A Research On The Rise And Fall Of Jiang You Merchant Gang (1368---1911)

Jiang You Merchant Gang, one of the ten merchants in Ming and Qing dynasties China, ranks third at the time in economic strength, which had a great influence in China while declined early in China, leaving many lessons to Chinese history. This paper has studied the commercial activities as an economic overall during 500 years in Ming and Qing dynasties. This paper has answered following two questions from macro perspective, i.e., why can Jiang You Merchant Gang flourish and why did it decline? What status and roles did it have in Ming and Qing Dynasties? This paper argues that Jiang You Merchant Gang is the result of multiple factors. As for external economic environment, economic development in Ming and Qing dynasties and previous period has provided Jiang You Merchant Gang historic and realistic bases, meanwhile, national policy, channel change, military expanding and immigrants has provided the forced of propeller and promoted the development of Jiang You Merchant Gang. Nevertheless, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement and Western invasion, trade routes diversions have accelerated the decline Jiang You Merchant Gang. From its own perspective, its survival conditions due to the lack of land has deteriorated, Jiangxi has good natural resources and economy and every people there with high quality equipped with all kinds of skills, which has promoted the Development of Jiang You Merchant Gang. However, deep-rooted Confucian culture, weak capital consciousness, no necessary institutional guarantee, assuming more social responsibility finally led to its decline.This paper can be divided into three parts:introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction part firstly pointed out the purpose of the study and its significance, and then outline the status, research ideas, methods and innovations of the study on Jiang You Merchant Gang as well as defining some concepts of Jiang You Merchant Gang to establish the most basic elements of the research. Then there is the body part. Chapter 1 is about the rise of Jiang You Merchant Gang. Business in Jiangxi benefited from excellent geographical location and convenient traffic, coupled with abundant natural resources and human resources. In Tang and Song dynasties, its economic development of agricultural economy and handicrafts promoted the economic development of Jiangxi province. Chapter 2 is about the development of Jiang You Merchant Gang. Wars brought Jiang You Merchant Gang development opportunities. Where there were wars, there were business prosperousness.Either unification of the Ming dynasty or Qing Imperial Court crushing San Fan brought Jiangxi merchants business. Hubei and Sichuan depopulated due to war, and "Jiangxi filled huguang" and "huguang fill Sichuan" brought dividends to the businessman in Jiangxi province. Because of this, there appeared four big towns of Jiang You Merchant Gang in Jiangxi, which were also powerful in the biggest towns in the country, played very important roles in the government economy in the Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty. Chapter 3 is about the peak of Jiang You Merchant Gang. With the restoration and development of Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty, Jiang You Merchant Gang reached the peak by the middle of the Qing dynasty. In order to reflect Jiang You Merchant Gang’s pomp, this paper focused on its prosperity of business, economic and commerce of the towns. Chapter 4 is about the decline Jiang You Merchant Gang. Jiang You Merchant Gang is big, but not very strong because they neither have the monopoly of business Tycoon nor official protection. So there appeared business shrunk, declining economic status in late Qing dynasty. Especially in modern times trade routes and trade Center changed after the 5 ports and it began to appear marginalized. Especially under the blow of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement, there appeared disrupted market, previous savings channels of funding by the Government and the Taiping army in a variety of abduction and commercial axis position is changed. Jiangxi became a common inland province. Jiang You Merchant Gang eventually declined.The conclusion part discusses the social status and social development of the business. From the aspects of whole society, the concept of hierarchical social status of ancient Chinese people made it close to markets.Therefore,under the invasion of the forces of the overseas, the Qing government’s portal opened. The feudal society’s own business culture stepped towards the end and replaced by modern business model.In summary, Jiang You Merchant Gang, originated from survival needs, making use of local resources and position to develop trade. The war and the immigrant promoted its development. But due to its conservative commercial idea, lacks the commercial spirit and the system innovation, the trade prosperity of Jiang You Merchant Gang vanished along with resources and geographic superiority forfeit. Therefore the resources and the environment are the keys to commercial prosperity or decline. The commercial social status is the commercial driving force, while the commercial culture, the commercial spirit and the system innovation is the social core competitive power which the enterprise long-time does not fade away.