The Disaster of Mining Taxes - Kozeino-ka

Japanese: 礦税の禍 - こうぜいのか

China, tax increase problem at the end of the Ming Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, military actions on the borders known as the "Three Great Conquests of the Wanli Era" caused the national treasury to become destitute and the imperial court's budget to be severely strained. In response, in 1596 (24th year of the Wanli Era), the emperor appointed eunuchs as mining and tax inspectors and dispatched them to various parts of the country to develop mines and increase commercial taxes. During this time, many of the eunuchs accompanied ruffians and, in the name of imperial decree, threatened government officials and wealthy people, carrying out illegal executions everywhere. This led to "people's uprisings" in various places and strong opposition from some of the bureaucrats, so in 1605, mining was temporarily halted and tax collection was returned to the hands of the government officials, but during this time, it is said that the amount of silver from the mining tax sent by the eunuchs to the imperial court's treasury amounted to almost 3 million taels.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中国，明末の増税問題。神宗のとき〈万暦の三大征〉とよばれる辺境の軍事行動により，国庫は窮乏し宮廷費も極度に圧迫された。そこで帝は1596年(万暦24)，宦官を鉱監･税監に任命し，全国各地に派遣して鉱山の開発と商税の増徴を行わせた。このとき宦官の多くは無頼の徒をしたがえ，勅旨の名のもとに官吏･富豪をおびやかし，いたるところで不法な誅求を行った。そのため諸方で〈民変〉(民衆の暴動)が起こり，官僚の一部からも強い反対運動が起こったので，1605年にはいったん開鉱をやめ，税務も官吏の手に返したが，この間，宦官より宮廷の庫に進められた鉱税銀はほとんど300万両におよんだという。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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