Study On The Characteristics And Domestic Influence Of Jin Merchants’ North Road Tea Trade In Qing Dynasty

Tea was the life for the Mongol border people and Russians,and was an indispensable and important part of the commercial trade of the steppe in the Qing Dynasty.With the prosperity of Chaktu trade,this northbound tea road is the most frequent passage for China’s foreign commercial trade after the Silk Road,and Jin merchants have pushed it to an unprecedented height.In this context,Jin merchants’ north road tea trade in Qing Dynasty became an important part of the commercial trade in the northern Xinjiang region,and now it also has the essence of the development of China’s commercial trade.Therefore,through the collation of local documents and the excavation of local archival historical materials of the Qing Dynasty,this paper aims to outline the development of Jin merchants’ north road tea trade in Qing Dynasty,and explore the characteristics of this tea trade and its impacts on China.In view of this research purpose,based on the historical facts of Jin merchants’ north road tea trade in Qing Dynasty,this paper first analyzes the historical background of the formation of tea trade on the basis of defining the relevant concepts of Jin merchants and north road tea trade,and using the theory of comparative advantage,institutional change and monopolistic competition.Secondly,from the three aspects of trade object(types of tea),trade subject(main firms)and quantitative estimation of trade,the development of Jin merchants’ north road tea trade in Qing Dynasty is sorted out,and at the same time,the rise and fall process is analyzed from the perspective of trade volume,from which the reasons for the decline of trade are analyzed,so as to form a comprehensive understanding of Jin merchants’ north road tea trade in Qing Dynasty.On the basis of this cognitive system,the following conclusions are drawn:The tea trade in the North Road of the Jin merchants in the Qing Dynasty formed integrated features in production,processing,transportation and marketing,with institutionalised features that were deeply influenced by the protection and impact of internal and external institutions,and also presented obvious oligopoly features,and its development environment and the trade itself had obvious feudal characteristics.The domestic impact of the tea trade in the North Road of the Jin merchants during the Qing dynasty was manifested in economic terms,expanding the scale of tea production,promoting the development of the financial sector,enhancing trade market links and promoting regional economic prosperity;in political terms,promoting ethnic integration and changing the position of the Qing government in relations with Russia;and in cultural terms,promoting the spread of tea culture and forging the spirit of the Jin merchants.Based on the above findings,future research can also begin with the extension of oral histories and other research methods to uncover more detailed historical materials,further deepen the investigation,and enrich and expand the relevant research results.