Fang movement - Gakkou

A middleman who mediates commercial transactions in China. In the distribution system, it is one of the three major organizational elements, along with traders, or kyakusho, and various local shops, or zako. Although kyakusho have capital, they are unfamiliar with the business conditions in local wholesale markets, so the wholesale markets needed yahang to give and receive credit to foreign yahang and set prices. In addition, the market was supervised by the government, and the intervention of yahang was essential to legalize contracts and pay taxes. During the Warring States and Han dynasty, they were called 'sukai' or 'su', and they were also important in the system because the Han dynasty established the 'shi' system throughout the country and the Western Jin dynasty made publicly approved contracts and tax payments mandatory for transactions of important real estate and movable property. During the period from the Song dynasty, during the period of the Commercial Revolution, to the Ming and Qing dynasties, when the old society was at its height, the market underwent complex differentiation. As such, the names Gajin and Gahang became commonplace, and they grew into licensed brokers with licenses (Fang Certificates). They further differentiated and guilds were formed.

The Qing Dynasty's public hangings (kokou) were one type of them, but many of them also worked as travellers and hostels, and also worked as wholesalers, inns, warehouses and transporters. The roots of this specialization can be traced back to the mansions of the Tang Dynasty and the rooming houses and quarters of the Song Dynasty.

[Yoshinobu Shiba]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国で商取引を仲介する仲買業者。流通組織では、貿易商つまり客商(きゃくしょう)と、土着の各種商店つまり坐賈(ざこ)と並び、三大組織要素の一つ。客商は資本力をもちながら、各地方の卸売市場の商況に疎く、卸売市場の側では外来の客商への信用授受、価格設定のため牙行を必要とした。加えて市場は政府に監督され、契約の合法化や納税のため牙行の介入が必須(ひっす)であった。戦国、漢のころは駔儈(そかい)とか駔とよび、漢が全国に「市(し)」の制を敷き、西晋(せいしん)が重要不動産や動産の取引に公許の契約と納税を義務づけたため、制度上でも重視された。商業革命期の宋(そう)から旧社会全盛の明(みん)、清(しん)にかけ、市場が複雑な分化を遂げたなかで、牙人(がじん)、牙行の名が一般化し、鑑札（牙帖(がちょう)）を受けた特許仲買商に成長し、分化も進み、ギルドも編成された。

　清代の公行(こうこう)もその一種であるが、牙行には行家(こうか)、客桟(きゃくさん)など、問屋、旅館、倉庫、運輸を兼業する者も多く、こうした分化の根源は唐の邸店(ていてん)、宋の房廊(ぼうろう)、停榻(ていとう)にさかのぼれる。

［斯波義信］

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