On the Changes of shanxi Ecological Environment and the Appearance of Shanxi Merchants

The rising of Shanxi merchants,according to the study of this paper,is considered as being related with the changes of the ecological environment of Shanxi in the Ming and Qing Dynasty,though these businessmen in the two dynasties were different.Generally speaking,most of the businessmen were from the southernpart of Shanxi,people there were richer than those of the other parts of the province until the environment became worse in the early Ming Dynasty.Those businessmen,by only using the capital of their own,set up more businesses,and rose quickly by taking the opportunity of sending grains and salt to China borders,which was encouraged by the central government.Shanxi businessmen in Qing Dynasty,on the contrary,ventured their lives to other provinces in order to seek for better lives,as the environment and agricultural economy were greatly damaged in the middle or northern part of Shanxi.With the economic and business development in those areas,and by their great efforts,Shanxi businessmen became successful.