City Boat Commander - Shihakushi

An office in charge of maritime trade in China. Its chief was called a Shiboushi, and was in place from the Song dynasty to the beginning of the Ming dynasty. Shiboushi were established in 714 during the Tang dynasty, and were called Oubanbakushi or Kanbakushi, and were generally appointed by eunuchs. In 971 during the Song dynasty, Shiboushi were established in Guangzhou, and later in Hangzhou (Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province) and Mingzhou (Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province), the port to Japan and Goryeo, where they served as prefectural governors. In the government reforms of Yuanfeng (1078-85), they were called Tijo Shiboushi or Tijo Shibo, and were made to serve as the financial governors of the routes, such as the deputy envoys and vice envoys, and were subsequently established in Quanzhou (Quanzhou City, Fujian Province). At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, under the New Fa Dang Dynasty, a dedicated official was appointed, and under the Old Fa Dang Dynasty, the old system was restored and the office was run by a dual official. In the Southern Song Dynasty, a branch office, the City Shipping Bureau, was also established. During the Song Dynasty, land trade with the West declined, and trade in the South Seas developed greatly, so that it gradually became important for national finances, and in the Southern Song Dynasty, the trade in the two prefectures of Guangzhou and Quanzhou reached 2 million bin. The national tax system also became more prominent, and incense, jewels, ivory, rhinoceros horn, etc. were monopolized, and the sale of many other items by merchants was restricted. Silk, ceramics, and other goods were exported from China in large quantities, including banned copper coins, to the extent that there was a shortage in the country. Due to this relationship, in addition to Arab merchants, large Chinese ships and merchants also traveled to the South Seas and came to Japan.

The main duties of the Shihoshi were to collect customs duties, purchase monopoly goods and other goods with the money, transport them to the central government, sell them, issue licenses to Chinese ships, set the period for their return, prevent fraud, etc. Therefore, the chief's authority was strong and he made a lot of profits. It is well known that Pu Shougeng, the Shihoshi of Quanzhou at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, led the navy.

[Tadao Aoyama]

"The Achievements of Pu Shougen, a Man from the Western Regions Who Raised Trade with China in the Song Dynasty" by Kuwahara Jitsū (1923, East Asia Research Association)" ▽ "Research on the History of East-West Negotiations: The South Seas Edition" by Fujita Toyohachi (1932, Oka Shoin)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国で海上貿易をつかさどった官庁。その長官を市舶使といい、宋(そう)から明(みん)初まで置かれた。市舶使は唐代の714年に置かれ、押蕃舶使(おうばんはくし)あるいは監舶使と称され、おおむね宦官(かんがん)が任命された。宋代の971年に市舶司を広州に置き、その後、杭州(こうしゅう)（浙江(せっこう)省杭州市）や、日本・高麗(こうらい)への港である明州（浙江省寧波(ニンポー)市）にも置いて知州に兼任させた。元豊（1078～85）の官制改革で提挙市舶司または提挙市舶といわれ、路の財務長官の転運使や副使などに兼ねさせ、ついで泉州（福建省泉州市）にも置いた。北宋末には新法党のときに専官を置き、旧法党のとき旧に復して兼官により運営された。南宋にかけては、出張所の市舶務を置いたこともあった。宋代には西方との陸路貿易が衰え、南海貿易が大いに発展したので国家財政上しだいに重要となり、南宋には広州、泉州2州で200万緡(びん)にも達したほどであった。また国家的税制の色彩も強まり、香薬、珠玉、象牙(ぞうげ)、犀角(さいかく)などは専売とし、その他のものの多くは商人の販売を制限した。中国からは絹、陶磁器などのほか、禁ぜられた銅銭の流出が多く、国内に不足したほどであった。このような関係で、アラブ商人のほか中国の大船や商人も南海に行き、日本にも渡来するようになった。

　市舶司の職務は、関税を徴収し、本銭をもって専売品その他を買い上げ、中央への輸送、販売にあたり、中国船に許可証を支給し、帰国の期間を定め、不正を防ぐなどがおもであった。そのため長官の権限は強く、利益も多く、南宋末の泉州市舶の蒲寿庚(ほじゅこう)が海軍を率いて活躍したのは有名である。

［青山定雄］

『桑原隲蔵著『宋代の提挙市舶西域人蒲寿庚の事蹟』（1923・東亜攻究会）』▽『藤田豊八著『東西交渉史の研究　南海篇』（1932・岡書院）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例