一九二〇年華北大飢饉下の威海衞における救荒政策

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書誌事項

タイトル別名
  • Famine Relief in Weihaiwei : The Case of the North China Famine in 1920
  • イチキュウニ〇ネン カホクダイキキンカ ノ イカイエイ ニ オケル キュウコウ セイサク
  • 一九二〇年華北大飢饉下の威海衞における救荒政策

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説明

In 1920, the northern part of China was devastated by a severe famine which was caused by droughts in the preceding years, making as many as 20 million people destitute in the area. The crisis attracted worldwide public interest and became a turning point in facilitating the internationalization of relief works in China. Focusing upon Weihaiwei, an enclave under British rule (from 1898 to 1930) at the edge of the Shandong peninsula, this paper examines how people there as well as the colonial government addressed the food shortage in the territory. By assessing the colonial government’s relief policies and other responses to the disaster, this research reveals important aspects regarding the administration of Weihaiwei. These include the structures of governance, the ways in which colonial authority permeated into the local society, and relations between the enclave and other localities. Examining the British-ruled territory via this case study also provides first-hand insights into how colonial officials viewed rural society in this part of China. As soon as the extent of the crisis became apparent, the colonial government organized a relief committee composed of British officials and influential Chinese residents, which tried to ship grain from the northeastern region of China (Manchuria) and raised funds in various places including other British possessions in Asia. For example, the Weihaiwei authorities made a record of affected victims of the famine and then supplied grain to destitute people either for free or on loan via the governing structures of affected villages. By mid-1920 when rain began to fall on the territory again, the government had, by and large, subdued the crisis. The main features of the Weihaiwei authorities’ relief work can be summarized as follows. Firstly, by utilizing the existing governing system of villages they were able to carry out relief work smoothly in accordance with the residents’ needs. Secondly, the relief committee made use of not only British networks but also networks used by the enclave’s Chinese residents for such purposes as procuring grain and securing financial assistance in several places. As can be seen from these findings, the relief works of the Weihaiwei government vividly reflected the territory’s characteristics as a British possession on the coast of China.

収録刊行物

  • 東洋史研究

    東洋史研究 80 (1), 104-137, 2021-06-30

    東洋史研究会

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