依附皇权:明清时期徽商的兴衰及其启示

徽商在明清时期堪称中国第一大商帮。徽商的崛起与其精心构建依附型政商关系的战略选择是分不开的。结交权贵、重金买官、送女联姻、行贿寻租、为君分忧、资助寒门是徽商依附皇权官僚阶级的主要策略。在依附皇权得势之后,徽商又通过贱买贵卖、排挤同行、垄断经营等手段攫取巨额利益。然而随着时代的变化及利益输送链条的断裂,徽商与皇权的依附关系终究还是破裂了。徽商的兴衰史对于构建新型政商关系具有重要的启示意义:企业方面,应该更多地把重心放在提高核心竞争力上,坚持合法经营,不搞钱权交易和利益输送;政府方面,应该减少行政权力对市场的干预,进一步转变政府职能,优化营商环境,提高公共服务能力;长远来看,最重要的还是完善法治建设,培育新型的政商互动文化。

Subordination to the Royal Power:the Rise and Fall of Huizhou Merchants in Ming and Qing Dynasties and Their Enlightenment

Huizhou merchants deserve their top ranks in the list of business guilds during Ming and Qing Dynasties.Their rise could not be separated from their careful craft of business strategy of depending on the government.Major methods used by them can be found in establishing a relationship with individuals in power or from powerful families,purchasing officialdom titles,establishing marital relationships,bribery,helping the emperor solve his troubles,supporting poor families,etc.When these operations successfully won them dominant status in certain areas,the managed to grab large amounts of profits by means of buying low and selling high,expelling their competitors,and monopoly,etc.The profit-giving chain breaking,the dependence of Huizhou merchants on royal powers broke down.The rise and fall of Huizhou merchants provide considerable enlightenment for the establishment of a new type of government and merchants:for enterprises,their attention should be focused on improving core competitiveness,their operation to stick to laws and regulations,money-power exchange and profit transmittance to be avoided;the government should reduce the interference of administrative powers with the market,government responsibility to be further transformed,business environment to be optimized,their public service function to be improved;considered in the long term,legal construction should be set the priority on,new interaction culture between government and business to be nurtured.