What was commerce like in ancient China?

The ancient commerce in China originated in the pre-Shang period, initially developed in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and further developed in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

The rise of commerce originated in the pre-Qin period.

People in China learned to do business long ago, and businessmen in Xia Dynasty started to do business. The seventh monarch of Shang Dynasty, Wang Hai, was the ancestor of commerce in China. ?

After Zhou Wuwang's commerce was destroyed, some Shang Dynasty adherents who lost their land ran around doing business in order to make a living. After a long time, they formed permanent occupations. Zhou called them "businessmen" and called their profession "business". This semester has continued to this day. The nobles of the Zhou dynasty would not do business. At that time, ordinary people could not do farming business, and the business of buying and selling goods was needed by society. Over time, the business of buying and selling commodities has become the main industry of Shang Dynasty adherents. With the national integration and the development of commodity economy, a few aristocrats in the Zhou Dynasty began to do business, which gradually made businessmen lose the derogatory meaning of "stubborn people" and become professional names engaged in commodity trading.

The money used by Shang people was shellfish, including seashells, bone shells, stone shells, jade shells and copper shells. The appearance of copper shell shows that there was a metal casting currency in Shang Dynasty. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, commerce became an indispensable social and economic sector. At that time, under the system of "industrial and commercial food officials", commerce was monopolized by the state. Shellfish is still the main currency in commercial exchange, but copper is also used as a means of exchange. Copper itself is an important commodity, and it also bears the function of money, and later developed into casting copper coins. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the situation of government controlling commerce was broken, and many commodity markets and big businessmen appeared in various places. Famous businessmen in the Spring and Autumn Period included Fan Li, who lived in seclusion in Song State, Gao Xian of Zheng State and Zi Gong, a disciple of Confucius. The famous merchants in the Warring States Period were Bai Gui and Lv Buwei of Wei. During the Warring States period, the types and shapes of copper coins cast and circulated in various countries increased, some imitated farm tools, some imitated various tools, and some imitated the shape of shells. The amount and variety of money reflect that commerce is more developed than in the past. The development of commodity exchange has promoted the prosperity of the city.

The Preliminary Development of Commerce in Qin and Han Dynasties

After Qin Shihuang unified China, in order to change the status quo of different currencies, degrees (lengths), volumes (volumes) and scales (weights) during the Warring States period, he decided to unify the currency, and the round square hole money originally circulated in Qin Dynasty was used as the national standard currency, commonly known as "Qin Banliang". He also returned to unified measurement and built the equator. These measures are conducive to the development of commerce and the reunification of the country. Especially the unified currency, has a far-reaching impact on future generations. Since then, most feudal dynasties have mastered the right to coin money, and the shape of money has always maintained a circular square hole pattern similar to "Qin Banliang". In the Han Dynasty, with the formation and consolidation of the unified situation, the development of agriculture, animal husbandry and handicrafts, especially the policy of "opening the light and closing the beam, closing the Songshan mountain" implemented by the Han government, the commerce was initially developed. At that time, the capitals Chang 'an and Luoyang, as well as big cities such as Suiyang, Wan (Nanyang) and Chengdu, all developed into famous commercial centers. Every city has a "city" that specializes in trade. Chang 'an has two cities, east and west, and later developed into nine cities. At that time, the government adopted a policy of strictly restricting urban commercial activities. Urban areas and residential areas are strictly separated and surrounded by walls. There are shops selling goods in the city, and the government has full-time officials, city orders or mayors to manage them. The market opens and closes on time, and shall not engage in business activities after closing. Prices in this city are also managed by officials.

Different from the past, the Han Dynasty opened two Silk Roads on land and at sea, and Chinese and foreign trade gradually developed. After Zhang Qian passed through the Western Regions, the Silk Road was opened on land, starting from Chang 'an, passing through Hexi Corridor, leaving Yumenguan or Yangguan, and then entering Central Asia and West Asia through today's Xinjiang. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it opened up water transportation lines with South China Sea countries and Indian Peninsula for regular trade. This is the Maritime Silk Road. The opening of the two Silk Roads is conducive to the development of Chinese and foreign trade.