水利開發與地區發展互動之研究：以頭前溪北岸九芎林為例（1775-1945）

Abstract

本論文以區域性土地開墾與水利的興築，帶動地區農業、商業的經濟發展，使該區域人文地理與經濟環境變遷為研究主軸核心。強調「水資源」的利用性，對區域經濟發展的重要依靠度。在水利發展的過程中，宗族組織、社群活動、祭祀信仰，形成一系列的水利灌溉共同體。水利社群與信仰引發墾民互動的核心價值觀，帶動聚落農村區域性的農業經濟發展。 在人類歷史的軌跡中可追尋發現，人與自然環境界中，沒有任何一方能單獨產生全面性的結果，兩者之間，亦無可避免地持續性相互形塑與影響。由於「水資源」在缺水區域形成一種「經濟財」，對農業社會的人們而言，區域性開發與自然界相抗衡，在既有的條件下興築水利之榮，才能得水資源之利。在相互抗衡過程中，人與水資源產生互動之後，原有草萊之地，由於「水田化」的環境條件下有了革命性劇變，由蠻荒之地成沃肥千里的稻田穀倉，不但改變了自然地貌與環境景觀，也分佈了經濟、社會之環境發展產生影響。因此，在探討研究自然與人類，因果回饋與循環的開發雙向關係時，區域性水利開發是個很好的相關典範。 本研究者世居頭前溪沖積平原北側－「九芎林地區」，故以頭前溪北岸平原的拓墾、水利設施為主要研究探討對象，九芎林開墾之後，因頭前溪水源豐沛，水圳設施隨之興起。自清領1785（乾隆50年）以降，姜勝智與劉承豪所築九芎林地區第一條水圳「下山圳」，至日治1921（大正10年）下三崁店圳的重修後段圳路，石壁潭新圳於1941（昭和16年）開濬築成，在一百多年間，水圳網絡交錯於九芎林的阡陌之間，造就了經濟價值頗大的農經產業，帶動九芎林地區經濟繁榮蓬勃發展。以台灣經濟開發史研究的觀察出發點，水圳本身與經濟發展是一個地區開發繁榮的因子，在概況略述其開埤設圳背景後，即轉向農業經濟與墾殖經過，再以社會環境變遷的意象研究為其軸心。本論文先架構出二百多年前頭前溪北側平原九芎林地區的原始地貌景觀，其次探討移墾漢人與自然環境互動模式，此一模式在反映出，當時漢人對自然地理環境觀的改變，而水圳開發所衍生人文活動、水利社群、祭祀信仰之關聯性，與自然環境變遷、農業經濟的興起等，有助於說明人類墾殖與自然環境的因果關係。 本研究期望以新的取向來整合研究結果，首先是延長研究時間尺度，以清代、日治時代跨越農業經濟時代、社會變遷發展的意義，再以研究範圍加廣，將自然因素納入分析，同時以人類與自然環境間的雙向影響，作為本論文的主題。以上論點有別於以往研究者之觀點。

This paper focuses on the change of regional human settlements and environment owing to the development of irrigation. Since man can’t live without the influence of the natural environment, the interaction and compromise between human beings and mother nature keep going on all the time. There is no doubt that in early agrarian society water resources were absolutely crucial to regional, economic development. And, during the development, local clan organization, social activities and religious worship gradually formed a link in the form of an “irrigation community” which promoted the regional expansion. The object of the research, Jiucyonglin is located at the northern area of the Touqian River. Cultivation in Jiucyonglin began in 1785. Ever since then, due to the abundant water resources, a web of irrigation canals were constructed one by one, which brought about the expansion of the prosperous, agricultural economy of this area during the following century. This study first tried to frame the primitive landforms and landscape of the northern plain of the Touqian River, and then to explore the interaction patterns between the natural environment and the migrating, Han people. The human activities, the evolving relationship between society and belief, the changes in the natural surroundings and the rising of an agricultural economy, spurred by the development of irrigation canals, help us to interpret the cause and effect relationship between the development and cultivation of the wilderness and the taming of the natural environment. This study expects to reach a new orientation towards the integration of research results, that is, to extend the scale of the research timeline, including the Chin Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period, to examine the meaning of social changes. Furthermore, in order to see the two-way influence between human beings and the natural environment, an analysis of natural elements is added to broaden the research range. And these are also a feature of the paper.