The capital of the Hong merchants of canton as a source of finance for the Qing government

The Hong merchants of Canton played a very influential role in the development of the Sino-Western foreign trade in the second half of the 18th - early 19th century. Granting the merchants the trade monopoly the Qing government managed both to restrain the direct contacts with the Europeans and to guarantee an outstanding profit. Due to the remarkable growth of the commerce the private capital of the Hong merchants has accordingly increased and played in the second half of the 18th - early 19th century an important role in both domestic and foreign policy of the Qing Empire.