A Study Of Usury Of The Gansu-Ningxia-Qinghai Rural In Republican China

In Republican China, usury of the Gansu-Ningxia-Qinghai rural is a weak link in the modem northwest social history research. As a socio-economic phenomenon prevailing in this region, usury in this period seems more pronounced. Large data indicate that in this period the farmers in this region were in general lending situation, and the lending was almost usury. Another remarkable thing is that its interest rate was higher than the national average. In order to reduce the risk of lending, hypothecate and mortgage existed in most loans, at the same time borrower's personal credit also hold an important position in the loans. Customs, habits and social environment in lending activities were clearly propitious to creditors, borrowers is completely at exploited status. Besides the traditional lending core—private and shops, monasteries, schools and Dexinghai firm also figure prominently. Landowners and wealthy merchants of Hui nationality also played an important role in lending activities.Popularity of usury of the Gansu-Ningxia-Qinghai rural in Republican China contacted closely with the social conditions at that time. Natural and man-made disaster made the farmers get in to an abject poverty situation (the influence of the "man-made disaster" were especially graveness), the frangibility of farming made the farmers had to borrowing, and the deficiency of the modern financial industry made the farmers' lending couldn't disengage the usury.Usury of the Gansu-Ningxia-Qinghai rural in Republican China aroused a multifaceted social impact. Cruel exploitation of usury made "the poor livelihoods was all monopolized by the rich", and the exploitation of usury became the main means of landowners;this situation led to significant changes in rural social structure;at the same time farmers became more poverty. Usury, contacted with the gambling, opium and the other vices triggered a series of social problems.