In Agricultural Development in Qing China: A Quantitative Study, 1661-1911 SHI Zhihong offers for the first time an overview of agricultural development in Qing China in the English language. Being by far the largest sector in one of the largest economies in the world, understanding its development is crucial not only for agricultural studies, but also to advance economic debates such as on the Great Divergence. Combining the recent quantitative paradigm with the more traditional scholarly approach, this book uses a great number of primary sources to arrive at new and revised estimates of crucial indicators such as land acreage, crop yield, pasture, and total output. Its main conclusion is that a serious economic and social problem occurred since the mid-Qing, where agriculture was increasingly less able to feed a growing population, which was a major factor contributing to the growing crisis in the rule of the dynasty.

The Silver Treasury of the Ministry of Revenue was the most important central government store in the Qing dynasty. It held all capital funds submitted to Beijing by provinces and was responsible for the release of all central government expenditures. This book is mainly based on Qing archives pertaining to the Silver Treasury, notably the Yellow Register copies of the Treasury, now held by the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. As it is the first monograph on the subject of the Silver Treasury to be published in English, as well as giving a brief introduction to the history of its successive management systems, it also presents comprehensive tables of monthly revenues/expenditures and yearend inventories for the period 1667 to 1899.