The Economic Development And Social Change In Yuanjiang River Basin During Ming And Qing Dynasty

This thesis selected Ming and Qing Dynasty in the Yuanjiang River basin between the Xuefeng and Wuling Mountains of Hunan-Guizhou border zone to an empirical study on the history of the economic development, among them, focus on the agricultural development, industrial and commercial development, as well as relevant social change. On this basis, we further explored the experiences and lessons of the economic development in the mountain region more than one nationalities lived together, as well as the relationship between society and economic.At first, by introducing natural and political geography of the Yuanjiang River basin, and then describing the research background and status, the author bring forward the issues to be discussed, as well as the research ideas.This article is divided into five chapters to discuss.In Chapter One, the author investigated the population change of the Yuanjiang River basin during Ming and Qing Dynasty. Deploying of human resources is fundamental aspects of regional economic development. Before the Ming Dynasty, a large number of population migrated into the Yuanjiang River basin, laid the foundation of economic development in Ming and Qing period. In the beginning of Ming Dynasty, the set up of Guizhou make the Yuanjiang River basin becoming the key access path conect Huguang with Yunnan-Guizhou region. Not only the development of Yunnan and Guizhou bring many people into the Yuanjiang River basin, but also the military system of Ming Dynasty lived with more than tens of thousands of soldiers in the Yuanjiang River basin. All these migrations make the Yuanjiang River basin’s population increased evidently, witch speed up the development. In Qing period, much number of migrations lived in the Yuanjiang River basin, because of cultivating the wasteland, business, and etc, so that a climax of economic development appeared.In Chapter Two, the author takes agricultural development as the study object. The level of agricultural development determined the basis of economy. Before Ming period, the agricultural of Yuanshui basin was in extensive stage. From then on,the agricultural of Yuanshui basin embark on the road of Approaching advanced level. This chapter at first focuses on a watershed study of the land reclamation process and its results, performance and evolution of water conservancy construction. And then convection within the crops, including food crops and cash crops are described and analyzed. Author believes that the land reclamation in period of Ming focus on plain, valley, basin, and low hill, thus effection limited. In the period of Qing, larger scale of land reclamation carried out, therefore the land utilization of Yuanshui basin arrived the limit. On the water conservancy construction, only a few places had results in Ming Dynasty. The most in-depth development take placed in Qing Period, but appeared some lessons. Crops planting occurrenced an evolution of promoting rice planting and corn and sweet potatoes planting. Because of difficult of water conservancy construction and extensive of agricultural technology, the food crops of Yuanshui basin can not solve the problem of food. Economic crops planting including Tung tree, Camellia Wax tree and Timber obtained a large scale of development, but created serious consequences. The agricultural development of Ming and Qing Dynasty in the Yuanjiang River basin attained tremendous progress, but cannot solve the food problem and rich difficult as structural imbalance and low level.Chapter Three discussed the business and handicraft industry in Yuanshui basin. The development of handicraft industry is the foundation of social labor division. Before Ming period, the business and handicraft industry in Yuanshui basin be in backwardness extremely, only in Qing Dynasty, the business and handicraft industry realized obvious progress. This chapter explored textile industry, mining industry, extracts oil industry, and lumber industry, pointed that contribution of artisan outside areas were important. During Qing dynasty, the commercialization of conduct in basin was in certain extent. On this condition, the all Yuanshui basin established maket system through whole country, with many businessmen merchant of outside areas. The regional economic development obtained unprecedented progress. Above all, the maket is in the low level for insufficient growth.Chapter Four investigated the social change of Yuanjiang River basin. The growing economic development profoundly affected the regional social change. In order to understand the effect of regional economic development, we should assess the property, direction and speed of regional social change. This paper explored the clan, gentry, ethnic groups and social life of the basin. The author believe that the development of lineages was slow, still to the Qing times popularized the middle and upstream of Yuanjiang River. At the same time, the grouth of gentry class was limited, and the conflict of ethnic groups performed frequently. The social life improved slowly.In Chapter Five, the author searched region difference of the economic development in Yuanjiang basin. On account of large area in Yuanshui river basin, the natural and social conditions of every part were very different, therefore the regional economic development in Yuanjiang river basin showed notable difference. This chapter specifically described the economic difference of different regions, as well as the cause, specially the county internal social economic difference.The last part of this paper is the conclusion. The author described the relationship among population change, agricultural development, business, and handicraft industry, not only emphasized those social reasons that restricted the economic development except for nature factors, but also discussed the impaction of economic development on the social change. Finally, the author summarized the feature and law about the relationship between economic development and social change.