沙苑监:北宋监牧中的“不倒翁”

Shayuan Ley:the Tumbler of Pasture in Northern Song Dynasty

沙苑监在北宋时期地位尤为重要,是由隋唐时期牧养官营牛羊转而成为以牧养、孳生、治疗官马为主的重要场所。北宋中后期,马监兴废无常,而沙苑监“独不废”,既有客观因素的使然,也有群臣的主观努力和统治者的多方考量。悠久的监牧历史,优越的自然条件、国防安全的需要,是沙苑监在北宋得以长期存在的重要原因。沙苑监虽然为宋政府提供了一定数量的马匹,为官营畜牧业的发展做出了较大贡献,但无法从根本上改变北宋马政不昌的局面。

Shayuan ley was particularly important during the Northern Song Dynasty,when it was transformed from the place for herding official cattle and sheep during the Sui and Tang Dynasties to an important place for herding,breeding,and healing official horses.In the mid and late Northern Song Dynasty,horse ley was raised and then dismissed,and Shayuan ley stayed"unique in not being abandoned",not only because of objective factors,but also by the subjective efforts of the officials and the rulers'considerations.The long history of herding,the excellent natural conditions and the need for national defense and security were important reasons for the long existence of the Shayuan ley in the Northern Song Dynasty.Although it provided the Song government with a certain number of horses and contributed to the development of the government livestock industry,it could not fundamentally change the situation in the Northern Song,where the horse government was not flourishing.