Qing Dynasty Trading ?
Question by Nadia Vucheva: Qing dynasty trading ?
Did the Qing dynasty restricted and stopped the oversea trade or the opposite – encourage it ? (Ming vs Qing dynasty)
Best answer:
Answer by Dave
Sorry I don’t have my books with me so I have to use online resources. My answer will be incomplete.
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)
Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)
In the 1950s, historians such as John Fairbank and Joseph Needham popularized the idea that after Zheng He’s voyages during the Ming Dynasty, China turned away from the seas due to the Hai jin edict and was isolated from European technological advancements. Modern historians point out that Chinese maritime commerce did not totally stop after Zheng He, that Chinese ships continued to dominate Southeast Asian commerce until the 19th century and that active Chinese trading with India and East Africa continued long after the time of Zheng.
To summarize this for you, it was traditionally accepted that during the early Ming period, China “withdrew” inwards. It is argued that the Ming pulled out of overseas trade which led to a slow but devastating decline which allowed Europe to surpass East Asia which had hitherto been dominant. Though there are some examples of this “withdrawal”, this notion as a whole is no longer accepted by historians. To give you one example, people once pointed to the cessation of state-sponsored naval expeditions after Zheng He as a sign that overseas trade had diminished in importance. In actuality, these huge expeditions were no longer really necessary, nor worth the huge expense, as Chinese merchants were now taking over the trade directly. There are other things people point to, like the new restrictions imposed on foreigners in China, which are valid but were part of broader government imperatives than “discouraging” trade.
Under the Qing, overseas trade was brisk, to say the least. This trade was so important to Britain, for example, that they decided to wage war over it (see Opium Wars). There were HUGE profits made from trade during the Qing period. Under Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796), between the time he turned 19 and 44, the tax on overseas trade alone brought roughly 7.5 million taels worth of revenues
(Tael: ~1 ounce of silver). Later in his reign he could count on receiving over 850,000 taels of silver annually. During this period, the volume of trade between China and Europe was increasing by 4% annually.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Find More Opium Withdrawal Information…