榷茶
Term · History
tea monopoly
Literal meaning
monopolise + tea
Definition#
State monopoly of tea purchase and sale, and more broadly official control and taxation of tea. A tea tax began in 793; Wang Ya's attempted monopoly of 835 was dropped after his death; the Song made monopoly basic policy with 榷货务 offices and official tea sites, later replaced by merchant permits (茶引).
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | tea monopoly state monopoly on tea trade translation |
Also acceptable
|
| Deutsch | staatliches Teemonopol Staatsmonopol auf Teehandel translation |
Also acceptable
|
| Русский | государственная чайная монополия казённая монополия на чай translation |
Also acceptable
|
| 简体字繁體字 | 榷茶 | |
| 日本語 | 茶の専売 |
Common confusions#
- Tang sources distinguish taxing tea (税茶) from monopolising it (榷茶); later usage blurs them.