2020/08/01 by Sander Molenaar · 1 voice
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Asian Studies and History #Chinese history and philosophy #Historical Economic and Social Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/0843871420944636
openalex publication_date 2020/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/22
Banditry was a recurring problem on the mountainous, island-dotted south coast of the Ming Empire (1368–1644). Scholars mainly discuss banditry on the south coast in the context of growing international trade and focus on the sixteenth century while largely ignoring endemic forms of banditry. This article studies the interaction of bandit groups, coastal communities and Ming officials during the fifteenth century to show that banditry was an integral part of life on the south coast of the Ming Empire. Furthermore, it argues that the inability of Ming officials to understand how banditry was integrated in coastal society limited their capacity to secure long-term solutions.