Foreword

Maarteen Duijvendak(1)

Among today’s economists exists a lively debate on the recent economic development of China. One point of dispute is when China will become the largest and most productive economy. Economic historians likewise debate the question of when and why China lost its prominent position as the richest economy in world history. Should we place this change in the sixteenth, eighteenth or nineteenth century? Was this position lost because of policies by the Chinese state; policies on trade, taxes or trust, or was it about the access to coal, capital and colonies in the other countries? And when this happened, was it China that diverted from the standard track, or was it the country that took over; England,the Dutch Republic, or the young United States? Books on the topic could easily fill a bookstore, the majority written by historians from the West. Recently however Asian voices have risen in the debate.

It is understood that historians who write about these global processes use generalised arguments. The assessment of economic developments in two or more countries demands the author to adopt more of a bird’s eye view. A looking glass or microscope simply will not do. However, among most of the western scholars knowledge of the development of Chinese economy, institutions and policies rests on a limited amount of sources. Here the input of Chinese historians is of vital importance. Only by observing and assessing all available information can one come to the right generalisation.

Of course there is an important difference between the arguments of aforementioned modern scholars discussed in this book, and the great and sometimes speculative ideas of early twentieth century scholars like Otto Franke, Henri Gordier or Joseph Needham. Still this research relies heavily on literary sources.More quantitative and empirical knowledge of institutions and policies is urgently needed. This type of information is essential for a more precise understanding of the fiscal system and its revenues; of the state’s expenditures and ability to borrow capital; and how the state answered when disasters struck and relief was organised. This detailed data will not just result in more comprehensive spreadsheets, statistical precision and colourful graphs. Used well, it produces more thorough arguments on topics that are prominent in the existing debate.

This book brings such evidence to the table, fresh from the archives. Important data presented on fiscal and financial policies in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911) is put in context and discussed. In doing so it improves our collective understanding of the economic developments in China and the role of the state. It adds to the existing arguments, it refines some and it provides some new ideas about a distinct Chinese model of economic growth during these years.

At the heart of this study lies a PhD-thesis defended at the University of Groningen in 2020. The author, Yuping Ni, is a scholar who presented his material and ideas at seminars and workshops in different parts of Asia, Europe and the United States. A conference in Seoul brought him in contact with my department in Groningen. Grants from the Dutch Research Council, the Chinese Scholarship Council and the Confucius Institute made it possible for him to stay and study in the Netherlands for a year. During this year Ni published a book with Brill Publishers in Leiden, wrote an article—in cooperation with Dr. Martin Uebele—published in the Australian Economic History Review, and now the thesis has grown into a book published with the Tsinghua University Press in Beijing.

This book brings an end to a project that brought Yuping Ni to Groningen and carried me to Beijing. We found great joy in getting to know each other and each other’s families; to explore our societies and history. As we were discussing the things we observed, mutual respect and friendly ties developed, plus our scholarship nurtured. Where the latter is about understanding arguments and improving their underpinnings, it is the former that fosters bonds between peoples and societies. I think the existence of this book proves the relevance of scholarly exchange in both directions.

(1)　Professor emeritus Economic, Social and Regional History, Faculty of Arts, Director of the Netherlands Agronomic Historical Institute, University of Groningen, Netherlands.