Trade and society, the Amoy network on the China coast 1683-1735

Abstract

The maritime trade of the South Fukienese people was characterized by wide geographic dimensions, popular participation, and their extraordinary seafaring spirit. The expansion of trade between 1683 and 1735 brought the development of an interwoven coastal network centred at Amoy to maturity. This network developed by the Fukienese was able to cope with the commercial needs of coastal China and was the best that the Chinese had organized up to that time. Fukienese trading activities cannot be attributed solely to such external factors as government policy or the burgeoning foreign trade. Nor can it be simply explained by "push-pull" factors. All these interpretations have long dominated the discussions of China ' s coastal trade by modern scholars. This study suggests, instead, that a more useful treatment should be based on the broad social context, analysing the aspects of internal life in Fukien and showing the organic unity between economic activities and social conditions . By surveying Fukienese society from within, we shall be in a better position to appreciate Fukienese initiative, their indigenous enterprise, creativeness and achievements in sea-going activities . In the rural area, the heartland of Fukienese society, the momentum of commercialization stopped short of transforming a traditional agrarian economy into a commercial economy based on cash crops. The Fukienese rural society was agriculturally poor and the livelihood of its people was largely subsidized by the income from extra-village activities. Competition for such scarce resources as land had strengthened the traditional lineage organizations (tsu) . The quest of organizational strength had also bestowed on dhe tsu a new feature of inclusiveness by accommodating the non-kin members within the tsu structure. On the extra-village scene , Arney served as a rendezvous where people from different villages learned to become South Fukienese. Arney was also the doorway to an extended maritime frontier. The expansion of the Amoy trading network was accompanied by a massive emigration of Fukienese, the opening-up of frontier land in Taiwan, and the establishment of strategic outposts along the coast. The South Fukienese were also able to gain supremacy in shipping where they transported bulky commodities in long-range voyages. During the first half of the eighteenth century, the coastal trade of Arnoy was characterized by the active and wider participation of merchants or shipowners with small or medium capital. On the other hand, there were also such wealthy merchants as the rice and sugar traders in Taiwan and the hang merchants in Arney. Overall, the interregional trade catered mainly for the daily consumption of the general masses. Within the Fukienese community itself , there were no pyschological restraints against becoming involved in trading activities. Communications between native scholars and the authorities provided a sound basis for a better understanding and appreciation of maritime trade on the part of the court as well as the officials. In addition to their commercial skills, the success of the South Fukienese was facilitated by their ability to establish personal relationships with the officials and their willingness to cooperate with other Chinese trading communities.