| Ecological environment in eastern Sichuan and western Hubei affects the local residents and all the community thoroughly～a lower standard of living, tough and strong personality; pragmatic and enterprising spirit; the style of production intensifying internal feelings and ethical awareness of residents; the relative isolation of the ecological environment changing local society slowly. This paper tries to explain the local socio-economic changes by the most profound demographic factors as a starting point. The local residents are divided into local Aboriginal residents (Aboriginal actually is every historical period before immigrants localization) and Immigrants of the Qing Dynasty. This paper tries to explain the local socio-economic changes by the most profound demographic factors as a starting point. The local residents are divided into local Aboriginal residents (Aboriginal actually is every historical period before immigrants localization) and Immigrants of the Qing Dynasty. The article focused on the analysis of the Qing Dynasty immigrants, especially the continuation process of the immigration before the mid-Qing Dynasty to eastern Sichuan and western Hubei. The region can be divided into three varieties: strategic areas (including the mountains of the strategic region), remote mountains region in ruling of the original land department, remote mountains region non-managed by the original land department. The time of accommodating immigrants is different. from the late 17th century, the first variety started the process of continuing immigration, the second, third at least early in the 18th century began to immigrants and its climax occurred in the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. In the process of immigration of eastern Sichuan and western Hubei, at least three issues are worthy of noting: one, the settlers had a difficult trip, life was unstable and crafts was extremely difficult in the mountain region in early time; two, Land disputes are more common in initial time of immigration, occupying boundary, subleasing, reselling and looting land often caused fights even murder, which shows early highly complex relation of immigration in community; three, immigrants plays a very important role in the development of local economy. If the local economic development can be divided into four stages, the fourth period (that is, from the middle of the 18th century to the 19th century) is the most important period for immigration, is the period of fastest development of economy and is the period of the local economic development the largest impacted by immigrants. |
