The Coal-Mining Indnstry In Modern Shanxi Society (1895-1936)

To study the coal resource issue from the angle of social history, is a major view to study the region of Shanxi. The present study comprehensively and multi-dimensionally presents the influences of Shanxi coal-mining industry development (1895-1936) on the changes of regional society of Shanxi, via the analysis of interactive relations of coal resources and coal-mining industry with politics, economy and society in modern Shanxi . It is believed that the modern coal-mining industry of Shanxi developed from the confrontations between China and foreign countries, and between central and local beneficial conflicts. The movement of regaining the mining right indicated the appearance of heavily funded enterprises of national capital in modern Shanxi, and marks the beginning of the adoption of semi-mechanized mining techniques in Shanxi coal-mining industry history.What is more important is that, the consciousness of Shanxi people aroused by this incident of the rights to its resources, greatly influenced the modern social lives and ideology. At that time their conservative minds, attitudes and behaviors in terms of coal resources played a due role in defending the rights of the Chinese resources, and protecting the coal resource.The author considers the promulgation of "the Mining Law" by the central government in 1914 as an event with special meanings. On the one hand, it helps to reduce the resistance of feudalization to the development of capitalist coal-mining industry, and to encourage the investment in coal-mining industry from businessmen, so there came a boom of investment in Shanxi coal-mining industry, and that promoted the prosperity of coal-mining industry. Meanwhile, the law neglects the fact that the mines were redeemed with huge amounts of money by Shanxi people, so it violates the local interests.The Shanxi Parliament advocated that the coal-mining industry should be set as an special case in the Province. Shanxi Administration Bureau for Coal-Mining Affairs and Public Bureau for Coal-Mining proposed the open policy through co-operation in coal -mining industry and the conservation policy by setting public mining districts after their foundation. All those events reflected the interest conflicts over coal resources between local Shanxi and the central administration. In 1921, the conflict developed into a movement of returning Shanxi coal mines to the public. Though the tenet of the movement is not in accord with the modern coal-mining concept that all coal resources belonged to the country, the movement has not got substantive results. But it reveals an interactive relationship between the central government and local areas concerning natural resources. The paper also indicates that the exploitation of coal resource should take into consideration the interest relationship between the central government and local areas.The thesis exposes that, the development of its coal-mining industry is out of proportion with its position as a great coal-resource-rich province. Through the analysis of productive factors such as materials, capitals and labor, the author believes none of the three factors is a vital obstacle to the output of Shanxi coal-mining industry. And the development of modern coal-mining industry is restricted by the demand and transportation. The thesis demonstrates that the modern coal-mining industry in Shanxi has experienced a privately-run to officially-run change. Though the development is slow, it has promoted the modernization and industrialization of Shanxi, and deeply influenced its economy since the foundation of PRC. The findings show that the development of Shanxi's coal-mining industry was inevitably restricted by the social and political factors at that time, and it also affected the social transition of Shanxi, and the mine community reflected the social and economical prospects in changing Shanxi .