Caoyun system
Encyclopedia
The Caoyun System was a water and land based grain transportation system begun in China during the Qin Dynasty
(221 BCE–206 CE) which saw continual use until the Qing Dynasty
(1644–1911). The primary purpose of the cáoyùn was tax collection, since grain was a major payment method accepted by the imperial administration. The system also played a secondary role as a distribution network for army provisions whilst management of shipbuilding and tariffs also fell within its ambit.
despatched a large fleet of ships manned by Corvée
labour from his capital at Yong (雍) in modern day Fengxiang County
, Shaanxi Province. The ships carried several thousands of tons of cereal and proceeded along the Wei
, Yellow
and Fen
Rivers before arriving at the Jin capital Jiang (绛) (south east of modern day Yicheng County
, Shanxi Province).
Later, in 486 CE, King Fuchai of Wu linked the Yangtze
and Huai River
s by excavating the Han Ravine (邗沟) so that water flowed from the Yangtze through the Lakes Fanliang (樊梁湖), Bozhi (博芝湖) and Sheyang (射阳湖) into the Wei at Huai'an
. This waterway was subsequently used to transport provisions for the army. Three years afterwards King Fuchai further extended the Han Ravine via the Heshui Canal (荷水运河) to connect with the Si River
in Shandong
Province.
ordered construction of a canal connecting the Xiang River
and the Lijiang
in order to supply his troops for an attack on the Xiongnu
nomads. Designed by Shi Lu (史祿), the resulting Lingqu Canal
is the oldest contour canal
in the world. This canal along with the Zhengguo Canal
in Shaanxi Province and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
in Sichuan Province are known as “The three great hydraulic engineering projects of the Qin Dynasty
”.
used the Wei River to transport provisions for his army, thereby creating an effective logistics supply network. In 129 BCE, the sixth year of Emperor Han Wudi, a canal was cut through the northern foothills of the Qin Mountains running parallel to the Wei River linking Tongguan with Chang’an and greatly reducing the amount of time needed to transport goods between the two cities.
lasted only 37 years from 581 until 618 CE, its rulers made a major contribution to improving the cáoyùn system. The Hai
, Yellow
, Huai
, Yangtze
and Qiantang Rivers were all interlinked through the construction of canals thus laying the groundwork for further development during later dynasties. These were the Guangtong Canal (廣通渠), Tongji Canal (通濟渠), Shanyang Channel (山陽瀆) and Yongji Canal (永濟渠) which formed the basis of a large scale canal based transport network.
At the time of Emperor Jingzong of Tang
(r. 824–827) the canal system had become too shallow. This restricted the movement of salt and iron which were important government monopolies so to solve the problem seven rivers were diverted to the east.
the capital Daliang (大梁), modern day Kaifeng
, used the Bian
Yellow, Huimin (惠民河) and Guangji (广济河) Rivers as part of the Cáoyùn network. In 976 CE during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song
more than 55 million bushels of grain were moved along the Bian River to the capital. By the time of Emperor Renzong of Song
(r. 1022–763) the amount had increased to 80 million bushels.
of the administrative third grade or "Sān Pǐn" (三品). This office was responsible arranging grain transportation to the Luan River
(滦河) then onwards to the capital at Dadu
(modern day Beijing) using more than 3,000 boats. Sea based transportation within the Cáoyùn system was also important with canals playing a subsidiary role.
In 1368, the first year of the reign of the Ming Hongwu Emperor
, the Capital Grain Transport Office (京畿都漕运司) was established under the auspices of a fourth grade (四品) commissioner. At the same time, a Cáoyùn governor-general’s office was set up in the prefectural capital of Huai'an
, Jiangsu Province. Its responsibilities were to manage the Cáoyùn network and ensure that annual grain shipments remained at around 40 million tons. Boatyards were also established in Anqing
, Suzhou
, Hangzhou
, Jiujiang
, Zhangshu
and Raozhou (饶州) (modern day Poyang County
). At Huai'an, a boatyard 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of the Yangtze River ran for a distance of 23 Chinese miles
(c. 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi). Overall responsibility for all these locations lay with a department of the Ministry of Works
.
Every year, regulations fixed the total amount of tax payable by the entire country in grain via the Cáoyùn system at 29.5 million bushels. Of this, 12 million bushels were allocated to local governments, 8 million bushels supported the army on the northern border, 1.2 million bushels went to the capital in Nanjing
whilst 8.2 million bushels were used to supply Beijing.
From 1415 onwards, imperial regulations stated that the Cáoyùn system should use only the country’s canal network thereafter all seaborne transportation stopped.
This situation remained virtually unchanged until the beginning of the 19th century and as a result, during both the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the volume of Cáoyùn grain transported via the Grand Canal far exceeded that of the preceding Yuan Dynasty.
During the Ming Dynasty the usage pattern of the Cáoyùn system went through three successive phases. At first the "zhiyun" (支运) variant evolved as grain tax transportation switched from the sea to the country’s canal and river network. At Huai’an, Xuzhou
, Linqing
and other locations, warehouses were established to store taxes paid in grain and delivered by the local population. This was then shipped north to provision the army once every quarter. Storage became unnecessary with the advent of the "duiyun" (兑运) form where taxes paid by the common people were partly used to directly pay the transportation fees for army supplies on the journey north. During the third stage known as "changyun" (长运) or "Gaidui" (改兌), the army took responsibility for the movement of grain from south of the Yangtze River.
According to Ming Dynasty scholar Qiu Jun (邱濬): “Use of the river and canal network saved 30–40% of costs compared to road transportation whereas the savings achieved using sea-borne transport were 70%–80%.”
continued to use the existing Cáoyùn system it had numerous disadvantages and caused the government many headaches. In 1825 during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor
a maritime shipping office was established in Shanghai
with a grain tax receiving station at Tianjin
. Qishan
and other senior ministers thereafter managed the first grain shipments by sea. Operations in Tianjin quickly grew to outstrip those based in Linqing
, Shandong Province. Before the Opium Wars
of 1839–42 and 1856–60, yearly Cáoyùn maritime shipments reached around 4 million bushels of grain per annum.
A series of events towards the end of the Qing Dynasty led to the ultimate decline of the Cáoyùn system:
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
(221 BCE–206 CE) which saw continual use until the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(1644–1911). The primary purpose of the cáoyùn was tax collection, since grain was a major payment method accepted by the imperial administration. The system also played a secondary role as a distribution network for army provisions whilst management of shipbuilding and tariffs also fell within its ambit.
Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods
In 647 BCE, the State of Jin suffered major crop failure. Duke Mu of QinDuke Mu of Qin
Duke Mu of Qin , born Ying Renhao , was a ruler of the State of Qin from 659 or 660 to 621 BC in China. One of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period, he greatly expanded the territory of Qin during the reign of King Xiang of Zhou.He acquired many talented advisors, such as Baili Xi,...
despatched a large fleet of ships manned by Corvée
Corvée
Corvée is unfree labour, often unpaid, that is required of people of lower social standing and imposed on them by the state or a superior . The corvée was the earliest and most widespread form of taxation, which can be traced back to the beginning of civilization...
labour from his capital at Yong (雍) in modern day Fengxiang County
Fengxiang County
Fengxiang County is a county administered by Baoji City, western Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China. The county covers an area of and as of 2004 had a population of 510,000...
, Shaanxi Province. The ships carried several thousands of tons of cereal and proceeded along the Wei
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
, Yellow
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
and Fen
Fen River
The Fen River drains the center of Shanxi Province, China. It rises in the Guancen Mountains of Ningwu County in northeast Shanxi, flows southeast into the basin of Taiyuan, and then south through the central valley of Shanxi before turning west to join the Yellow River west of Hejin. The Fen and...
Rivers before arriving at the Jin capital Jiang (绛) (south east of modern day Yicheng County
Yicheng County
Yicheng County is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Linfen city.-References:*...
, Shanxi Province).
Later, in 486 CE, King Fuchai of Wu linked the Yangtze
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
s by excavating the Han Ravine (邗沟) so that water flowed from the Yangtze through the Lakes Fanliang (樊梁湖), Bozhi (博芝湖) and Sheyang (射阳湖) into the Wei at Huai'an
Huai'an
Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889...
. This waterway was subsequently used to transport provisions for the army. Three years afterwards King Fuchai further extended the Han Ravine via the Heshui Canal (荷水运河) to connect with the Si River
Si River
The Si River is a watercourse located in Shandong Province, China. It rises in the southern foothills of the Mengshan Mountains then flows through Sishui County, and the cities of Qufu and Yanzhou before emptying into Lake Nanyang...
in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
Province.
Qin Dynasty
In 214 BCE the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi HuangQin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang , personal name Ying Zheng , was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 246 BC to 221 BC during the Warring States Period. He became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 BC...
ordered construction of a canal connecting the Xiang River
Xiang River
The Xiang River , in older transliterations as the Siang River or Hsiang River, is a river in southern China...
and the Lijiang
Lijiang River
The Li River or Lijiang River is a river in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.-Background:The Li River originates in the Mao'er Mountains in Xing'an County and flows in the general southern direction through Guilin, Yangshuo and Pingle....
in order to supply his troops for an attack on the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
nomads. Designed by Shi Lu (史祿), the resulting Lingqu Canal
Lingqu Canal
The Lingqu Canal is located in Xing'an County, near Guilin, in the northeastern corner of Guangxi Province, China. It connects the Xiang River with the Lijiang , which in its turn continues toward the Xijiang), and thus is part of a historical waterway between the Yangtze and the Pearl River...
is the oldest contour canal
Contour canal
A contour canal is an artificially-dug navigable canal which closely follows the contour line of the land it traverses in order to avoid costly engineering works such as boring a tunnel through higher ground, building an embankment over lower ground, or constructing a canal lock to change the...
in the world. This canal along with the Zhengguo Canal
Zhengguo Canal
The Zhengguo Canal, Zhengguoqu or Chengkuo Canal , named after its designer, Zheng Guo, is a large canal located in Shaanxi province, China. The canal irrigates the Guanzhong plain, north of Xi'an. Together with the Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Lingqu Canal, it is one of the three biggest water...
in Shaanxi Province and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Dujiangyan is an irrigation infrastructure built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period of China by the Kingdom of Qin. It is located in the Min River in Sichuan province, China, near the capital Chengdu. It is still in use today to irrigate over 5,300 square kilometers of land in the region...
in Sichuan Province are known as “The three great hydraulic engineering projects of the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
”.
Han Dynasty
During the Chu–Han contention (206–202 BCE), General Xiao HeXiao He
Xiao He was a Chinese statesman who lived during the early Han Dynasty. He served Liu Bang during the insurrection against the Qin Dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han contention against Xiang Yu. After the founding of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He became chancellor and held office until...
used the Wei River to transport provisions for his army, thereby creating an effective logistics supply network. In 129 BCE, the sixth year of Emperor Han Wudi, a canal was cut through the northern foothills of the Qin Mountains running parallel to the Wei River linking Tongguan with Chang’an and greatly reducing the amount of time needed to transport goods between the two cities.
Sui and Tang Dynasties
Although the Sui DynastySui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
lasted only 37 years from 581 until 618 CE, its rulers made a major contribution to improving the cáoyùn system. The Hai
Hai River
The Hai River , previously called Bai He , is a river in the People's Republic of China which flows through Beijing and Tianjin before emptying into the Yellow Sea at the Bohai Gulf.The Hai River at Tianjin is formed by the confluence of five rivers, the Southern Canal, Ziya...
, Yellow
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
, Huai
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
, Yangtze
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and Qiantang Rivers were all interlinked through the construction of canals thus laying the groundwork for further development during later dynasties. These were the Guangtong Canal (廣通渠), Tongji Canal (通濟渠), Shanyang Channel (山陽瀆) and Yongji Canal (永濟渠) which formed the basis of a large scale canal based transport network.
At the time of Emperor Jingzong of Tang
Emperor Jingzong of Tang
Emperor Jingzong of Tang , personal name Li Zhan , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 824 to 827...
(r. 824–827) the canal system had become too shallow. This restricted the movement of salt and iron which were important government monopolies so to solve the problem seven rivers were diverted to the east.
Song Dynasty
During the Song DynastySong Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
the capital Daliang (大梁), modern day Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, used the Bian
Bian River (China)
The Bian River , also known in Chinese as the Bian Shui , was an ancient river partly located within the borders of China’s Kaifeng City, Henan Province....
Yellow, Huimin (惠民河) and Guangji (广济河) Rivers as part of the Cáoyùn network. In 976 CE during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song
Emperor Taizong of Song
Emperor Taizong , born Zhao Kuangyi, was the second emperor of the Song Dynasty of China from 976 to 997. He was the younger brother of Emperor Taizu. His temple name Taizong means "Grand Ancestor".-Overview:...
more than 55 million bushels of grain were moved along the Bian River to the capital. By the time of Emperor Renzong of Song
Emperor Renzong of Song
Emperor Renzong was the fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty of China. His personal name was Zhao Zhen . He reigned from 1022 to 1063. Renzong was the son of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. Despite his long reign of over 40 years, Renzong is not widely known...
(r. 1022–763) the amount had increased to 80 million bushels.
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty saw the establishment of a government body in the form of a "Sī" (司) near the capital to oversee the Cáoyùn system. Known as the Huai & Yangtze Rivers Grain Transport Office, (江淮都漕运司) this was an offshoot of the Three Departments and Six MinistriesThree Departments and Six Ministries
The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was the main central administrative system adopted in ancient China. The system first took shape after the Western Han Dynasty , was officially instituted in Sui Dynasty , and matured during Tang Dynasty...
of the administrative third grade or "Sān Pǐn" (三品). This office was responsible arranging grain transportation to the Luan River
Luan River
The Luan River is a river in China. It flows northwards from its source in the province of Hebei into the province of Inner Mongolia, and then flows southeast back into Hebei to its mouth on the Bohai Sea. Its length is about 600 km. One subsidiary of the Luan River is the Yixun He, which...
(滦河) then onwards to the capital at Dadu
Khanbaliq
Khanbaliq or Dadu refers to a city which is now Beijing, the current capital of the People's Republic of China...
(modern day Beijing) using more than 3,000 boats. Sea based transportation within the Cáoyùn system was also important with canals playing a subsidiary role.
Ming Dynasty
Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor , known variably by his given name Zhu Yuanzhang and by his temple name Taizu of Ming , was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China...
, the Capital Grain Transport Office (京畿都漕运司) was established under the auspices of a fourth grade (四品) commissioner. At the same time, a Cáoyùn governor-general’s office was set up in the prefectural capital of Huai'an
Huai'an
Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889...
, Jiangsu Province. Its responsibilities were to manage the Cáoyùn network and ensure that annual grain shipments remained at around 40 million tons. Boatyards were also established in Anqing
Anqing
Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively....
, Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Jiujiang
Jiujiang
Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang...
, Zhangshu
Zhangshu
Zhangshu is a county level city in Yichun, west-central Jiangxi province. It has an area of 1,291 km² and a population of 536,500. The literal translation of the name is Camphor laurel, because traditionally, the city was a major commercial hub for camphor laurel oil.It is the home of famous Site...
and Raozhou (饶州) (modern day Poyang County
Poyang County
Poyang County is a county under the administration of Shangrao city in Jiangxi Province of the People's Republic of China. It is located on the eastern side of Lake Poyang....
). At Huai'an, a boatyard 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of the Yangtze River ran for a distance of 23 Chinese miles
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
(c. 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi). Overall responsibility for all these locations lay with a department of the Ministry of Works
Three Departments and Six Ministries
The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was the main central administrative system adopted in ancient China. The system first took shape after the Western Han Dynasty , was officially instituted in Sui Dynasty , and matured during Tang Dynasty...
.
Every year, regulations fixed the total amount of tax payable by the entire country in grain via the Cáoyùn system at 29.5 million bushels. Of this, 12 million bushels were allocated to local governments, 8 million bushels supported the army on the northern border, 1.2 million bushels went to the capital in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
whilst 8.2 million bushels were used to supply Beijing.
From 1415 onwards, imperial regulations stated that the Cáoyùn system should use only the country’s canal network thereafter all seaborne transportation stopped.
This situation remained virtually unchanged until the beginning of the 19th century and as a result, during both the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the volume of Cáoyùn grain transported via the Grand Canal far exceeded that of the preceding Yuan Dynasty.
During the Ming Dynasty the usage pattern of the Cáoyùn system went through three successive phases. At first the "zhiyun" (支运) variant evolved as grain tax transportation switched from the sea to the country’s canal and river network. At Huai’an, Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Linqing
Linqing
Linqing is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Liaocheng in western Shandong Province, China. It is located north-northwest of the prefectural capital Liaocheng. The city proper has about residents , whereas Linqing County as a whole had inhabitants in 1999. The city is...
and other locations, warehouses were established to store taxes paid in grain and delivered by the local population. This was then shipped north to provision the army once every quarter. Storage became unnecessary with the advent of the "duiyun" (兑运) form where taxes paid by the common people were partly used to directly pay the transportation fees for army supplies on the journey north. During the third stage known as "changyun" (长运) or "Gaidui" (改兌), the army took responsibility for the movement of grain from south of the Yangtze River.
According to Ming Dynasty scholar Qiu Jun (邱濬): “Use of the river and canal network saved 30–40% of costs compared to road transportation whereas the savings achieved using sea-borne transport were 70%–80%.”
| Administrative Area |
Subdivision | Amount (bushels 石) |
|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Zhejiang Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital... |
630,000 | |
| Jiangxi Jiangxi ' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to... |
570,000 | |
| Hebei Hebei ' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei... |
380,000 | |
| Shandong Shandong ' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese... |
375,000 | |
| Huguang Huguang Huguang was a province of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. It was partitioned in the late Qing Dynasty, becoming the provinces of Hubei and Hunan.... |
250,000 | |
| Southern Zhili Zhili Zhílì was a northern province in China from the Ming Dynasty until the province was dissolved in 1928 during the Republic of China era.-History:... |
1,794,400 | |
| Suzhou Suzhou Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part... |
697000 | |
| Songjiang Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... (松江府) |
232,950 | |
| Changzhou Changzhou Changzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the... |
175,000 | |
| Nanjing Nanjing ' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions... (应天府) |
128,000 | |
| Huai'an Huai'an Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889... |
104,000 | |
| Zhenjiang Zhenjiang Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once... |
102,000 | |
| Yangzhou Yangzhou Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across... |
97,000 | |
| Anqing Anqing Anqing is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Anhui province, East China. It borders Lu'an to the north, Chaohu to the northeast, Tongling to the east, Chizhou to the southeast, and the provinces of Jiangxi and Hubei to the south and west respectively.... |
60,000 | |
| Fengyang | 60,000 | |
| Xuzhou Xuzhou Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China... |
48,000 | |
| Ningguo Ningguo Ningguo is a county-level city in the province of Anhui，People's Republic of China, under the administration of Xuancheng City. It has a population of 380,000 and an area of .... |
30,000 | |
| Chizhou Chizhou Chizhou is a prefecture-level city in Anhui province, People's Republic of China. It borders Anqing to the northwest, Tongling and Wuhu to the northeast, Xuancheng to the east, Huangshan to the southeast, and the province of Jiangxi to the southwest.... |
25,000 | |
| Taiping Taiping Prefecture Taiping Prefecture was an administrative region of China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties that spanned roughly the areas of the modern day cities of Ma'anshan and Wuhu in Anhui Province. During the Ming Dynasty the prefecture was classified as part of Southern Zhili and later came under the... |
17,000 | |
| Luzhou Luzhou -History:The history of Luzhou dates back to Xia and Shang Dynasties. Luzhou became a prefecture level city in 1983.-History of Luzhou:... |
10,000 | |
| Guangde | 8,000 |
Qing Dynasty
Although the Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
continued to use the existing Cáoyùn system it had numerous disadvantages and caused the government many headaches. In 1825 during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor
Daoguang Emperor
The Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:...
a maritime shipping office was established in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
with a grain tax receiving station at Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
. Qishan
Qishan
Qishan was a Manchu nobleman and high official during the late Qing Dynasty, who is known for his role during the First Opium War.-Background and early career:...
and other senior ministers thereafter managed the first grain shipments by sea. Operations in Tianjin quickly grew to outstrip those based in Linqing
Linqing
Linqing is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Liaocheng in western Shandong Province, China. It is located north-northwest of the prefectural capital Liaocheng. The city proper has about residents , whereas Linqing County as a whole had inhabitants in 1999. The city is...
, Shandong Province. Before the Opium Wars
Opium Wars
The Opium Wars, also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, divided into the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, were the climax of disputes over trade and diplomatic relations between China under the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire...
of 1839–42 and 1856–60, yearly Cáoyùn maritime shipments reached around 4 million bushels of grain per annum.
A series of events towards the end of the Qing Dynasty led to the ultimate decline of the Cáoyùn system:
- On the 21st July 1842, during the later stages of the First Opium WarFirst Opium WarThe First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
, British troops attacked and occupiedBattle of ChinkiangThe Battle of Chinkiang was fought between British and Chinese forces in Chinkiang, China, on 21 July 1842 during the First Opium War. It was the last major battle of the war. The British capture of this stronghold allowed them to proceed forward to Nanking....
ZhenjiangZhenjiangZhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
near the confluence of the Grand Canal and Yangtze River, effectively blocking operation of the Cáoyùn system. As a result the Qing Daoguang Emperor decided to sue for peace and agreed to sign the Treaty of NankingTreaty of NankingThe Treaty of Nanking was signed on 29 August 1842 to mark the end of the First Opium War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Qing Dynasty of China...
which brought hostilities to an end. - The Taiping RebellionTaiping RebellionThe Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
of 1850–64 resulted in the loss of Nanjing and the Anhui segment of the Yangtze River for ten years from 1853 onwards thereby curtailing the Cáoyùn network. During the war with the rebels, major canal side towns including Yangzhou, Qingjiangpu (清江浦), Linqing, Suzhou and Hangzhou suffered serious damage or were razed to the ground. - After the yellow river changed course in 1855, the Cáoyùn canals in the Shandong region gradually silted up. Thereafter, the principle routes for grain shipment were maritime.
- In 1872 , an office to promote investment in steamships was established in Shanghai when steamships became the official vessels used within the Cáoyùn system.
- All canal based traffic of Cáoyùn grain ceased in 1901.
- The post of Cáoyùn governor-general was abolished in 1904
- 1911 saw the opening of the Jinpu railwayJinpu railwayThe Tianjin–Pukou or Jinpu Railway runs from Tianjin to Pukou outside Nanjing in Jiangsu province.In September 1898 at a conference in London, British and German capitalists decided to build a railway from Tianjin to Zhenjiang. In May 1899, the Qing government agreed to the financing of the...
linking TianjinTianjin' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
and ZhenjiangZhenjiangZhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
such that the importance of the Grand Canal and the towns along its banks significantly dropped in importance.