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Merchants, Market and Monarchy

Economic Thought and History in Early Modern China

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • Utilises official documentation and sources from the Ming Dynasty
  • Combines studies of economic thought and history to highlight changes to the Chinese economy
  • Explores the influence of different groups, including scholars, peasants, and artisans, on Ming era China

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought (PHET)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxxiii
  2. Introduction

    • Tengda Hua
    Pages 1-33
  3. Monopoly: Merchants and Monarchy

    • Tengda Hua
    Pages 69-111
  4. Taxation: Levy on Merchants

    • Tengda Hua
    Pages 113-132
  5. Conclusion

    • Tengda Hua
    Pages 249-263
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 265-285

About this book

This book explores the vital role of merchants within early modern China. Unlike European merchants, their Sino-colleagues have long been regarded as certain social pariahs after pre-Qin period, despite the fortune they made. The key mission of this monograph is to investigate whether the standing of merchants in the Ming Empire has been improved compared with their predecessors. Generally, their status is reflected in state-merchant relationship and their role in the market, which can be found in miscellaneous economic activities such as market monopoly, commercial taxation, international trade, and consumption.


This book aims to be of relevance to students and researchers interested in early modern history, eastern commerce, Ming merchants, and contemporary global affairs.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Economics, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, China

    Tengda Hua

About the author

Tengda Hua is Assistant Professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. He obtained his Doctoral degree from Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Merchants, Market and Monarchy

  • Book Subtitle: Economic Thought and History in Early Modern China

  • Authors: Tengda Hua

  • Series Title: Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77189-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-77188-1Published: 10 August 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-77191-1Published: 11 August 2022

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-77189-8Published: 09 August 2021

  • Series ISSN: 2662-6578

  • Series E-ISSN: 2662-6586

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXXIII, 285

  • Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: History of Economic Thought/Methodology, Economic History, Development Economics

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access