Research on the Economic History of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Author: Ch'en Han-sheng
Publisher: The Commercial Press
Publication Date: 1987-01-01
Features: This book is one of the series "Tsinghua Lectures on Humanities and History," collecting a series of lectures by the author on the economic history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, delivered at Tsinghua University in Taiwan, along with discussions with faculty and students present. The discussions primarily focused on trade between Ming China and Western countries, the influx of American silver, changes in population and taxation during the Qing dynasty, and the process of industrialization in late-imperial China, among other topics. With years of research on the economic history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the author provides a concise yet insightful overview, offering unique perspectives such as the mercantilist characteristics of the Ming dynasty and the shift of China's grain production center from Jiangsu and Zhejiang to Hubei and Hunan during the mid-Qing period. It is an important reference book for the study of Ming and Qing economic history.