How low was the status of merchants in Qing Dynasty?

During the feudal society of Qing Dynasty, the status of businessmen was always very low, and the ruling class always adopted the policy of emphasizing agriculture and restraining business. Although the status of merchants in Qing dynasty was improved compared with the previous generation, compared with other classes, the status of merchants was still low.

In the Qing Dynasty, the status of farmers was relatively high, and they could get a certain harvest by farming the land, while the status of businessmen was relatively low. Although some businessmen may have earned a lot of wealth in business activities, their social status has not been significantly improved.

In addition, during the Qing dynasty, the system of "joint venture between officials and businessmen" was implemented, and businessmen had to cooperate with the government to achieve commercial success. This also leads to the weak position of businessmen in politics, and it is difficult for them to develop their own businesses independently.

Generally speaking, in the feudal society of Qing dynasty, the status of businessmen was relatively low, and their social status and political rights were restricted.