The Study Of Hui Merchants’ Confucianization In The Ming Dynasty

The main contribution of this thesis is to explain the phenomenon of Hui merchants’Confucianization with the view of economic evolution instead of long-term structuralism analysis. The phenomenon of Hui merchants’Confucianization is an unique social and cultural process, as a part of social and economic evolution during Jiajing & Wanli era in the Ming dynasty. Low-level public services provided by government, inpersonized transactions, Wo Luan(倭乱)and ban policy on maritime trade, hierarchy merchant network and other factors complicatedly affected the process, which is motivated by reducing transaction cost and organizing a larger network by Hui merchants.In detail, there are five new findings.1. Clarifying the formation of several concepts. Through the analysis of territorial merchant terms such as Hui Shang(徽商),Hui Gu(徽贾),She Shang(歙商),She Gu(歙贾)etc., it is find out that there are two new evidences may reinforce Wang Zhenzong’si(王振忠)assertion that Hui Shang(徽商)terms were shaping in Zhengde era not in Cheng Hua and Hong Zhi era. The term of She Gu(歙贾)appeared almost at the same time as Hui Shang(徽商),while the others are quite late and not chronicle. Through the analysis of the term Bang(帮),Shang Bang(商帮),Hui Bang(徽帮), it is find out that the term of Shang Ban(商帮)appears in an article wrote in Fujian during late Ming, Shang Bang(商帮)organization may be traced to Jiajing 43(1564),and the term of Hui Bang(徽帮)come to use during late Qing and early Minguo. It seems that the extent to which Hui merchants was organized is over-estimated.2. Huizhou farmland prices indicate Hui merchants’ capital flow. The trend of Huizhou farmland prices during Ming dynasty, as discussed in former scholarships, was an ’inverted-U’ or ’straight-line’ curve. Both interpretations are wrong for two reasons. First, Huizhou farmland price data before Tianqi era were over-estimated by neglecting the effect of tax delay on farmland property transactions (TDFPT). Second, the explanation efficiency of average Mu price widely used in Huizhou studies is deteriorated by the evolving differences between Mu and Tax mu, and also strictly constricted by the high-degree variation of Mu Price. Considering the TDFPT factor, we replace Mu price with’the Ratio of Price to Annual Rent’which exhibits an ’N-shape’ growth, rather than an ’inverted-U’ or a ’straight-line’. The N-shape curve is the result of Hui merchants’ capital influx into salt industry and pawn broking from farmland during Jiajing era, and the reverse flow during Wanli era.3. Depicting the number of Jinshi(进士)and Juren(举人)tendency curve of six counties in Huizhou in 1370-1826, it is find out that the gaps between the six counties are quite obvious. The numbers of Jinshi(进士)and Juren(举人)in Xiunin(休宁)re more and more close to Shexian(歙县).The numbers of Jinsh进士)and Jure(举人)in Wuyuan(婺源)and Qimen(祁门)shrinks from early Ming to late Ming and Qing, while the numbers of Jinshi(进士)and Juren(举人)in Yi(黟)and Jixi(绩溪)stay put. It shows that a better performance in Keju(科举)before commercialization does not necessarily come to merchants’Confucianization.4. Discussing the You Dao(游道)of Hui merchants in the network and clearfying the concepts of Ke Gang(客纲),Ke Ji(客纪),Ke Zhang(客长),and Shang Gangi(商纲).Ke Gangi(客纲)and Ke Jil(客纪),also named Ke Zhang(客长)in Chenghuai(成化)era, was a position between salt merchants and government. Ke Gang(客纲)Ke Ji(客纪)in foreign trade is a leading position of guest merchants, not a transport organization. Shang Gang(商纲)in wood trade, also refers to merchant leader. In late Ming literature, Ke Zhangi(客长)is used to respect common travellers, not only merchants. With the influence and power of Ke zhang(客长)increased, the merchants network became more like a hierarchy.5. Discussing the emerging concepts of several merchant categories such as Lian Gu(廉贾),Yin Gu(隐贾),Shi Gu(诗贾),Ru Gu(�'贾)in the remuneration literatures during the Ming dynasty. Through the view of identity economics, the economy of remuneration and Hui merchants’ luxurious spent are also examined. Remuneration(润笔)is a mechanism of creating social categories and reducing transanction cost, while luxurious spent may be viewed as an "economic" behavior as to increasing identity investment.