The establishment of Jianghuai Hubei Iron and Steel Casting Company in the Song Dynasty

The Southern Song Dynasty government set up the Jianghuai and other ministries to manage mining and metallurgical affairs. In the second year of Guangzong Shaoxi's reign, the Jianghuai and Hubei Smelting and Iron Casting Departments were fully responsible for the iron ore mining and iron ore mining on Jiangnan West Road, Huainan West Road, and Jinghu North Road. Iron money casting. This institution was established in view of the sharp decline in copper coin casting since the Southern Song Dynasty and the serious leakage of copper coins into the territory of the Jin Dynasty. As early as the last years of Emperor Gaozong's reign, the government had banned copper coins from being used in the Huaihe River Basin instead of iron coins. In 1170, Xiaozong took charge of the road, which lasted for six years. In order to ensure the circulation of iron coins in the areas bordering Jin and Jiangbei in the Southern Song Dynasty, form an isolation zone and prevent the outflow of copper coins, the imperial court sent Xu Zizhong, a member of the Sinong Temple, to handle the Huaixi Drum cast iron coins. His next official appointment was dedicated to the development of iron ore veins. There are also iron money supervision, such as Zhou Shutong Safety Supervision, Zhou Qiqichun Safety Supervision, and Huangzhou Qijian Safety Supervision. Later, there were prisons in Daye, Susong, Hanyang, and Dingcheng. Although each governor implemented and abolished it at different times, and the amount of money minted each year was also different, iron money has been transported to the Jianghuai area for a long time. For example, from the seventh year of Xichun to the second year of Shao Xi's first half, Tong Hechun invested more than 400 million US dollars. It was applied by another supervisor 7 years ago and there is no number. At first, each iron coin weighed four kilograms and twelve taels, and later increased to five kilograms and eight taels. If we take the average annual casting volume of 400,000 tons in the ten years from Xichun 7 to Shao Xi 2 and the weight of 4.12 tons per casting, the annual iron consumption is at least 1.9 million tons, plus the iron consumption during the smelting and casting process. Iron money consumption and later material quantity increase. It is estimated that the annual iron consumption of these two prisons alone should exceed 2 million tons. Initially, no separate agency was established except for Xu Zi, who was appointed as an official in charge of iron ore mining and smelting in the above-mentioned areas. In the second year of Guangzong Shaoxi's reign, in order to strengthen the control of iron money production in this area, the Song government formally established the Jianghuai-E Iron Smelting and Casting Company. The highest official in the Hubei Jianghuai Iron and Steel Casting Department was promoted. Sometimes, this position can be concurrently held by officials of the Supervision Department, such as Cao Chen and Ti Xing of Huainan West Road. In Shao Xi's second year, the first official appointed was Liu Wei, who had full-time subordinate officials under him: members of the office affairs, responsible for the Wuwei Military Company. There are two inspectors, one is Zhou Shu and the other is Zhou Shu. He is responsible for the currency supervision of Zhou Shu and Guangzhou. One member is Zhou Qi's company, and he is also in charge of Zhou Qi, Hanyang and Xingguojun. According to the above records, the Ministry of Shipping succeeded the Xingguojun Daye County Fuminjian and was established when the Metallurgical Department of Tidiankeng on Jianghuai and other roads was in charge of mining, metallurgy, and coinage for six years on the main highway. At this time, it was also placed under the management of Jianghuai Hubei Iron Smelting and Coin Casting Department. Generally speaking, the organization of JAC Hubei Iron Smelting Company is relatively stable. When King Yulie was promoted by Huaixi, he went to Huaixi to discuss the five iron money issues. He thought that the more than 30 things Jianghuai'e Iron Smelting and Casting Company had requested had been implemented. Moreover, when selling iron and selling charcoal, there are more feet everywhere than copper pits, seedling veins need to be found, and the newly established officials are lengthy and useless. Each road has its own supervisor's responsibility, so they had to give Jianghuai Hubei some suggestions. Therefore, King Yulie even begged for mercy and discussed with the governor. Within a few months, he united with the non-military people and supported the power system but not the bad nature. King Yu Lie hoped to abolish the Qian Company of Jianghuai Hubei Iron and Steel Casting Company and hand over the authority of this organization to the supervision company in Wari

The above two records show that until King Lizong Ding Jing of Song Dynasty, Jianghuai This organization of the Iron Smelting Company still plays an important management role in the iron ore mining and money-making activities of Jianghuai and Esan Road. Mining management in Sichuan. In the early Southern Song Dynasty, Sichuan's mining and metallurgy industry still followed the management model of the Northern Song Dynasty, and was not initially included in the jurisdiction of Jianghuai and other roads. Ine. During the Zhezong and Huizong periods of the Northern Song Dynasty, Sichuan provinces had short-term dedicated officials or agencies to manage mining. In other periods, the transportation department of Sichuan Zhulu was also in charge of the mining industry. After entering the Southern Song Dynasty, in August of the sixth year of Emperor Xiaozong's reign, he sent a letter to the Lizhou Road Transportation Bureau, allowing the magistrate to be transported from Lizhou Road, and mentioned the request of Zhao Gong who was casting coins. He appointed Shaoxing prison officers, prison door officers, Jinniu inspection and infantry officers, Jinniu iron officers and other officials on this road, and ordered the transportation department to provide positions every quarter. This imperial edict shows that the metallurgical money in Lizhou Road Keng is still managed by the officials of the Road Transport Department, and there are Jinniu Patrol Officer, Jinniu Iron Officer and other subordinate officials who are in charge of mining and metallurgy full-time. Two years later, the edict issued in July of the 8th year of Qiandao Road clearly mentioned that Lizhou Road had recommended Su Senji for processing, inspection, pit digging, and smelting, and allowed the recommendation of the Road Supervision Department, indicating that at this time, a procurement process independent of the transportation department had been established. Smelting money management organization.

However, in the first month of the ninth year of Emperor Xiaozong's reign in the Song Dynasty, at the suggestion of the newly appointed Wang Ji and Li Dazheng, the Ministry of Industry approved the transfer of Jiangnan, Huainan, Liangzhe, Tongchuan, and Lizhou roads to Raozhou Company, and Jiangxi, Xiangbei, Erguang, and Fujian roads. Placed under Ganzhou Company. Both companies still have their own advantages. The revised regulations indicate that in the ninth year of the Main Road, the mining and production of Tongchuanfu Road and Lizhou Road in Sichuan were finally integrated into the unified management of Jianghuai and other road planning departments, and specific affairs were under the jurisdiction of Raozhou Branch. In this way, the jurisdiction of Jianghuai and other road planning departments was expanded from Road 9 to Road 11. By the time of Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty, the Electricity Division was still in charge of the mining and metallurgy industry in these eleven areas. Xu Yinglong mentioned in the regulations of the Ministry of Personnel: The whole department has always had the power of 11 roads, and the role is relatively light. These eleven roads include Tongchuanfu Road and Lizhou Road. 5. The establishment and management of grassroots mining and metallurgical organizations. The names and scales of grassroots mining and metallurgical management organizations vary, including supervision, metallurgy, services, fields, pits, etc. Chapter 1 has analyzed these institutions from the perspective of production scale and distribution area, and here we will analyze them from the perspective of government management. The top official at each type of mining site is called the overseer, who is mainly responsible for overseeing the mining and smelting process of minerals, the purchase and taxation of products, and various chores within the mine. Under the supervisor, there are specialized management officials, and some important mines also have patrol inspections and officers and soldiers with military ranks to prevent riots. Generally speaking, these mines belong to the management systems of the state and county Tidiankeng Smelting and Casting Company and various transportation companies. However, with the emergence of various concurrent management systems, the ownership rights will also change.