鱼盐贸易与齐、莱关系

Salt Trade and the Relations Between the State of Qi and Lai

西周初年,经过战争交锋后,莱人逐渐臣服于姬周贵族集团,齐、莱从军事对抗走向合作。莱夷是商周之际莱州湾沿岸盐业生产的主要承担者,齐国通过与之合作生产、流通食盐获得丰厚的利润。齐国凭借开发鱼盐资源立国,并将鱼盐之利视为本国的核心利益。春秋时期,齐桓公凭借强大的军事实力迫使莱国等诸侯国臣服,重新连接起了因地方势力崛起而一度中断的盐业商贸之路。此后历代齐侯通过兼并战争蚕食莱国土地,最终吞并莱国。

In the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, after several wars, the Lai people gradually surrendered to the Zhou Dynasty. The state of Qi and Lai stopped fighting and began military cooperation. The Lai people produced salt in the coastal area of Laizhou Bay during that period. Qi made huge profits by producing, selling and buying salt with them. Qi was founded on the exploitation of salt resources and regarded the benefits of salt as core interest of the state. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Huan of the state Qi forced the vassal states of Lai into submission and resumed the circulation and trading of salt. Since then, many monarchs of Qi gradually annexed the Lai through the war.