明代南京马快船考释

Study of the Ma-kuai Ship of Nanjing in Ming Dynasty

明代南京马快船是政府经营的一支船队,最初是由运输军马和辎重而得名,永乐以后。主要为王室运输生活享受的各种物品,及视需要而服役。其驾船小甲水手,是通过徭役编佥而来,马船从民户中编佥,快船从军户中编佥,体制不同,较为复杂。随着甲夫遭受的压迫和剥削加重,他们纷纷逃亡,编佥制度遭到破坏,于是便出现了万历年间的改革,主要是从力役改为征银,雇役应差,即从力差改为银差,力差的货币化,是社会商品经济发展的必然结果,是社会的进步。但是,这种改革属改良性质,无法解决船政制度带来的各种弊端。从南京马快船的发展演变过程来考察,其对国计民生的影响是很大的。

The Ma-kuai Ship was a branch of ships run by the Ming government for transporting army horses and military supplies.After the period of Yongle,it always carried goods for royal court enjoying.The sailors of the horses ships were enrolled from peasants and those of the quick ships from soldiers.With being oppressed increasingly,the sailors escaped so frequently that the enrolling system was destroyed.So the reform in the period of Wanli happened,which was the inevitable outcome of social commodity economy and the progress of society.However,the reform settled the malpractices of the system of ships.By studying its development,it can be seen that the Ma-kuai ship produced the significant influence for the national economy and people’s livelihood.