The Opium Economy Of The Warlord Period Of The Republic Of China（1912-1935） ——Centered On The Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Region

During the period of the Republic of China the northwest area was the second largest opium producing area.The opium flood caused a series of social problems such as usury famine banditry etc.In the period of the Republic of China the opium problem in Shaanxi Gansu and Ningxia was not only a social problem but also an economic and political problem.The analysis of the opium problem in Shaanxi Gansu and Ningxia is helpful to understand the social and economic situation of northwest China in the period of the Republic of China.From the angle of economic history this paper studies the opium economy of Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region in the period of the Republic of China by using the relevant theories and methods of economics history and sociology.Such as the use of historical literature analysis of the Republic of Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region local archive newspapers magazines as well as the northwest expedition diary at the time of the relevant information;Using the market theory and the demand elasticity theory of economics to analyze the opium monopoly policy of the warlords of Shaanxi Gansu and Ningxia and using the relevant statistical data in historical data drawing the table to make qualitative and Quantitative analysis research on the issue of “The fine of tobacco per mu” the paper also makes a comparative analysis of Opium Tax and military expenditure in Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region fiscal revenue and expenditure.On the basis of drawing on the research results of predecessors,this paper sorts out the opium economic situation in various parts of Shaanxi,Gansu,and Ningxia during the period of different warlords through the structure of "warlords stimulating opium production and participating in opium trafficking operations,so as to increase fiscal revenue and solve the problem of military expenditure in the finances." In terms of content,first of all,it briefly introduces the smoking ban in the late Qing Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty,and introduces the financial problems of the Republic of China period.After that the author analyzes the opium planting area of Shaanxi Gansu and Ningxia under the opium policy of various warlords.Because of the difference of some data among different data the author calculates the real number through the analysis of farmland area tax revenue and so on.At the same time this paper discusses the Opium Trafficking and management in Shaanxi Gansu and Ningxia in the warlord period: The warlords took most of the profits from the operation of the tobacco houses as their own in the form of “Business license fee” it profited from opium traffickers in the form of “Opium sales tax” and military protectors and monopolized the opium market in the period of opium prohibition taking advantage of the inelastic demand of opium.On this basis this paper further analyzes the relationship between the opium economy and the fiscal revenue and the military expenditure.In Shaanxi Gansu and Ningxia the Independent Province the opium tax has surpassed the land tax as the largest source of the fiscal revenue with military expenditure as the largest item the warlords all rely on opium to pay military expenditure.That is the warlord ensured the production trafficking and management of opium in Shaanxi Gansu and Ningxia through various policies.Opium Fed back to the warlord government’s huge financial revenue through taxation and monopoly and supported the warlord’s military expenditure increasing year by year.Because of the special status of opium in the short-term economy the opium disaster in Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region was hard to get rid of during the warlord period.