ThisbookisastudyofsocialandculturalchangeinthelowerYangzidelta.Thisregion,MingChina’seconomicheartland,flourishedcommerciallyandculturallyduringthesixteenthcentury,anditselitesmaintainedstrongpoliticaltieswiththecentralgovernmentatBeijing.Drawinguponalargebodyofcontemporarywritings,theauthordiscussesimportantsocio-economicandculturaltrendswhereinscholarsandscholar-officialsenteredthemarketplacewhilethemerchantclassimproveditsstatusandimportance.
Forallthebenefitstheybroughtabout,thesedevelopmentssowedtheseedsoftrouble.Theauthorexplainshowunconstrainedprofit-seekingerodedthesocialandmoralfabricofsocietyandwidenedthegapbetweenrichandpoor.Towardtheendofthesixteenthcentury,economicconditionsworsened.Bitterresentmentsgaverisetopopularriotsagainstpredatorygreatfamilies.Eventually,massrevoltsacrosstheempireandManchu’sinvasiondealtacrushingblowtotheregion’seconomy.Inthe1630sand1640s,theregionplungedintodepressionanddespair.
