A Study On The Chinese Merchant And The Chinese Society In Macao In The Late Qing

Experts who specify the history of Macao often neglect the subjects on Chinese Merchants and Chinese Community during the late Qing period. This article attempts to reestablish thoroughly the structure of the Chinese and Chinese merchants in late Qing Macao on the basis of abundant historical resources. By doing this, it tries to stretch the research on the history of Macao from unclassified Sino-Portugal's relations to the local Chinese circles in Macao.Several questions have been discussed in this article: the background in which the Chinese merchants grew up in Macao after the Opium War; the initiation and promotion of Macao's economic modernization by the Chinese merchants as the biggest commercial group; the different ways that some outstanding Chinese merchant families developed by; the modernization progress of the Chinese merchant organizations and the transition of Chinese social structures;In this article, it finds: firstly, the economy of Macao is controlled completely by the Chinese with the Chinese merchants grasped all the economic fields after the Opium War. At that time, the status of the Chinese merchants is dominative instead of dependent in the early period; secondly, the Chinese merchants can achieve their political express through different ways when they began to take some important functional posts in the Macao government after the year of 1880; thirdly, the organizations of the Chinese merchants towards modernization gradually from the beginning of Ma Zu temple to the foundation of the Chamber of commerce of Macao; fourthly, although the Chinese society in Macao was transferred from the agricultural to the commercial, the Bao Jia system was still the assistant force for the Macao political power in Taipa, Coloano islands. Besides, the ethical thoughts and behavior of the Chinese merchants was of vital importance to the society and it contributed to the multiple culture of Macao; fifthly, the Chinese merchants began to join the Portugal nationality and pay taxes so as to exist and devolp. And at the same time, they were forced to involve in the political strive of the late Qing. This kind of duple behavior and attitude became their typical way of existence in the special political and economical circumstances.In brief, it concludes that the economy of Macao in late Qing is the economy of the Chinese merchants. They are the soul of the Macao and the whole law system of the Macao administration was in theirs needs. Their contribution and involvements in the Macao's politics, economy, and the society transferred Macao to the modernization. The vital importance of the Chinese merchants tells that the Chinese merchants and the Chinese society in late Qing, as a new academic branch, deserves abroad attention and continuing.