摘要
闽南人,在英语文献中常被拼写为"Hokkiens"。这个族群拥有悠久的航海历史传统。早在公元10世纪初,这批生活在中国东南沿海偏远地区且与外界隔绝的居民,就已经把自己的目光投向了大洋彼岸的异国他乡。根据古代典籍的零星记载,闽南商人在海外积极经商,其足迹遍布北起高丽、南至苏门答腊岛的东西洋各商埠。随着海上贸易的发展,闽南商贾开始旅居国外,其中有些人甚至长期在海外侨居。闽南商贾的适应力极强,能很快地适应海外不同的生存环境。不过,他们仍然经常地依靠各种制度化安排的机制来保护或促进其商业利益的发展。闽南商人总是极有创意地建立起各种不同的商业机制,并建构起不同的族群关系网络。除了在日常的商业活动中建立、扩展并涵盖不同方面和层次的关系网络,闽南商人还形成了与其它中国商人群体不同的文化习俗特色。作为近代亚洲早期最具企业开拓精神的商贸群体,闽南商贾在古代亚洲航海贸易史上的表现可圈可点。作为一个边缘化的商业群体,尽管他们在商业上取得了非凡的成就,但他们在当时海外社会中的地位仍然低人一等。本文拟探讨闽南商人在古代亚洲主要港埠的商业活动,并将讨论的重点放在高丽、九州岛、台湾和马尼拉等地的侨居闽商社区,以及他们所拥有的独特的经贸网络和文化习俗。
The people of south Fujian, better known as 'Hokkiens', have a long seafaring tradition. Isolated on the remote southeastern periphery of China, they cast their eyes on the territories beyond the sea as early as the 10th century. Sporadic records suggest that Hokkien merchants were actively engaged in trading at emporia ranging from Korea in the north to Sumatra in the south. With the development of maritime trade, they started to sojourn overseas, and some of them even stayed abroad for a very long period. Hokkien merchants were known for their commercial acumen and ability to adapt to different environments abroad. Nevertheless, they still frequently relied on various institutional mechanisms to protect or advance their commercial interests. Invariably they were very creative in establishing business institutions and forming different ethnic networks. Apart from developing a wide spectrum of networks in their daily business practice, they showed various cultural characteristics that differentiated them from other Chinese merchants. As the most daring entrepreneurial group in early modern Asia, Hokkien merchants performed quite well in early maritime Asia. But as a marginal trade group, their status in overseas society was always subordinate despite their commercial success. This article examines the early Hokkien commercial activities in a number of the major port polities of Asia, with a focus on the Hokkien sojourning communities in Korea, Kyushu, Taiwan and Manila, and their unique networks and culture.
出处
《海交史研究》
2011年第2期1-51,共51页
Journal of Maritime History Studies
