From Preventing"Salt Smuggling"to Monitoring"Salt Flow and Distribution":The Salt Yin Rebate System in the Lianghuai Salt Regions during the Ming Dynasty
In the early Ming Dynasty,the government established the salt sales licence(yin)rebate system to combat illicit salt trade and prevent merchants from"smuggling"salt.However,due to its lack of enforcement,the system was largely ineffective.In the 14th year of the Hongzhi reign(1501),Feng Yunzong,the inspector of salt in the Lianghuai regions,implemented reforms by allocating salt quotas to various salt-producing areas and introducing performance-based rebate assessments for local salt officials.Subsequent reforms further linked the collection of rebated salt yin to the career prospects of local salt officials,compelling them to actively pursue salt yin rebate collection.Additionally,the court adopted a"feedback—revision"model for allocating salt quotas,refining the quotas through ongoing interaction with local officials.By the late Ming period,the government used the rebate system to monitor"salt flow and distribution",gaining insights into the actual salt sales conditions in various regions.This transformation of the rebate system enabled the government to obtain more accurate market information about salt in the late Ming period compared to the early and mid-Ming periods,aiding in more informed salt policy decisions.
Lianghuai salt regionssalt yin rebate systemsalt-producing areas
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