A Study On Cotton-planting Of North China In Ming & Qing Period

Though cotton was produced in foreign countries at the beginning ,it has been planted in China for more than two thousand years. Cotton began to enter into China as a tribute . There was precise records on cotton cultivation until the Han Dynasty.Though there are many records on cotton in history books of Han ,Wei,Jin,Southern and Northern,Sui and Tang Dynasty,it only limited to South China ,Jiangnan rigion and the Northwest Territories.Cotton which was actually developed in China is in Song Dynasty ,especially Southern Song Dynasty.It began to develop from the Yangtze River into Yellow River Basin.With the development of cotton,the government set up a dedicated regulatory to tax.It was first seen in :"Zhiyuan twenty-six years(1289) summer April , setting the Zhedong, Jiangdong , Jiangxi , Fujian ,kapok lifting division ,responsible for China-year-old Gong kapok 100,000".By the Ming danysty ,especially the middle and late Ming, cotton cultivation has spreaded all over the country, forming a state of"it was planted in land of North and South and poor or richer all depend it."Chinese cotton continued developing in Qing dynasty, especially the handmade cotton textile industry. American cotton was introduced in the end of Qing dynasty ,which was more significant in promoting Chinese cotton growing and cotton textile industry. But in the Republican period ,cotton production put into a recession because of the impact of the national government corruption and foreign invasion. After New China founding, Chinese cotton develops fast and cotton production ranks first in the world with the new emphasis on Chinese cotton production .The formation of modern Chinese three major cootton area-Huanghuai River areas ,the Yangtze River areas and Xinjiang areas have their deep historical roots. The formationg of the Yangtze River areas is due to the cotton imported from India and then spread to South China and then spread to Yangtze River Basin. There are some advantages in it , coupled with its abundant water resources of the rigion, a long frost-free period , enabling the growth of cotton; Xinjiang cotton area is due to cotton incomed by Arab through Central Asia , which got rapid development. Cotton planting is relatively lag in Huanghuai River cotton areas or North cotton areas while its development is exceptionally rapid. Exploring its reasons will help us understand agricultural pattern formation in Ming and Qing dynasty and North China rural society. This study is based on existing research results and related historical materials, which try to study North China cotton industry during the Ming and Qing dynasty comprehensively from agricultural history, ecnomic histroy and technological histroy perspective.The introduction of cotton in North China of Ming and Qing dynasty and the history of the development process were investicated to understand cotton geographical distripution in this period in this area. We analyze the reasons for the formation of its main production areas . We can found that the North China cotton production is higher than the southern region but technology and cotton textile production is worse than southern regions during Mid-Ming subsequent to the Qianjia period; The cotton textile industry in North China started to overtake Southern regions and led the country after Qianjia period.We analyze the situation that cotton planting grew rapidly while cotton textile technology lag behind in Ming and Qing dynasty. We can find that the reason for Northern cotton coming Southern area and Southern cotton cloth coming Northern area, coupled with cotton textile technology in this two areas. The specialization trend of the North China cotton and cotton cloth made its cotton textile technology increase and then made the North's own cotton industry develop.We analyze influential factors of North cotton development in Ming and Qing dynasty and its enormous social and economic impact. We find that the reasons for rapid developing is their own factors and government's promoting. Its rapid development not only had a significant impact in North China's rural economic structure and North China People's daily life but in the Ming and Qing economic structure evolution .We summarize limitations and historical position and role of cotton industry in Ming and Qing dynasty. We look forward to making reference and study to today's cotton industry in North China .