東亞海洋貿易中的印度棉織品：以1630至1650年代的臺灣為例

Indian Cotton Textiles in East Asia Maritime Trade: The Case of Taiwan, 1630s-1650s

1624年，荷蘭東印度公司（VOC）在臺灣設立了商館，此後臺灣成為VOC不斷擴展的海上貿易網絡中的關鍵節點。除作為轉口貿易港外，臺灣還出口當地產品，如鹿皮、鹿肉和蔗糖。其中，蔗糖主要由來自中國的移民生產，而與島上原住民社群交易，則可獲得與鹿相關的產品。來自中國或印度的棉織品，常用來換取這些商品，特別是用來與原住民交易。本文探討了印度棉織品（如cangan、bafta、guinees lywaet和salempouris）從蘇拉特（Surat）和科羅曼德爾（Coromandel）進口至臺灣的數量與價格，並進一步分析，在中國內亂可能導致棉織品供應中斷的背景下，印度棉織品在臺灣所造成的社會與文化影響。本文特別關注印度棉織品替代中國棉織品的情況，以及其對島上居民，尤其是原住民所造成的影響。本研究旨在深化對近代早期東亞海洋貿易中，對於物質交換的理解，並突顯臺灣處於歐洲、中國和印度商業體系交會處，所具備的獨特商品流通景觀。

In 1624, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) established a factory in Taiwan, which subsequently became a vital node in the VOC’s expanding maritime trading network. In addition to serving as an entrepôt, Taiwan exported local products like deerskin, venison and sugar. While sugar is primarily produced by Chinese immigrant settlers, deer-related products were acquired through trade with the island’s Indigenous communities. Cotton textiles, sourced from either China or India, were commonly exchanged for these products, particularly with Indigenous peoples. This article examines the quantities and prices of cotton textiles such as cangan, bafta, guinees lywaet, and salempouris imported to Taiwan from Surat and Coromandel. It further explores the social and cultural impacts of Indian cotton textiles in Taiwan during a period when domestic turmoil in China likely disrupted its supply to Taiwan. Special attention is given to the role of Indian textiles as substitutes and their influence on the island’s inhabitants, especially the Indigenous population. This study contributes to a broader understanding of early modern material exchange in maritime East Asia and highlights Taiwan’s unique commodity landscape at the crossroads of European, Chinese, and Indian commercial systems.