On The Changes Of The Monetary System In The Late Qing Dynasty

Through the systematic investigation on transition of the currency system in late Qing Dynasty, this thesis analyzes the various factors that pushing and influencing it. The author tends to make a comprehensive and objective evaluation upon the transition of the currency system.After the Opium War, with the gate of country opened, the domestic and international trade extending and the imperialism developing, the traditional currency system couldn't meet the development of the society and economy gradually and need to change urgently. The main clue of the transition of the currency system included the transition from the sycee system to the silver dollar system, from copper cash system to the copper coin system and the circulation of the new-typed paper currency. The various factors to push and influence the transition of the currency system in late Qing Dynasty were as fellow: the law of currency evolution and the objective demand of economy development, the input of Western culture, the emergency of machine manufacture during Yangwu Movement, the circulation of the foreign currency and the drive of profit, and so on. The thesis draws a conclusion that the transition of the currency system in late Qing Dynasty is the spontaneous transition through using the economic theory.As the base of the modern currency system, the transition of the currency system late Qing Dynasty had an active effect on modernizing the currency system of China. Because the society in late Qing Dynasty was in transformation, the transition of the currency system was not sound. We can draw a conclusion that the economic reform must combine with political reform. Any economic reform would be restricted badly and unsuccessful under the condition of the political system of the decayed Qing Dynasty unchanged essentially.