Susan E. Schopp
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- September 2021
- ISBN:
- 9789888528509
- eISBN:
- 9789888180110
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888528509.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Sino-French Trade at Canton, 1698–1842 fills a gap in Canton Trade scholarship with this new account of France’s near century-and-a-half experience in that trade. From the distinctive features of the ...
More
Sino-French Trade at Canton, 1698–1842 fills a gap in Canton Trade scholarship with this new account of France’s near century-and-a-half experience in that trade. From the distinctive features of the Sino-French trade model to vessels and sea routes, from the physical environment of the Pearl River Delta and the structure of the French hongs in Canton to the daily life of traders, the author draws on both French and other archival sources to bring the history to life, and challenges a number of common assumptions about both the French experience and the Canton Trade in the process. The French were early to engage in direct trade at Canton, and their movements were closely watched by their rivals; in addition, their contributions to the trade were both significant and diverse, ranging from the cultural to the nautical. The French East India Company, which was the product of an absolute monarchy, was distinctive for the dominant role played in its operations by the state. Yet this did not prevent legitimate private trade from playing a sometimes surprising role. Written in a reader-friendly style, Sino-French Trade at Canton, 1698–1842 will appeal to audiences interested in the Canton Trade, early modern Chinese history, shipping history, and cross-cultural encounters. Appendices provide a list of all known French voyages between 1698 and 1842, as well as a listing of French return cargoes from China in 1766.Less
Sino-French Trade at Canton, 1698–1842 fills a gap in Canton Trade scholarship with this new account of France’s near century-and-a-half experience in that trade. From the distinctive features of the Sino-French trade model to vessels and sea routes, from the physical environment of the Pearl River Delta and the structure of the French hongs in Canton to the daily life of traders, the author draws on both French and other archival sources to bring the history to life, and challenges a number of common assumptions about both the French experience and the Canton Trade in the process. The French were early to engage in direct trade at Canton, and their movements were closely watched by their rivals; in addition, their contributions to the trade were both significant and diverse, ranging from the cultural to the nautical. The French East India Company, which was the product of an absolute monarchy, was distinctive for the dominant role played in its operations by the state. Yet this did not prevent legitimate private trade from playing a sometimes surprising role. Written in a reader-friendly style, Sino-French Trade at Canton, 1698–1842 will appeal to audiences interested in the Canton Trade, early modern Chinese history, shipping history, and cross-cultural encounters. Appendices provide a list of all known French voyages between 1698 and 1842, as well as a listing of French return cargoes from China in 1766.
Susan E. Schopp
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- September 2021
- ISBN:
- 9789888528509
- eISBN:
- 9789888180110
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888528509.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
In the era of the Canton Trade (c. 1700–1842), China was the source of products and commodities that were avidly sought after by international traders and consumers alike. France, which was home to ...
More
In the era of the Canton Trade (c. 1700–1842), China was the source of products and commodities that were avidly sought after by international traders and consumers alike. France, which was home to one of the three major East India companies, was a key participant in this trade, as well as one of the the eighteenth century’s two most important Western powers. Yet the French remain surprisingly underrepresented in Canton Trade scholarship. To ignore the French, or to dismiss them as simply “also-rans,” results in a skewed perception of the Canton System, a full and accurate understanding of which requires that all participating nations and ethnicities be included. Drawing on sources from other East India companies and archives as well as from those of France, Sino-French Trade at Canton, 1698–1842 rescues the French from the shadows, presents considerable new findings and corrects a number of misconceptions, and also makes available in English a wealth of information that was previously accessible only in French.Less
In the era of the Canton Trade (c. 1700–1842), China was the source of products and commodities that were avidly sought after by international traders and consumers alike. France, which was home to one of the three major East India companies, was a key participant in this trade, as well as one of the the eighteenth century’s two most important Western powers. Yet the French remain surprisingly underrepresented in Canton Trade scholarship. To ignore the French, or to dismiss them as simply “also-rans,” results in a skewed perception of the Canton System, a full and accurate understanding of which requires that all participating nations and ethnicities be included. Drawing on sources from other East India companies and archives as well as from those of France, Sino-French Trade at Canton, 1698–1842 rescues the French from the shadows, presents considerable new findings and corrects a number of misconceptions, and also makes available in English a wealth of information that was previously accessible only in French.
Susan E. Schopp
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- September 2021
- ISBN:
- 9789888528509
- eISBN:
- 9789888180110
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888528509.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
France was a key participant in the Canton Trade, although she has not received sufficient attention in its scholarship. Early to enter the trade, she continued, with occasional interruptions, to the ...
More
France was a key participant in the Canton Trade, although she has not received sufficient attention in its scholarship. Early to enter the trade, she continued, with occasional interruptions, to the end of the Canton System in 1842, and her vessels made over 265 voyages to China. The French model of Sino-European trade was distinctive, both in the structure and governance of the French East India Company and in the role of the private sector, and the nation’s contributions to, and influences on, the trade were both significant and diverse, not limited to the strictly commercial. A knowledge of the French experience is essential to a thorough understanding of the Canton Trade, as well as to an appreciation of the cultural, political, economic, and other factors that shaped each nation’s response.Less
France was a key participant in the Canton Trade, although she has not received sufficient attention in its scholarship. Early to enter the trade, she continued, with occasional interruptions, to the end of the Canton System in 1842, and her vessels made over 265 voyages to China. The French model of Sino-European trade was distinctive, both in the structure and governance of the French East India Company and in the role of the private sector, and the nation’s contributions to, and influences on, the trade were both significant and diverse, not limited to the strictly commercial. A knowledge of the French experience is essential to a thorough understanding of the Canton Trade, as well as to an appreciation of the cultural, political, economic, and other factors that shaped each nation’s response.