The Study On The Opium Abolition Campaign And Finance In The New Policy Of Late Qing Dynasty

In the early 20th century, Qing dynasty carried out a series of social reformational policies in order to remedy its political power being at the edge of perdition. The opium abolition campaign was one of the most important measures. In the process of banning opium Qing dynasty made up its mind to throw away criminal opium tax and got remarkable achievement. But the trouble of opium had existed for a long time, the revenue of opium had been the main foundation of the late Qing dynasty. Though the Qing dynasty had taken the corresponding financial measures, the deep development of the opium abolition movement still aggravated the late Qing dynasty's economic crisis which, in turn, made the movement restricted. This paper studies the opium abolition movement and the complicated relation between it and finance, rationally research the. Qing dynasty's dilemma of the anti-opium and finance during the New Policy, and expects to advance the study of the New Policy in the late Qing dynasty.This paper is divided into three parts:The first part is the summery of the opium abolition movement in the late Qing dynasty. Factors, which are the embarrassed economy of the late Qing dynast, favorable international circumstances of anti-opium, rising of the modern nationalism in China and the appeal of the intellectuals, led to the opium abolition movement during the New Policy. The Qing government promulgated a lot of orders of banning opium, organized official and civilian anti-opium group, and signed the treaties of anti-opium with the western imperialists, so it made remarkable result in banning planting, mongering and smoking.In the second part, it analyses the effect of banning opium policies on finance of the late Qing dynasty, narrates and remarks on the financial measures. Firstly, it pointes out that opium-tax was important station in the financial system of the late Qingdynasty. In succession, it set forth the enormous influence of the movement on the finance of late Qing dynasty. The government took many measures to increase the revenue, but that accelerated its perdition. This measures included adding tax of opium, originating stamp tax, promoting price of salt, taxing the contracts of farmland and house and exploiting mine, etc.The third part reconsiders the opium abolition movement of the financial dilemma. The opium abolition movement contradicts the revenue very much. Though the Qing government got remarkable achievement and controlled the turnout and vendition of opium during the movement, the revenue reduced because of it. The Qing dynasty had to look for new tax, which sharpened the conflict of the society. This article concludes three historic revelations on the basis of studying the policy of banning opium of the later Qing.In the conclusion, the paper makes appraisal generally to the opium abolition movement and relation between the movements and finance at the end of Qing dynasty.