A History of the Chinese Economy (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Zhu Bokang, Shi Zhengkang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: This book discusses the history of China's economic development, starting from ancient times and ending just before the founding of the People's Republic of China. Its predecessor was A General History of Chinese Economy, published in two volumes by the Social Sciences Academic Press in May 1995. It has been over a decade since then. Based on the original book, the authors have made revisions and additions: first, they removed some repetitive content across chapters and less important or overly lengthy citations; second, they added more content on modern economic history to address the previous thin coverage in this area; and third, they rewrote some sections using new materials and perspectives. However, the fundamental purpose and viewpoints of the book remain unchanged. It still focuses on describing the historical context of China's economic development, striving to authentically recreate the historical landscape of the emergence, growth, and evolution of various economic components, exploring the causal relationships between them, as well as the mutual influences and connections between the economy and politics, culture, society, military, law, and religion. It reveals the patterns of China's economic rise and decline and the characteristics of institutional evolution. The book is well-supported by solid evidence, relies on comprehensive and reliable historical materials, and presents a natural and fluent narrative with concise and vivid language. It aims to provide readers with ample historical facts and minimal conclusions, allowing them to draw their own insights. Therefore, it can serve as both a teaching material and reference book for postgraduate students in relevant fields at universities and a valuable reading for economic professionals seeking to learn about or research the history of China's economy.