Hai jin

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Hǎi jìn ( Chinese  海禁 , Pinyin Hǎijìn ) was the ban on private seafaring in China at the time of the Ming Dynasty. The ban lasted from 1368 to 1405 and was reapplied between 1550 and 1567.

Sea ban

Shipping authorities were set up as early as 1277/78 to control trade. The sea ban goes back to the first Ming Emperor Hongwu and was ratified in the Ming Code. As penalties against violations but threatened corporal punishment and the execution .

The aim was to prevent illegal private trade ('ssu') across the sea, as they feared the danger of pirates (especially the Japanese " Wokou ") who would be attracted by the heavy shipping traffic. The primary aim was to consolidate military power, also because the country itself was very unstable inside, especially at the beginning of the dynasty (1368–1402), and dangers from outside continued to threaten (Mongols, Timurians, Oirats). Other reasons are the rulers' fear of the power of rich merchants and Confucianism, which is opposed to expansion .

Conflicts between the parties

Since the Chinese emperors claimed the trade monopoly in the form of the tribute trade for themselves, but the coastal inhabitants did not want or could not do without the commercial benefits of sea trade (like Fujian ), a flourishing system of contraband (= of smuggling and black market ) arose , which was bribed by Officials and military was supported. At times, attempts were made to control merchant shipping with the help of shipping authorities and thus to enable exchange with countries recognized as tributary. However, the merchants on the coast also braced themselves against a complete liberalization of trade, as in this case the privilege of their social networks towards the poorer population would have become null and void.

End of the sea ban

In the middle of the 16th century it was recognized that raids by marauders mostly came from marketless merchants who were supported by the population in the absence of other sources of income. Simultaneously with the overturning of the sea ban, the Chinese system of tribute diplomacy was also called into question.

literature

  • Wiethoff, Bodo: The Chinese Sea Ban Policy and Private Overseas Trade from 1368-1567 . In: Communications of the Society for Nature and Ethnology of East Asia . Hamburg 1963. Vol. 45, pp. 235ff.