A Study On Compradors And The Economic Development In Modern History Of China (1840-1927)

The issue of compradors is of extremely importance in the modern history of China and played a striking role in the economic history of modern China. As a part of the bourgeois, compradors are strategically important for the economic development, social transformation and cultural transplantation of modern China. The paper tries to analyze compradors' activities for the development of modern economy in the long run from a historical angle, in which the modernized theory and the positivism research method are applied for the analysis and research of the comprador class in a practical way. The full content is divided into six chapters, being summarized as follow:Chapter 1: To discuss the relation between compradors and modern commerce. Commerce is an important link in the social economic activities. Since the Opium War, Chinese capitalist industry and commerce started and gained growth under the influence of foreign capitalism. The course of modernization in China is always driven by the development and prosperity of modern commerce. As an important element of Chinese commercial bourgeois, the rise of compradors indicates the rise of the entire businessmen class. Compradors had played an important role in modern commerce especially in the development and prosperity of such industries as cotton fabric, metal parts, department store, western medicine as well as trade of silk and tea. Compradors had accumulated huge capital in a short term via different channels, which is helpful for the enhancement of their social status and political strength and lays a solid foundation for their capital transfer from circulating field to the production field (including the traffic transport industry).Chapter 2: To discuss the important role that compradors played in the generation and development of modern industry of national capital. In the course of generation and development of modern industry of national capital, compradors had invested huge fund in such national industries as machinery manufacture, filature, cotton texture, mine and others including match, flour, paper making and printing etc., and run a series of industrial or mineral enterprises, making great contribution for the industrialization of modern China. We shall sufficiently affirm the exploration and practice that compradors had made for the industrialization of modern China.Chapter 3: To discuss the activities that compradors had carried out in the traffic transport (shipping) industry, public utility and real estate industry of modern China. Compradors not only invested huge in modern industrial and mineral fields, but also acted remarkably in the traffic transport (shipping) industry, public utility and real estate industry of modern China. They had made certain contribution for the development of modern traffic transport industry and city construction. Chapter 4: To discuss compradors' status and function in financial industry. In the modernization process of financial industry, compradors not only devoted themselves to the management of modern financial industry and put in lots of money, but also introduced the modern financial concept of the west, participated in the management of money house, bank, insurance and security. Compradors promoted Chinese financial modernization to a great extent.Chapter 5: To discuss compradors' status and function in chamber of commerce - the modern economic group (the late Qing Dynasty). The establishment of chamber of commerce marked the formation of Chinese modern bourgeoisie. Compradors, as an indispensable part of Chinese modern bourgeoisie, played an important role in the building up of modern chambers of commercial. In the leading level of the chambers of commerce in Shanghai, Tianjin and Hankou, compradors took a remarkable position. Leaders of commercial chambers represented by compradors took an active part in a series of economic activities that accelerates the development of capitalism in China.Chapter 6: To discuss compradors' status and function in chamber of commerce - the modern economic group, which was active in Shanghai at the beginning of the Republic of China. Accordingly chambers of commerce developed and expanded in all corners of china. The development of chamber of commerce not only made its tenet, target, function much clear, but also perfected its organization and setup, such as building up labor advising union and merchandise showroom; enhancing commercial education as well as originating commercial journals. The chambers of commerce continued to play the important communicative and linking role, which could not be substituted by other organizations or individuals.In a word, in modern society, it's not deniable that it is comprador rather than others who originated modern capitalistic enterprise effectively, earlier and in a great number. Compradors are builders of new production relation and destructors of the old one. They are elites of commerce and the main force for the modernization of early economic movement. It also leads to the profound changes in the modern Chinese society. Compradors are the backbone in the modern economic commercial chambers, and commercial chambers worked as a stage for their performances. Compradors dramatically promoted the economic development of modern China.