Lu, Hanchao, “Arrested Development: Cotton and Cotton Markets in Shanghai, 1350-1843” (1992)

Title : “Arrested Development: Cotton and Cotton Markets in Shanghai, 1350-1843”

Author(s) : Lu, Hanchao

Year : 1992

Type : Journal article

Subject : History

Keywords : economy

Journal : Modern China

Volume : 18

Number : 4

Start page : 468

End page : 499

Language:Name : English

Support : Print

Abstract : Examines the cotton industry and its effects on Shanghai in the period from 1350 to 1843. The region's natural features, including soil type and difficulty of irrigation, made cotton easier to produce than rice, and thus it became the staple crop of Shanghai. The peasants of the region were able to sell their crop both within Shanghai and elsewhere. The government, in particular, provided a large market for the product. This helped turn the city into a bustling commercial center before it became a treaty port in 1843. Nonetheless, Shanghai remained relatively unimportant before the mid-19th century.