Merchants,Merchant Groups And Local Society:Research On The Chengdu Merchants’ Association(SHANG MIN XIE HUI)(1925-1931)

The Merchants’ Association is a merchant organization launched by the two parties of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party for the movement of business people before and after the Northern Expedition.It aims to win over merchants to support the revolution.According to existing studies,the Chengdu Merchants’ Association is different from Wuhan and Shanghai.The Chengdu Merchants’ Association was set up by the vice president and helper director from the General Chamber of Commerce,they are dissatisfied with the Chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce who exercise exclusive rights and unfair fund-raising assessment,and decide to split from the it.finally,the Chengdu Merchants’ Association was set up and become the organizations which represent the interests of businesses and is independent of the government’s behalf.A few years later,in the process of reorganizing Business organization,the Chengdu Merchants’ Association replaced the General Chamber of Commerce and occupied a leading position.When the Chengdu Merchants’ Association was established,it removed a large number of business associates from the Chamber of Commerce and formed the division of local merchant organizations.However,this process was accompanied by the background of the Promotion of the Sichuan Army and the Popular Movement.Therefore,this article observes the establishment of the Chengdu Merchants’ association from two perspectives.On the one hand,it focus on the changes of the political environment of Chengdu before and after the Promotion of the Sichuan Army,mainly referring to the development of the Left Party Department and the Popular Movement,the Sichuan warlord’s attitude toward the revolutionary trend,etc.;on the other hand,it focus on the internal contradictions of the General Chamber of Commerce,and the entanglement of interests between businessmen.After the separation of the Chengdu Merchants’Association from the General Chamber of Commerce,it mainly involved disputes over money,public property,and business dominance.Shortly after the establishment of the Chengdu Merchants’ Association,it faced the huge political changes of the split between the KMT and the CCP.After the party was purged,the communist party members went underground.combined with the resistance of the warlords,it was difficult for the KMT local organizations to play a role.The Popular Movement in Chengdu entered a disorderly state.The Chengdu Merchants’ Association,in the face of the warlord authorities,has always maintained the principle of merchants’ interests.For example,in the chaotic financial situation in Chengdu,warlords privately cast light silver coins and money traders manipulated the money market,resulting in Financial confusion and currency devaluation,the Chengdu Merchants’ Association made every efforts to maintain the currency system;when Sichuan Warlord raise funds for battle from the business community,the Chengdu Merchants’ Association was brave enough to speak for small and medium-sized businessmen;in addition,the Chengdu Merchants’ Association led the strike against new appointment of stamp duty.After the establishment of the Nanjing National Government,the group of merchants was reorganized.After the promulgation of the Chamber of Commerce Act in 1929 and the orders of cancellation of the Merchants’ Association,the Chengdu General Chamber of Commerce and the Chengdu Merchants’ Association both had established a preparatory meeting for the new city chamber of commerce.The reconciliation was postponed until May 1931,The former members of the Chengdu Merchants’ Association accounted for more than half of the executive board seats of the City Chamber of Commerce.It can be said that the Chengdu Merchants’ Association replaced the Chengdu General Chamber of Commerce.