Ningxia Market Changes (1368-1949)

Early in the 1930's, Chinese and foreign historians have published the relevance article about the market studies. However, judging from research result in the past, there is a certain malconformation on the area studying. The research to north area is comparatively weak, Northwest Territories also is relatively weak area in the north area, and Ningxia is one of the weakest areas of Northwest Territories. Choosing the Ningxia area as a study, I hope to fill in the academic gaps of market research. At the same time, this paper can provide a reference for market building of today's Ningxia area. So, I can do my bit for accelerating economic development in ethnic minority areas.First, I reconstruct the natural and cultural environment which is closely related to the operation of the market during 1368-1949 of this region, so as to provide the necessary background of the next research to the market. Next is carries on the reconstruction to the Ningxia area city markets. Today, Ningxia area's Yinchuan, Wu Zhong, Zhongwei, Shi Zui Shan, Gu Yuan those five cities are able to become the local economic centers, this has been cannot separate with them development accumulation since Ming Dynasty. At latest in the Republic China period, these cities or towns have already become to the central markets or inter-middle markets, which are the local economy centers.The Ningxia area's country market has the bazaar and the temple fair two forms, Ningxia area temple fair including traditional temple fair and trade fair of cattle two forms. The bazaar is the main form of country market, the temple fair takes the essential supplement. As Ningxia lies in the interlock area of farming-pastoral region, and borders on with the Inner Mongolian area, the Ningxia area's temple fair has its unique form - trade fair of cattle. This place's trade fair of cattle is difference from the other places because the Mongolian national minority compatriots join in its sellers, the national trade and the local country market fuses in together.The Ningxia area borders on with the Inner Mongolian area, in this area's market system also includes the national trade. Ningxia area nation trade only has only the border mutual trade one form in Ming Dynasty , which increase to the border mutual trade and the cities nationality nongovernmental trade two kinds in the Qing Dynasty. Since the policy that the Mongolian and The Han nationality are ruled with separate dies out in the end of Qing Dynasty , the Ningxia area's national trade has gradually fused in the local market system. This is also this article's innovation about the national trade research, which has revealed the national trade's final whereabouts.In Ming Dynasty, the Ningxia area's markets were distributed in densely populated areas, such as Ningxia Wei, Ling Zhou, Gu Yuan City prefecture. There were no markets between Ningxia Wei and Gu Yuan City prefecture, except in PingLu. The tradition of The Han nationality and the Mongolian nationality existed in some points at the border zone, which were shut when relations became strained. The intercity market network system did not form in Ningxia region. After the medium term of Qing Dynasty, Ningxia northern area takes the provincial capital as the central market, and state, county town and some fortress as the inter-middle market, fortress as the standard market, the market network initially formed. In 1926, the quantities of bazaar have increased to 37 in the Ningxia northern area. The market network system has formed, which take the provincial capital, Wu Zhongbao and Zhongwei as 3 central markets, county town and some fortress which lie in the vital communication line as the inter-middle market, other fortress as the standard market. The market structure is further perfect. The south area also has formed the sparse market network system at latest in the end of the Qing Dynasty, which takes Pingliang as the central market, state and county town as the inter-middle market, villages and small towns as the standard market. But the market layer is not very obvious; the growth of the market is not very mature.