Grain Transportation Sailors In The Qing Dynasty

The population growth of the Qing dynasty was a manifestation of social prosperity, but it also brought a series of problems. The severity of these problems was deepened by the abnormal development of social land tenure. The government launched a series of new policies, such as the Tandingrumu policy, sharing poll taxation into fields. Poor and landless people were exempt from the suffering of poll taxation. Furthermore, due to the stop of population management system, they got more rights to personal liberty, thus speeding up the flow of population. Yellow river was the most flooding river in Qing dynasty, and the next is Huaihe River. Whenever there was a flood, the victims from Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Shandong and other provinces would try to make a living down south along the canal, or state highway. Water transport of grain lasted thousands of miles. Canals were shallow and rugged in Hebei and Shandong province. A lot of barge workers were required. As a result, a large number of homeless people were added to the water transport work. In1691, In order to maintain normal water transport, government sent one transport soldier per ship to assist water transport. The other nine were employed sailors. Since then, sailor employment in water transport was institutionalized.Civic participation in the basic water transport organization in the Qing dynasty was growing. Bannerman who selected as leader, together with the employed first helmsman and sailors, the entire water transport basic organizations were no less than100,000people. In addition, there were temporary employed boat trackers. The actual number of the canal water transport team maintained at more than100,000. Water transport sailors delivered canal grain and came back through many danger zones. The success of the transport ships sailing required mutual cooperation among sailors. Due to transport soldiers’erosion and criminal’s intrusion, mutual aid organizations emerged among the sailors. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasty, Luo religion spread among sailors. Sailors lived in the churches of Luo religion, eating vegetarian and chanting. They were converted to Luo religion over time. The Luo religion and mutual assistance water transport sailor organizations which combined in a civil form of religious organizations developed among sailors. During the Yongzheng and Qianlong period, Luo religious organizations within water transport sailor organizations became divided. In the middle of the Qianlong period, churches of Luo Religious transferred to old boats. The gang rights system inside Luo religious organizations had established. Luo religious organizations inside water transport sailors already have the main features of the secret societies. Differentiated from Luo religious organizations, small sectarian were mutually exclusive, forming confrontation in the entire Canal area.To make up for the lack of salary for the favor of shipped army, The Qing government allowed transport ships to carry a certain amount of duty-free goods, which called the Tuyi when re-shipped. Transportation of transport ships played a role in the prosperity of the city along the canal, which was conducive to the north-south flow of supplies, and reduced the price of capital. It’s beneficial to domestic economic prosperity and political stability. In order to obtain greater benefits, transport ships ignored government restrictions on the amount and type. From the perspective of gaining profit through shipping, the old officer considered transport ships as his own industry. It’s not a surprise that different gangs fight for transport ships. Activities of Transport ship sailors’ smuggled goods to some extent increased the cohesion of the sailors’ gang. After mid-Qing dynasty, water transport system was seriously flawed. There were corruptions and bribes among officials at all levels. In order to cope with the extortion, shipped army had to commit to the contraband trade, resulting in the contraband trade became more prosperous. In the late Qing period, the expansion of the water transport sailor forces played an important role in promoting the smuggling activities.The Taiping rebellion and the Yellow River diversion made canal stop an inevitable trend. Transport soldiers and sailors became one of the controversial topics of the society. During the period of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, water transport sailors’ problems really emerged. The sailors not only stirred up troubles because of unemployment, but also participated in the reactionary political forces. Unemployed sailors joined local forces, and its economy depended mainly on trafficking private salt. To a certain extent, the unemployment sailors went back to the contraband trade network. They still traded with the same old target as before. When the river transport stopped, unemployment sailors were exiled from the water transport system. Wondering members went back to the old social network.Water transport system provides the basis for the survival of the emergence of water transport sailors’ gangs. The drawbacks of the water transport system and the sailor’s living environment promoted the development of the sailors and the growth of gang forces. In order to stabilize the water transport order, government subsidies transport military and sailors while allowing goods, resulting in the emergence of contraband trade. The increase in the amount of the transport ship contraband trades, to some extent, strengthened the development of sailors’ gangs. Sailors’ gang also promoted the development of the contraband trade. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, water transport stopped, and sailors were dismissed. Water transport sailor gang organizations had been maintained and further spawned many gang organizations. In order to maintain the normal operation of the gang organization, unemployed sailors engaged in the old contraband trade, and maintained the social network and behavior patterns of the past.