The Research Of The Silk Industry In Southwest Of Henan In Early 20th Century

The natural silk industry occupies leading position in household by- productions in southwest of Henan rural areas, like most areas of Central Plains. From the end of the 19th century, in the southwest of Henan area, natural silk industry stepped into its golden developing period under the guidance of international market. From the 1920s to 1930s, the integration of the agriculture, the industry and the trade began to appear in the process of its development. However, after the 1930s, its developing trend was on the wane abruptly. The paper has carried out the investigation and discussion on its development, fading causes, effects and historical roles on local economy, based on the process of the development.The main body of the paper is made up of five parts:Part I: Simple history is recollected.Part II: The situation analysis of natural silk job development. In the southwest of Henan area, natural silk industry is a comparatively entire estate chain, so this part includes development of silkworm-raising, silk-reeling industry, silk-weaving industry, and transportation and sale industry.Part III: The factors that promote the development of natural silk industry. It contains the fine basis, reform and administrative improvement, and the need of international market. Among them, the need of international market is the major factor.Part IV: Natural silk industry and local social economy as well as the decay of silk industry. It contains the effect on local social life and economic life together with its fading situations and causes.Part V: The limitation of the natural silk industry development. Although the development of natural silk industry in the southwest of Henan area once made great achievements, it actually extremely lagged behind, compared with that of the other areas at the same time.