Chinese Maritime Activities and Socioeconomic Development, c. 2100 B.C. - 1900 A.D.

by K. Gang Deng

Overview

China's long-term maritime history has been overlooked by the scholarly community, so much so that there is a misconception that the Chinese were sea- or ocean-phobic. This image has been promoted rather deliberately because a sailing-aversive China would fit in well with the non-capitalist development framework. This study shows that from 2100 B.C. to A.D. 1900, the Chinese were as enthusiastic about and capable of seagoing activities as other peoples. Evidence shows that economic interests provided Chinese sailing-related activities with a lasting impetus, and the private sector played a central role.

However, maritime activities in China raise at least two paradoxes: the activities were incompatible with the agrarian dominance in the Chinese premodern economy, and there was a huge gap between China's maritime potential and maritime growth. This situation was symptomatic of both positive and negative effects of technical and economic aspects of premodern China. Technologically, limited maritime growth resulted from climatic and hydrographic conditions favorable to agriculture. Economically, it resulted from low Chinese participation in maritime activities because of safe returbans from the agricultural sector. This book provides readers with a long-term analysis of Chinese maritime activities and their economic consequences in industries, infrastructure, trade, migration, and government policies. It shows a new insight into the causes for sterility of capitalist industrialization in premodern China.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313292125
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/16/1997
Series:	Contributions in Economics and Economic History , #188
Pages:	246
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

GANG DENG is Lecturer in Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research interest is in long-term comparative economic development of world history. He is the author of Development versus Stagnation: Technology Continuity and Agricultural Progress in Premodern China (Greenwood, 1993).

Table of Contents

Foreword by Ramon H. Myers
Preface
Introduction
Background: Environment and Maritime Activities
Physical Environment
Maritime-Activity Types
Evolution of Chinese Maritime Technology
Observations
Development of China's Maritime Technology
Comparison
Supply of Ships
Quantitative Estimation
Ship Supply and Resource Scarcity
Trade Types and Agents
Maritime Trade Types
Maritime Merchants
Markets and Trade Patterns
Markets and Returbans
Trade Patterns
Aftermath of the Change
Nature of the Change
Interpretations of the Change
Urbanization, Migration, and Technological Dissemination
Urbanization of the Coastal Region
Migration by Sea
Technological Dissemination by Sea
Conclusion: China's Performance and Path Dependency
China's Overall Maritime Performance
China's Paradoxes and Path Dependency
Final Remarks
Appendix A: Rare Illustrations of Chinese Traditional Ships
Appendix B: Chinese Sea Merchants Trading with Japan, 1641-1772
Appendix C: Monetary Systems in Chinese History
Appendix D: Densely Populated Prefectures in Ming-Qing Times
Glossary
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Deng (economic history, London School of Economics and Political Science) provides evidence that despite the isolationist and even xenophobic policies of some dynasties, Chinese mariners confidently plied the Pacific and Indian oceans from the Zhou period until at least the first half of the 18th century, and that Chinese society was impacted by the trade. He examines the environment, the evolution of the technology, the supply of ships, types of trade and agents, markets and trade patterns, urbanization and migration, and China's path dependency. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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