The high dependence of grain supply in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty on national fiscal allocation is almost a consensus among scholars,who have also focused on state financial payments for the distribution of official grain arriving in the capital.However,the research indicates that due to the limitations of fiscal expenditures,grain supply and demand strata in Beijing,there is a longstanding contradiction where the official grain supply falls short of the needs for many individuals supported by public finances.Therefore,alongside fiscal allocations,there is an evident reliance on the market.The development of the grain market in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty depended more on the transformation from state fiscal circulation to market circulation,specifically the official rice market formed through the transportation,storage,and distribution processes of official grain.According to estimates,the official rice market,composed of monthly rations and the commercialization of surplus rice,could satisfy half of the capital's grain demand,creating a mechanism for grain supply in the capital that involved interaction between fiscal and market forces.Under the local market model,the imperial court relied heavily on substantial physical fiscal reserves for an extended period,using a series of temporary fiscal allocations to stabilize grain prices.Before the Chongzhen emperor,Beijing's grain supply demonstrated strong national response capabilities.
Ming Dynasty in Beijinggrain supplyofficial rice marketprice stabilizing mechanism
万方数据
维普
