<Articles>The Rice Crop and the Cotton Industry in the Huguang 湖広 Provinces in the Qing Dynasty

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  • <紹介>清代湖広の水稲作と棉業
  • 清代湖広の水稲作と棉業
  • シンダイコ コウ ノ スイトウサク ト ワタギョウ

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Description

The saying "If the crop is abundant in the Huguang provinces, the provisions will suffice for all of China" suggests that, in the Qing Dynasty, the Huguang ptovinces were known as the national granary supplying rice to the lower reaches of the Yantze River. But the production level of rice in the Huguang provinces was much lower than that of the lower reaches of the Yantze River. The greater part of Hunan 湖南 province was covered by high acid soil, that is soil poor in organic matter, and it was inappropriate for cultivation. On the other hand, in the low lands, from the area of Dongting 洞庭 Lake to Hubei 湖北 province, rice paddies that were fertile but difficult to drain were widespread. Extensive rice cropping was carried out with no need for rice-transplantating or weeding, but the crop was much more unstable than in the high lands. To stabilize the management of agriculture, in Hunan, improvement of the acid soil of the vallays was carried out, and in Hubei cotton cropping and cotton spinning were carried out. The cotton industry of Hubei was rural domestic industry, but the surplus cloth was exported to the inner provinces such as Human or Sichuan 四川 where the cotton industry did not flourish. In the Qing Dynasty, generally speaking, the Huguang provinces held a position as a rice surplus producing area, but within the area, local specialization had started.

Journal

  • 史林

    史林 70 (6), 845-876, 1987-11-01

    THE SHIGAKU KENKYUKAI (The Society of Historical Research), Kyoto University

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