Qing Dynasty Hunan Mining Development

This thesis discusses the mining exploitation of Hunan Province in Qing Dynasty,including the background of the spring up of the mining industry once again in Qingdynasty, the distribution, rise and fall of the mining exploitation, the management andadministration, the conflicts and their solve in the mining exploitation, the out put of theminerals, the influence of the mining exploitation, and the development of miningindustry after the modern industry's appearance during late Qing Dynasty. This thesis restores and discusses the distribution and change during Kangxi toTongzhi times, that is the tradition mining industry's period, with full and accuratematerial. According to this discussion, there is great region difference in the miningexploitation of casting coin minerals, which including copper, lead, zinc and tin. It hasformed the three –level-distribution-pattern with Chenzhoua and Guiyangzhou as thecenter. The exploitation of other minerals has its center, too. Thus thecomprehensive-distribution-pattern of the mining exploitation of Hunan Province isformed. The exploitation region of multiple metal minerals with Zhenzhou andGuiyangzhou as the center in the south of Hunan Province is the most developed region.The influence factor comes from the feature of the resources distribution, society,culture and technology. The feature of the resources distribution is the most obvious one.This distribution pattern demonstrates the embryonic form of the one in now days, andshows the range and quality of the mining exploitation in this period from one side.During Kangxi to Tongzhi times, the mining industry experiences a rise, flourishing anddecline, and the Qianlong times is the most flourishing period, the change of the miningindustry of casting coin minerals is the most distinct one. The influence factor of thechange comes from system and technology both, and the standstill of the technology isthe most important reason which causes the decline and unable to recover of the miningindustry of casting coin minerals in the early days of Jiaqing times. With the discussion of the management and administration in the mining industry,this thesis comes to one viewpoint that the policy about the mining industry is tight andflexible, and the control of government is very strict. Under this condition, thoughviolation exists, its influence and scale is under control. The mining industry policy ismodified insistently in the practice and conflict, and it also guides and affects theexploitation after the modification. By some conflict incidents, the thesis demonstrates 6this viewpoint again. In the modification and practice of the mining industry policy, theopposition to mining from the local society acts importantly, which is lead by thegentlemen. Another viewpoint is that Hunan Province is a very important district in the castingcoin industry in the empire, just behind Yunnan Province, according the estimation ofthe yield of the casting coin minerals. But this position cannot stand for this Province'seconomy position in the empire, for the promotion of the mining exploitation in localeconomy is limited. The mining exploitation also affects the local safety, currenttendencies in society, environment and the late exploitation. Since the backwardtechnology and scale, the affection in environment is limited, too. The Hunan Mining Industry General Bureau's founding in 1895 is a turning ofmining industry in Hunan Province, and it marks the modern mining industry's birth.This thesis also describes the development and distribution of the mining industry in thelate Qing Dynasty in Hunan Province. It comes to another viewpoint that thedevelopment of modern mining industry, especially the antimony's discover and itsachievement, establishes the position of Hunan Province's mining industry in thecountry again. Since the technology and capital is insufficient, and the old tendenciesand idea...