The Kambang Trade by the Lease Holder (pachter) in the Late-Edo period and the Trade Goods concerned

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03110
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Tsurumi University
• Principal Investigator: ISHIDA Chihiro 鶴見大学, 文学部, 教授 (00192485)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 日蘭貿易 / オランダ船 / 脇荷貿易 / 脇荷物 / 賃借人

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This article focusses on the so-called kambang trade in the late-Edo period (1835-1854), which was carried out in Japan by a person who was called the pachter (lease holder) of the Japanese-Dutch trade and on the trade goods (kambang goods) concerned. An attempt is made to clarify the state of the kambang transactions at the time (e.g. the trade system), as well as of the imported goods (e.g. their names and amounts), illustrated with concrete examples. From this, it becomes clear that the kambang trade in this period was based on contracts concluded between the Dutch Government in Batavia and the lease holder and that the trade was performed by maintaining close relations which were profitable for both parties. Moreover, one can conclude that,although the kinds of trading goods did not substantially differ from those in earlier times, medicines and books became of special importance in view of their cultural value at a time when Western Learning (Yogaku) was at its zenith.

Free Research Field

人文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

賃借人の脇荷貿易とその貿易品の解明は、後に展開する管理貿易から自由貿易へと移行する正に近世から近代への転換点を解明する上に欠かすことのできない課題である。天保・弘化・嘉永期の日蘭貿易において自由貿易を目指すオランダにとって脇荷貿易とその貿易品（脇荷物）の輸入は、従来の本方貿易とその貿易品（本方荷物）の輸入にかわって注目すべき重要な取引となっている。一方日本国内においては、脇荷貿易において取引された品々が洋学の発展に多大な貢献を成していたと考えられ、本研究は経済史的な意義だけでなく、文化史的意義においても重要な研究といえる。