Take Huizhou merchants and Shanxi merchants as examples to explain what Confucian merchants are.

Huizhou merchants and Shanxi merchants were two major business groups that had an important impact on China's economy in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Now many TV dramas are telling their stories, and many people are studying their management methods, management systems and the history of their rise and fall. In my opinion, the biggest difference between the two is the cultural origin. Huizhou merchants value Confucianism and Shanxi merchants value martial arts.

Huizhou merchants respected Juno, a native of Wuyuan in Huizhou in the Ming Dynasty, and now he belongs to Jiangxi. Huizhou merchants not only built ancestral temples in their hometown to offer sacrifices to Zhu Wengong's family, but also offered sacrifices to Juno in the halls built when they were doing business in other places. They regard Neo-Confucianism as the norm of their family and business activities. Therefore, the concept of Neo-Confucianism has a great influence on Huizhou merchants. Huizhou merchants "love Confucianism" and "left Confucianism to love Confucianism" regard professional Confucianism higher than serving Jia, especially for their children. According to statistics, there were 392 Jinshi in Huizhou in the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, only Shexian County won the imperial examination (including registration), including 4 university students, 7 ministers, 265,438+0 assistant ministers, 7 imperial advisers of Ducha Academy, 65,438+05 cabinet students, 5 top candidates, 2 second candidates, 65,438+0 military candidates, 8 flower exploration officials and biographies.

Shanxi merchants, who rose almost at the same time as Huizhou merchants in Ming and Qing Dynasties, admired Guan Gong, a native of Shanxi. Where there are Shanxi merchants' activities, there are many Shanxi merchants' halls and Guan Gong temples. In some places, Shanxi merchants even built Guandi Temple first, and then built the guild hall. Shanxi merchants regard Guan Gong as their most revered god, regulate their behavior and business activities with Guan Gong's "integrity and benevolence" and regard Guan Gong's culture as their ethical orientation, which makes Guan Gong's culture play a considerable role in his spirit, morality and behavior.

The great wealth gained by Shanxi merchants has had an overwhelming influence on the whole Shanxi folk customs, and there has been a phenomenon of "learning to be excellent is to be an official" instead of "learning to be excellent is to be an official". In the second year of Yongzheng (1724), Liu, the governor of Shanxi, said: "You 'an Mountain has a long history, with more profit-oriented thoughts than the same name. Those who are handsome are more likely to enter the business, followed by petty officials, and those who seek to enter the camp again will be the lowest. " Yong Zhengdi Zhu Pi said: "The merchants on the right side of the mountain are the first, and they are willing to help agriculture second, and they are the last to learn." Liu Dapeng, a juren in the late Qing Dynasty, said: "At this time, people who have children are not allowed to study, but often learn from businessmen, that is, they are poor when they study, but businessmen are not rich. It is a county that children can't get into, mostly in Shanxi Province. "

As a result, the imperial examination in Qing Dynasty produced 1 14 champions, among which Anhui ranked after Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with 9 champions, while Shanxi did not have the imperial examination champion in Qing Dynasty. However, there are five other Wushu champions in Shanxi. I'm afraid this has a lot to do with many battlefields in Shanxi and many martial arts practitioners among businessmen. Coupled with the needs of commodity trafficking and financial circulation, many darts, darts and even the famous Xingyiquan in Wulin originated in Taigu County, Shanxi Province. From this, we have every reason to draw a conclusion: Huizhou merchants value Confucianism and Shanxi merchants value martial arts.

The phenomenon of Confucian businessmen in China was gradually formed and developed when Confucius thought and Confucianism became the orthodox ideology of feudal society, and Confucian culture became the core and main body of China traditional culture, which played a leading role in social life and even influenced and formed the cultural and psychological structure of the Chinese nation.

Confucianism initiated by Confucius is only a school in the pre-Qin period. Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion of "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone", Confucianism has been regarded as the standard. Since then, in the long process of feudal society, Confucianism has also been challenged by Buddhism and Taoism, forming a situation in which the three religions stand in the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties, but Confucianism is still the basis of governing the country and politics in past dynasties. In particular, Confucianism absorbed the speculative spirit of Buddhism and Taoism in the debate, integration and communication with Buddhism and Taoism, and created a new situation of Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties. Confucianism further developed into official philosophy. After the strengthening and long-term edification of the ruling class, Confucianism is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and constitutes the deep cultural and psychological structure and national character of the Chinese nation. Confucianism has become the way for scholars to enter the officialdom, so Confucianism has become a strong cultural atmosphere, and social Confucianism has naturally become the pursuit of fashion.

Since the Han Dynasty, the concepts of Confucian scholars, Confucian officials, Confucian scholars, Confucian history, Confucian officials, Confucian generals, Confucian scholars and Confucian doctors have appeared one after another. These concepts not only show their status, but also have a sense of exaggeration. "A biography of Han Shu puffed up Confucius and Ma Zan" said: "I consider myself a dutiful son, and I learn from Gong and Confucianism. Later, Cai Yi, Wei Xian, Xuan Cheng, Kuang Heng, yu zhang, Zhai Jinfang, Kong Guang, Ping Dang, Ma Guan, and Dangziyan became Confucianism, occupied the position of prime minister, put on Confucian clothes, and passed on the words of the first king. " Jiang Yan's Epitaph of Sun X praised him for "moving both physically and mentally and learning the history of Confucianism". Su Shi's poems are full of praise for Confucianism: "Only ten rounds of Confucianism." Liu Yin's Zhang Dushutang also said: "To aid Tang Kaiyuan, Confucianism and ministers promote each other." Hong Mai's "Records of Jane Eyre" also mentioned: "There are Qi people who thank for their rights, and the world is a Confucian doctor." Only the concept of Confucian merchants appeared at the latest in this period, which was not included in books such as Pei Wen Yun Fu compiled during the reign of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty, nor in Ci Yuan and Ci Hai. The main reason is that Confucianism, as the thought of the ruling class, has long insisted on "eating enough is the foundation of agriculture", and local officials "take persuading agriculture as their own responsibility", without taking commerce as an important way to develop the economy. Businessmen's position in society has always been extremely low, so it is difficult for Confucian scholars to record it in the official history, but it is only mentioned occasionally in unofficial history's lawsuit or novelist's words.

The Ming Dynasty was an important turning point in the development of China's commercial economy. Due to the development of production, the urban population has increased dramatically. Economists have implemented a whipping method to convert land tax, silver difference, power difference, various local taxes and corvees into silver, which almost forced producers to sell some agricultural products in exchange for money and taxes. This has greatly promoted the development of Sinochem's agricultural products, and the self-sufficient economy of agriculture has gradually transitioned to the commodity economy, which has brought about the accelerated development of the commodity economy. During the Wanli period of Jiajing, Zhang carried out economic system reform and put forward negative opinions on the traditional policy of emphasizing agriculture and restraining business. He said: "If business is not allowed to benefit agriculture, agriculture will be sick; Farmers can't do business only by capital, so their business is sick. Therefore, the situation of businessmen and farmers is often weighed. " He clearly put forward the idea that "the development of the province will benefit farmers with thick farmers, and the city will be closed lightly with thick businesses", and put business development on the same footing as agriculture. Huang Zongxi, a famous thinker, further put forward the slogan "Industry and commerce are the foundation". He said: "scholars don't look at it, take industry and commerce as the end and discuss it at will." Those who strive to consolidate the Lord's wishes and merchants make them willing to debut will be covered. " Under the influence of this era condition and progressive thought, the development of business is self-evident.

Huizhou merchants came into being under such times.

Since ancient times, Huizhou has many mountains and few fields, poor land and insufficient agricultural income, so it has to turn to handicrafts and commerce to protect itself. "Huizhou Fuzhi" contains: "Huizhou Xiebao Valley, the mountains depend on the original foothills, the fields are barren, and the production is extremely thin ... most of them are enrolled at the age of one, and nothing can support them. Little men practice their skills more, or sell and eat in other counties, which is often nineteen. " Tongzhi in the south of the Yangtze River, also known as Huizhou, is salty, but the ravines are dangerous, the soil is barren, the water is swift, and there is little storage. It is easy to dry up without rain, and the showers are violent. Therefore, Gu said: Huizhou people "have no land and can only have families below average". "There are many merchants in Huizhou, and they cover nature." The lack of basic conditions for developing agriculture is the basic reason for forcing Huizhou people to go out to do business and make a living. In Huizhou, not only poor and helpless farmers go out to do business without hesitation; Even some wealthy families or scholar-bureaucrat families with assets feel that they can get rich quickly by doing business and have a strong interest in investing in business. Lin said: in Huizhou, "people with assets are mostly doing business outside, and people in the countryside are better than half." Gui Youguang also said: Huizhou area "is the home of scholar-officials, and they all travel around with livestock.". It can be seen that the business of Huizhou people is also the result of people's customs and habits for thousands of years.

In the long feudal society, Huizhou people have thrived in the barren natural environment for generations, and developed the character of thrift. Long-term business has enabled them to gain rich business experience. The cultural influence of Zhu Wengong's Queli provides them with a solid cultural accomplishment for their business success, which makes them show a high degree of wisdom and maturity in choosing business location, establishing business direction, especially weighing the advantages and disadvantages of business and forming business reputation. Huizhou is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It reaches the cities with extremely developed commerce and salt industry such as Jinling and Yangzhou in the northeast, and borders Jingdezhen, the capital of porcelain, in the west. Tea, wood and porcelain in Fujian and Jiangxi are easily available. Its east is connected with Suzhou-Hangzhou Taihu Lake Basin, and its textile and silk are extremely developed. Grain, cotton and iron ore in the south of the Yangtze River can be sold to all parts of the country through the Yangtze River waterway. Huizhou merchants fully considered and made use of their favorable geographical position. In large and small cities, businessmen or businessmen are all over the south of the Yangtze River. Their business scope covers silk, cotton, dyes, cotton cloth, grain, wood, salt, iron and other aspects, and "salt, tea, wood and quality shop are the main products". Among them, pawnbrokers are active, and "Jiaxing County Records" contains: "Xin 'an family and powerful families" and "each family is self-decorated with quality library". "Zongshen in Ming Dynasty" also recorded: "Huizhou merchants opened pawn shops all over Jiangbei, with thousands of assets and no more than twelve classes. 2 13 people met them in Henan. "Huizhou merchants not only invested in handicraft production, but also opened iron mines and dyehouses. Wang Daokun recorded a lot in Han Tai Collection. Such as Huizhou merchant Zhu, "learn from his brother, build a class in Tieye Mountain, lead the elderly with more servants, work hard and make Amnesty". Ruan Bi, a Hui merchant, said, "Since Wuhu became a self-reliant bureau, Cao dyed people and didn't need to be educated. It saved money and benefited times, and five buyers benefited from it. It was reprinted in Wu, Yue, Jing, Liang, Yan, Lu, Qi and Yu, as well as in branches and Jia's. "Although these Huizhou merchants are far away from their homeland and doing business in other places, they are very good at management and are quite calculating. There is a new fabric industry in Xu Zhongyuan's Dream of Red Mansions. "The trick is to set up a good name for Wushu, and surprise the garment workers. Those who don't get out of this machine will be rewarded with two cents, and those who sew will get a small profit, which will make the group have a good reputation and the users are in the market." ..... ten years of wealth, cloth is better than the world. "They also collect business information extensively and use various relationships to seek economic benefits. During the Wanli period, the dynasty moved to repair the Qing Palace and the Publishing Palace, and the royal family bought wood from Jiangnan. Wang Tianjun, a Hui merchant, got such a thing, which was "widely relying on money and things, acting according to the situation, drilling * money, and Jia Mu's 160,000 pieces, not to mention tens of millions of private pieces of wood, that is, 160,000 pieces of wood, with a tax of more than 32,000 yuan and a loss of 562,000 yuan". Therefore, after the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Huizhou merchants developed rapidly throughout the country, and the more capital accumulated, the greater the impact on various properties in the country. Xie Zhao * said, "Those who have a lot of money will push Xin 'an in the south of the Yangtze River and push the mountains in the north of the Yangtze River. "Xin' an Dajia," those who hide one million, another two or three hundred thousand, will be the best in China. " Huizhou merchants and Shanxi merchants became two famous business gangs in China at that time. In contrast, Huizhou merchants are good at Confucianism because of Jia, which has broader development prospects and popularity than Shanxi merchants.