Abstract:Politics is an important key to understanding the historical logic of water control, opening up waterways, and grain transport by water in ancient China. From the point of view of historical development, there was a centralized system of unification in the first place, and then the water conservancy society developing from water control and not the opposite. With the political center and the basic economic zone gradually separated, and the continuous development of centralized political dynasty, canals were dug and grain was constantly transported to the capital, and grain transport by water and the corresponding system thus came into being. From the historical logic, however, there is only indirect causality between grain transport by water and opening up waterways. Canals are neither a sufficient condition nor a necessary condition for the institutionalization of grain transport by water. Institutionalization of grain transport by water can be attributed to politicalization of canals, which is reflected not only by the improvement of canals and establishment of official positions in grain transport by water system, but also the fact that the central government used all political resources, and even sacrificed local interest to give full support to grain transport by water, and in this process emerged a political interest group.
吴士勇. 古代治水、开河与通漕的历史逻辑[J]. 《深圳大学学报》(人文社科版), 2018, 35(2): 152-160.
WU Shi-yong. Historical Logic of Water Control, Opening up Waterways and Grain Transport by Water in Ancient China. , 2018, 35(2): 152-160.