地大宗商品,输入各种原材料,转输全国物资并平衡整合市场,是全国物资的流通转输中心;钱庄、票号等金融机构布设密集,银钱流通量巨大,较早行用洋银,金融结算手段较为先进,吸纳周围城镇的资本,货币周转获利较快,是高度发达的银钱金融中心。从当时苏州的经济总量、商品生产和商品流通来看,其中心都市的地位远在另一工商城市杭州之上。

As the biggest tax payer of the whole country during Ming and Qing Dynasties,Suzhou was the most prominent centers to provide tax,money and grain for the country,it was known for its commodity production of silk,cotton,and printed materials.Suzhou's wood manufacturing and processing industry was also unrivaled.Meanwhile,Suzhou was famous for jade carvings,embroidery,papering,lacquer,musical instruments,and other processing industry such as copper,iron,gold and silver products.Suzhou was a world-famous commodity production and processing center,it exported the local commodities,imported various kinds of raw materials.Suzhou was also a transportation center of China,transporting goods and materials across the country and balancing the market.Financial institutions such as banks and exchange shops were established in Suzhou,where the circulation of silver and copper coins was voluminous and the usage of foreign silver coins started early.With advanced financial settlement methods,Suzhou absorbed the capital from nearby towns and cities,profited from fast velocity of money,and became a highly developed financial center.As far as the economic aggregate,commodity production and circulation are concerned,Suzhou was a far more advanced urban center than Hangzhou which is another industrial and financial city.