Why did Yangzhou salt merchants gradually decline in Qing Dynasty?

The relationship between officials and businessmen affects the rise and fall of salt merchants. During the implementation of the Outline Law, salt merchants mainly relied on the government to obtain the license to operate the salt industry, so the relationship between salt merchants and the government was very close, whether it was Shanxi merchants or Huizhou merchants. After the Qing Dynasty, the relationship between Huizhou merchants and the government was very close. Kangxi and Qianlong's southern tour were received by Huizhou salt merchants. Gardens built by Huizhou merchants, geisha trained by them, Huizhou cuisine and Huizhou classes, as well as antiques and cultural relics, all need to be used to bribe the royal family and officials. The life of Huizhou merchants in Yangzhou is very luxurious, which is reflected in Yangzhou Painting Boat. However, Mr. He Bingdi said that the corruption of Huizhou merchants' life is their own need and also their need to make good friends with the officialdom. The relationship between officials and businessmen provides protection and convenience for salt merchants to monopolize operations and profiteer. The salt merchants in Huaibei have a general manager and a general manager. It is the general manager who deals with the government. They used the money accumulated by salt merchants to bribe officials and gain benefits. Let's divide it again.

The reform of salt law and the price comparison between silver and money are also factors that affect the decline of salt merchants. The reform of the outline law to the ticket law in the Qing dynasty dealt a great blow to Huizhou merchants. Although, after the implementation of the bill law, anyone can do salt business, but the government still controls, the introduction of salt is limited, and there are many miscellaneous taxes. Heavy government taxes are the main reason. The high price of silver and low price of money caused by the price comparison between silver and money is an important factor affecting China's economy after opium. In the Qing dynasty, ordinary people used copper coins for daily transactions and silver to pay taxes to the government. After Daoguang, silver was in short supply and became more and more expensive, and copper coins became less and less valuable. In this way, the burden of salt merchants paying taxes to the government is heavy, and it is passed on to the salt price, and the salt price is high.