A Tentative Study Into Bureaucracy Trading In Ming Dynasty

Bureaucracy trading began in Wei and Jin Dynasties which rose in Tang and Song dynasties and at the peak of its development in Ming dynasty. It refers primarily to bureaucracy using their privileges to make profit privately in violation of state commands. Although this phenomenon has not been deep in academic study, it should be one of important research topics about the history of Ming dynasty for its impact.After the founding of Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor, implemented a series of measures to make that the social productive forces made a rapid recovery and development in the light of historical experience and lessons. Especially in the latter period of the dynasty, the state was in prosperity. Commodity economy was in a rapid development. At the same time, businessmen status gradually improved and social change occurred. People's traditional morality shifted from thrift to luxury gradually. Trading also prevailed.Bureaucratic noble, as social ranking figures, were equally affected by social changes. Their greed for wealth has continuously deepened, and joined in business in order to gain more wealth. Early Ming Dynasty, as the constraint of moral and legal, the number of bureaucrats in the business was small. with the development of commodity economy, this phenomenon had became popular to the latter period of the dynasty, and even the highest ruler of the nation—the emperor also joined in business.Bureaucracy trading in Ming Dynasty was due to the prosperity and development of commodity economy. Although it gave the traditional thinking a tremendous impact, we can not evaluate positively. Bureaucracy trading, which was predatory and deceptive, made direct impacts on the normal development of commodity economy and damaged the interests of ordinary people and businessmen. Also it exacerbated social contradictions of Ming Dynasty. At the same time, bureaucracy trading stimulated the greed of wealth extent, intensified the corruption of Ming Dynasty, and accelerated the collapse of the government.