Immigrant Merchants And Integration:Jiangyou Merchants And Local Integration In Hunan Since Ming And Qing Dynasties

During the Ming and Qing dynasties,along with the flood of immigrants from jiangxi,the Jiangyou merchant gang rose up and became the third largest merchant gang in China,second only to Jin merchants and Hui merchants.Jiangyou merchants are famous for their large number of people,wide range of activities and many industries involved.However,Hunan province,adjacent to Jiangxi province,has become one of the most active regions of jiangxi merchants.Jiangxi merchants can be seen in all parts of Hunan province,and their activities there have also exerted an important influence on Hunan society.During the hundreds of years from Ming and Qing dynasties to modern times,Jiangxi merchants experienced a process from contradiction to integration.Among them,Wanshou palace,as the Jiangxi guild hall,plays the role of linking the local friendship among Jiangxi merchants,and is closely connected with the expansion of the commercial gang.In the process of the transition from the traditional regional commercial gangs to the organization of chamber of commerce,the board of trade inherited the economic functions of the commercial gangs,while the association of fellow townsmen inherited the social functions of the commercial gangs and jointly replaced the commercial gangs to continue to play their roles.In modern times,with the continuous development of the chamber of commerce,the geographical distance was gradually replaced by the business margin,and Jiangxi merchants and local merchants embarked on the road of commercial cooperation one after another.Due to the continuous influence of Jiangxi merchants,there are many Jiangxi merchants in various Chambers of commerce in Hunan.They also undertook the task of promoting the modernization of Hunan and played an important role in the commercial cooperation,the movement of merchants and people and the activities of Anti-Japanese War and national salvation.