清代上海沙船商“沈生义”的兴衰

Rise and Fall of the Shanghai Sand-Junk Trader “Shen Shengyi” in the Qing Dynasty

'沈生义'为上海著名沙船商号,历经嘉、道、咸、同四朝,有着近七十年的历史。它的兴衰历程也是清代整个上海沙船业的缩影。本文借助家谱、地方志、善堂征信录、近代报刊等资料来梳理'沈生义'的商业史,与此同时,将沈氏家族由沙船主到官绅、新式音乐人的演变轨迹也一并呈现出来。因而,这一研究不仅对清代上海沙船业整体研究的深化有所贡献,似也有助于了解中国传统商人家族近代转型的多样性。

'Shen Shengyi' was a famous sand-junk(a type of large vessel)trading firm that lasted for seventy years under four Qing emperors during the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. Its rise and fall thus represented a microcosm of the entire sand-junk industry in Shanghai over this period. This paper, based upon the examination of genealogies, local gazetteers, records of charitable contributions, and newspaper articles, discusses the business history of the 'Shen Shengyi.' It also traces the evolution of the Shen family from shipping magnates to musicians. Therefore, this paper also contributes to a broader understanding of the modern transformation of traditional Chinese merchant families.