淸代 江南 도시지역의 상공업조직과 시장관계

Abstract

Mega cities in the southern part of the river as latest developed areas were where foreign merchants and workers stayed. These merchants migrated from various regions and established a Hall and a Gildhall(公所) as they settled in, setting up their own rules(行規). In terms of this, it seemed that each structure for the same profession and native places did not interrupt mutually as a custom. Merchants in Suzhou region systematized by same professions and native places, not by their residences. In this respect, integrating level between different trade groups in their resident market seemed quite low. How does this low integrating level appear in currency, weights and measures? Quite various currency, weights and measures were used in market trades. Firstly, with too complicated usage in currency, weights and measures, common structure of “Official Use(官用)－Regional Standard(地域別基準)－Industrial Classification Standard(業種別基準)” is discovered. Even so, without move to unify them, Industrial Clssification standard was allowed to use diversely. The reason of complicated usage in currency, weights and measures is found out in an inner system of urban commerce and industrial society failed to form one unity. In other words, orders with currency, weights and measures are similar with a loose assembly with a respective network, not like an incorporated one into a single inner city zone. Therefore, each guilds(商工業行會) could set a standard unit independently. Even with official rules, setting up the currency, weights and measures was regulated by agreements amongst merchants in Qing period. The agreement was justified by widespread distrusts with deterioration of silvers due to weakened control by the authority, circulation of privately issued coins and a fraud on measuring instruments and stable reliance on independent setting up currency, weights and measures. Though rapid development in product economy throughout Qing period, currency and weights and measures was set by agreements of respective groups, not by an unified standard in a certain region. The fact that these agreements were referred as ‘official’ within the group needs to take note. Likewise, they aimed to be systemized to promote stable economic activities in unstable ‘sea’ in a settlement as forming groups by same professions and native places like ‘islands’. Developments in a Hall and a Gildhall was a byproduct in the process of systemization. Among these systemization, they tried to make an agreement on measuring instruments, currency and prices as requirements in various economic activities. The process in making agreements required a form of Justice(公義). Behind seemingly confused scenes, merchants put their efforts singly to control too much diversity in market place as an unincorporated system.