The Jin merchants went to the whole country and even abroad, which is related to the geographical environment and resource endowment of the Jin merchants. For Russia, because the people need Chinese tea, in the era when there were no ships and trains, Shanxi's special geographical location helped the Shanxi people and allowed the Jin merchants to open up the tea road. At the same time, Shanxi's coal resources and the development of handicraft industry are also favorable conditions for Shanxi merchants to export goods. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, "Yincheng iron goods flowed all over the country", and the annual average of iron goods transactions was more than 10 million taels**. After thousands of years of development, Yincheng iron industry has gradually formed a production technology system with steelmaking as the backbone, supplemented by charcoal block ironmaking, crucible ironmaking, carbonizing steel, steel clamping, steel pasting, rubbing and other smelting and processing technologies.
Historically, the production and processing of underground resources and native products in Shanxi have always been an important part of the export of commodities by Jin merchants, such as iron pots, ironware, iron wire, silk, shochu, paper, tobacco, salt and alkali, etc. The development of handicraft products, in addition to the natural endowment with underground resources, but also because of the flood and drought disasters in Shanxi will not starve to death, and after the Yuan Dynasty there are relatively few wars, the population multiplies quickly, and the arable land is insufficient, most of the people in Dayang, Jincheng in the Qing Dynasty are engaged in hand-made needles. Handicraft production and commerce are most closely linked, and these handicraft production and sales merchants have been passed down from generation to generation, and their outlook on life, values and beliefs cannot but be engraved with the imprint of their way of life. In 1708 (the forty-seventh year of Kangxi), in Macun, Gaoping County, the "Genealogy of the Yan Family", a merchant and handicraft family, recorded the "Ten Family Mottos" written by Yan Sichao, including filial piety to parents, sincere worship of ancestors, harmony with brothers, teaching women, marriage between men and women, industrious crops, scholarly inheritance, wealth and good way, cultivating children and grandchildren, and protecting one's self and security. Among them, the article "There is a way to make money" says: "Grain is the foundation of life, wealth is the source of self-support, and everything is indispensable in the world." The children of the anointing sorghum do not think far away, sit on the mountains and eat the sky, how can they make a living? The common people's home, the entrepreneur, must first open the source of wealth, save the flow of money, think about the way to make money, the way of operation, run the road without fear of hard work, from small to big day to make progress, endless, natural use is endless, inexhaustible. Diligence can be used to get rich, wealth can be rich, and a family can be established, how can it be limited? The sages breed, the poor but the rich; Guan Zhong holds the chip, and the rich country is strong. The law that has been tested by the predecessors is also respected by the descendants. [16] The merchant family rules that have been passed down from generation to generation are permeated with a strong Jin merchant culture and merchant spirit.
Harmonious philosophy of the mean
According to the Historical Records, Yao, Shun, Yu, and Xia in ancient China all built their capitals in Shanxi. Yao and Shun were the earliest Ming monarchs, courteous and selfless. At the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, King Cheng named his younger brother Uncle Yu to Shanxi as a marquis, asking him to "enlighten Xia Zheng and Xinjiang to Rongsuo". In accordance with the requirements of King Cheng, Shuyu not only appropriately retained some systems since the Xia Dynasty in Shanxi, maintained the traditional customs of the Xia people, but also distributed land according to the production and living habits of the nomadic people, temporarily did not implement the well field system, and implemented a political and economic policy that was not completely equivalent to the first, and gradually gave birth to the characteristics of the Tang and Jin cultures that were politically broad and generous, inclusive, economically seeking common ground while reserving differences, and constantly striving for self-improvement. Later, the exchange of daily necessities for the northern nomads was always positive. In 1570 (the fourth year of Longqing in the Ming Dynasty), Wang Chonggu, the governor of Xuan, Da and Shanxi, who was born in the merchant family of Yongji in Shanxi, dredged the relationship between the Mongolian upper nobility and persuaded the court decision-making authorities to realize the "tribute of my arrival", the Han and Mongolian markets, so that the east started from Yanyong, and the west arrived at the seven towns of Jiayu, and thousands of miles of military and civilian happiness.
In 1904 (the 30th year of Guangxu), the Russo-Japanese war broke out, and the following year ** was defeated, giving up the privileges in Korea and redividing the sphere of influence with Japan in the northeast. Shanxi Qixian Hesheng Yuan Ticket Number Yingkou Branch Business Environment has changed, and business is difficult. Shen Shukai, the new manager of Yingkou Branch, in view of the actual situation of the increase in Japanese businessmen in Yingkou after the Russo-Japanese War, boldly hired the Japanese as the staff of Hesheng Yuan Ticket Number, and opened up the business to the Japanese, and then successively set up branches in Siping, Harbin, Qiqihar, Heihe and other places, and then set up branches in Andong (now Dandong), and then set up branches in Sinuiju, North Korea, which was controlled by the ** forces. In 1907 (the 33rd year of Guangxu), Shen Shukai set up branches of Heshengyuan Bank in Kobe, Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama, Japan, which not only remitted tuition and miscellaneous fees for Chinese students studying in Japan, but also gave foreign exchange and other care and preferential treatment to overseas Chinese. It should be said that Heshengyuan is not afraid of risks, crosses the ocean, lives in harmony with all parties, expands branches, and creates a new era for China's financial institutions to set up banks overseas, which is related to the moderation and generosity of its manager Shen Shukai and the employment of Japanese staff.
It can be seen that the basic principle of Jinshang's conduct and management is the golden mean. The first is not to be extreme left and extreme right, and strive to be just right, and to do everything in dual-use; The second is to get along with others, harmony is precious, as long as practice proves that honesty and trustworthiness, you can become "with each other" and be friendly from generation to generation; The third is to change the time in the right, pay attention to market and social information, recognize the opportunity, adjust the business strategy at any time, and keep the right to change. Shanxi businessmen believe that the middle is the way, harmony is the foundation, whether the business can be successful, is actually dealing with people, dealing with things, dealing with people, directors, and management, we must adhere to the Taoist management, and throughout. Jin Shang Shang proverb: "Righteousness is the way to make money, and harmony is the pill of qi", "There is no criticism everywhere with people, and there is spring between business", "benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, faith, and faith are profitable, and gentleness, courtesy, and thrift allow people to seek wealth inside" and so on.
Mercantile thinking in academia
The mercantile thinking of the Jin merchants was originally in the people, but in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the Jin merchants and celebrities and scholars had a very special cooperation under a special background. There are a large number of legends and scattered materials in Shanxi folk, saying that Gu Yanwu, Fu Shan, Dai Tingshi and others, in order to realize the political proposition of opposing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty, organized a dart bureau in Shanxi to support martial arts training such as Xingyi Boxing. In 1659 (the sixteenth year of Shunzhi), Fu Shan, Gu Yanwu, and Dai Tingshi transformed a pawnshop into a "Yizhenquan Ticket Number", organized deposits, loans, exchange, and exchange of gold and silver to raise funds for the anti-Qing rebels. The investors of this ticket number are Dai Tingshi, a scholar from a merchant family in Qi County, and Li Ken, a businessman, with Dai Danlin as the shopkeeper. The Li family tree records: "In the sixteenth year of Shunzhi, Fu Shan handled the **30,000 taels of the Datong Righteous Army, and 40,000 taels of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang military expenses"[17], which was transported out by darts. Only 4 years later, in 1663 (the second year of Kangxi), the ticket number of Yizhenquan was seized by **. Wen Xiu, a Taigu merchant who is now more than eight years old, said that Gu Yanwu's 66th birthday was spent at his home, and the year was 1679 (the eighteenth year of Kangxi), Gu Yanwu helped formulate rules and regulations, and established the Zhichengxin ticket number, and he had seen some of Zhichengxin's account books that year. The Jin Shang's accounting method "Longmen Account" was established with the help of Fu Shan.
Although these legends and records still need further research, Fu Shan and Gu Yanwu supported the merchants and advocated the mercantilism of the merchants to enter the mainstream society, which is a real thing. The "Danfeng Pavilion" built by Dai Tingshi, a famous man from a merchant in Qi County, is a gathering place for Gu Yanwu, Fu Shan, Yan Ermei, Yan Ruoju, Wang Shizhen, Qu Dajun, etc., and many of these celebrities have merchant family backgrounds. They stand on the side of businessmen and call for businessmen to enter mainstream society. Fu Shan put forward the idea that "the market can rule the world peacefully", he believes that businessmen know best about commodity production, exchange, circulation, supply and demand, wealth creation, operation and management, he said: "How to gather people? Said wealth. It is difficult for the poor to have a group, and the same is true for the family and the country. Therefore, those who talk about wealth are self-edifying skulls and ears. It is easy for a person who is often poor and arrogant to speak benevolently and righteously." [18]。"The living are also promising, and they are supposed to be rich and prosperous. The rich are the living, and the ruler is the one who does. [19] It is clearly stated that the key to a promising person is to create wealth. Li Zhen also said: "Those who do not talk about financial management must not rule the world peacefully." [20] In the early Qing Dynasty, Danfeng Pavilion in Qixian County, Shanxi Province was a research center for academic exchanges and anti-Qing ideology in the north, echoing the water painting garden in Rugao, Jiangsu.
After the middle of the Qing Dynasty, a group of scholars who studied geography, such as Qi Junzao (1793-1866, a native of Shouyang, Shanxi, whose father Qi Yunshi was a pioneer in the study of Northwest Geography), Zhang Mu (1803-1849, from Pingding, Shanxi), He Qiutao (1824-1862, from Guangguang, Fujian), Xu Jiqi (1795-1873, from Wutai, Shanxi), etc., not only studied the geographical and trade routes of Northwest China and Mongolia, but also studied the geography of the world. There is a tax and there is no land. Navigation and trade migration, do not hesitate to go far, within the four seas, set up Putou, solid because it is good at boating, but also because the national economy is all here, have to do it wholeheartedly. [21] He also raised the issue of China borrowing from Western economic and social systems. Western-style figures such as Zhang Zhidong and Hu Pingzhi, who were former governors of Shanxi, were all promoters of the merchant spirit into mainstream society. The Renaissance movement in Europe liquidated the theocracy of Europe, publicized human rights, made science and democracy fashionable, and made the spirit of commerce, mercantilism and civic thought in Europe the mainstream of society, leading to the rise of industrialization in Europe. China's imperial power was never liquidated, the Wuxu Reform was not as successful as the Meiji Restoration, and the Chinese merchant spirit never entered the political arena and became the mainstream of society. However, the requirement for these mercantile ideas to enter the upper class of society was naturally an important source of the spirit of the Jin merchants.
In Chinese society, people generally believe that Confucianism is famous and high, and Jia is rich in profits, and Jia Confucianism has different goals. However, the Jin merchants thought that Jia Ru was connected, and Jia could also learn Confucianism, Confucianism, Jia Keshi, and Shi Ke would not lose Jia's business. A gentleman needs money, and he takes it in a good way; A gentleman has money, and he uses it in a good way. Doing business as a career, not purely to make money. To put it simply, the core values of Jin Shang are Confucius's benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and faith. The family motto of Yuci Changjia requires that "all words must be faithful" and "all deeds must be respectful". Qiao's family in Qixian County is "in the middle hall", righteousness is in the mean, and Qiao Zhiyong, the core figure of Qiao's family, is also to achieve the mean. According to Mencius, "compassion is benevolence; The heart of shame is also righteousness; Respectful heart, courtesy; The heart of right and wrong, wisdom also", "ask for it, get it, give it away, lose it". The training of Jin Shang's compassion, shame, respect, and right and wrong for employees can be seen in the hand-copied textbook "** Notice" at that time.
In its long-term struggle, there are successes and failures, they leave their hometowns, sleep in the open air, spend years in poverty, work hard and think, go forward and follow, with hundreds of years of ups and downs and hard work, have accumulated valuable spiritual wealth and business sermons, which is a great legacy that has been favored by the world and future generations. With its diligence and wisdom, Jin merchants inherit wealth and civilization, and become an endless source of power, nourishing Jin people and inspiring the world.
3. The variation of the spirit of Jin Shang
China's prosperity from the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming to early Qing dynasties did not last, and China lagged behind in the late Qing period. From the middle of the 19th century, the level of gross national product was lower than that of Europe, and it was reduced to a semi-colony. Since then, the path of Jin merchants has become more and more difficult, and the spirit of Jin merchants has gradually changed.
In the 50s of the 19th century, the Xianfeng Dynasty was extremely financially difficult because of the opium attack by the invaders outside and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement inside. Shanxi currency merchants then launched a new business for donors to donate, seal knots, one is convenient for donors, can be used to reduce the cost of donations, and the other is to innovate financial business, increase business income. Later, I further found that buying a false title for myself and my ancestors, wearing a flower feather on the top, can facilitate exchanges with **, enter and exit the yamen, not only can I get more business, but also can enter and exit the majesty, and honor the ancestors. Almost all of the Qiao family in Qi County donated officials at that time. Qing ** exchanged the official title for the merchant's, and the businessman exchanged ** for power and honor. Since then, the Jin merchants have returned from emphasizing business to taking into account both government and business, and then developing to the official standard, which is a great change in the value orientation of Shanxi merchants in modern history.
Compared with the southeastern region, although it is a bitter cold area, but in addition to the severe drought, it can generally barely live, and since the middle and late 18th century, social turmoil and frequent wars have gradually degenerated people's enterprising spirit in a changeable environment.
In the past 100 years, the traditional essence of the Confucian and Mencian ways, "sincerity", "faith", "loyalty" and "righteousness", which have been overthrown and denied by the Confucian and Mencian ways, has also been criticized as feudal dross, which has seriously affected the traditional social integrity. In addition to the supply system and the "communist style," many people think that state-owned enterprises, state-owned banks, and state cadres are all state-owned, yours is mine, and mine is yours, and that they will be "exempted" if they cannot repay their loans. There is a lack of social credit and a crisis of creditworthiness. In economic exchanges, it has become a public nuisance to accept transfer checks, commercial bills of exchange are difficult to promote, and they are cheated and cheated, extortion, and money and debts are evaded.
Although Mr. Liang Qichao has analyzed that there are many similarities between Shanxi merchants and European merchants, it should be pointed out that the European commercial revolution began with the Renaissance movement and the great geographical discoveries, which was a ideological emancipation movement against religious rule and backward agricultural society, a liquidation of divine rights, a promotion of human rights, and the admiration of science, and then the emancipation of nature and the progress, protection and promotion of technology, coupled with the international exchanges brought about by the commercial revolution and the financial revolution. Capital accumulation and innovation in the enterprise organization system made the industrial revolution an irresistible trend. However, China's commercial revolution lacks ideological and cultural emancipation, the empire is condescending, and there can be no environment and conditions for social and economic system innovation, and since the Jin merchants have focused their eyes on officialdom, it is easy to obtain huge profits, and it is no longer important to seek greater development through commercial and financial innovation. The institutional defects of Jinshang enterprises have not been reformed in a timely manner, such as the ticket number of many foreign branch managers called for reform, in Beijing ticket dealer manager Li Hongling united in Beijing Qi, Tai, Ping three gang ticket number managers, advocated that each ticket number jointly share, the formation of shares in the form of Sanjin Huiye Bank, has been responded to by the ticket number managers around the country, have sent letters to Shanxi General Number, to persuade Caidong and the shopkeeper to reorganize the ticket number, set up a bank, and Daqing Bank and other modern financial industry to contend with the interests of Jin merchants. At this time, the ticket number has set up branches in more than 80 cities and towns in the country and many foreign places, and the business institutions have reached nearly 500, which could have adapted to the development of transportation and communications, reformed the class period of the branch partners in various places (the class of three years is not allowed to return to Beijing for less than two years, and the enthusiasm of the partners was mobilized to be close to the people), opened a telegram exchange, founded their own modern schools, learned foreign languages and modern business technology, in order to trade with foreign businessmen, organized managers to go abroad to investigate, understand foreign affairs, accept new trends, implement reform measures, and carry out asset restructuring. The proponents enthusiastically drafted a plan for the reorganization of the bank's articles of association and submitted it to the general account, but the person in charge of the general account scolded him for "making a fortune by himself" and "not deliberating and shelving it in the cabinet", thus missing a good opportunity. In addition, Caidong is corrupt, does not know the hardships of business, takes concubines, gambles and abuses, ignores affairs, and business managers around the country see Caidong's corruption, and also take the opportunity to make trouble, and the losses increase.
Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, the values of Shanxi merchants developed from valuing business to seeking officials and valuing officials.
Fourth, the influence and inheritance of the spirit of Jin merchants
After more than 500 years of glory, Shanxi merchants began to decline at the beginning of the 20th century, and the ticket number industry basically closed down in the 20s of the 20th century, and the money bank, pawnshop, silver number, and bank operated in difficulty. Dragged down by the collapse of the ticket capital, coupled with the wars and lootings again and again, its commodity management capital is no longer prominent, some of them have been able to continue to develop after difficult transformation, most of them have lost opportunities, mistakes, and mistakes in the transformation, and the transformation has failed, and some of them have returned to China, bought houses and land, and turned to agriculture. However, the vastness of the space covered by the Jin merchants and their spirits, and the continuity of time, naturally influenced the Chinese merchants. From the beginning of the Ming Dynasty to the whole country, from the late 14th century to the early 50s of the 20th century, the Jin merchants have experienced nearly 20 generations of succession in time, and their commercial system has naturally spread widely and lasted for a long time. It is no wonder that in 2004, Nanyang City, Henan Province, decided to set the Guandi Temple of Jin Merchants in Chengqi Town, Henan Province as the integrity education base of Nanyang City.