各省关协饷是左宗棠西征时期的主要军费来源。在经过海防与塞防之争后,原支持西征的各省关协饷大量削减,使左宗棠不得不采用借用外债和裁兵的措施,来挽救西征的财政危机。与此同时,华北地区的丁戊奇荒也对华北数省的协饷征收产生了较大影响。 Provincial rates are the main source of military expenditures during the Tsun-tung monarchy. After the dispute between Haiphong and Sentinel Defense forces, the substantial reduction in the rates for various provinces that originally supported the Western Expedition left Zuo Zongtang forced to resort to measures of borrowing foreign debts and disarmament to help save the fiscal crisis in the West. In the meantime, the dilemma in Dingbei in North China also had a significant impact on the collection of rates in several provinces of North China.