State, Private Entrepreneurship, and Dutch Technology in Cotton Plantation Projects of Coastal Jiangsu, 1895-1920

Title: State, Private Entrepreneurship, and Dutch Technology in Cotton Plantation Projects of Coastal Jiangsu, 1895-1920

Abstract:

How did Chinese local entrepreneurs navigate through the challenges and opportunities imposed by state intervention, global flows of knowledge and technology, and environmental pressure in the late 19^th and early 20^th century? The emergence of cotton plantation projects in coastal Jiangsu offers an exemplary case.

In 1901, Zhang Jian, a private entrepreneur and social reformer, established China’s first-ever modern cotton plantation company in coastal Jiangsu, Tong-Hai Land Reclamation Company. Although the Qing government (1644-1911) endorsed the project, Zhang and his team faced many obstacles, including developing masterplans, constructing hydraulic projects, and institutionalizing social control mechanisms. Facing these challenges, Zhang launched several initiatives. First, Zhang commissioned Dutch engineer Hendrik de Rijke (1890-1919) to oversee the construction of modern dykes for the projects. Second, Tong-Hai company established its own militia to impose social control mechanisms. Zhang’s initiatives also fit into the agenda of the Qing state: delegate power to local elites for acquiring foreign technology, strengthening local governance, and fostering industrial modernization.

The paper will examine Zhang’s cotton plantation project to understand the emerging Chinese private business’ relations with the state. It will analyze the role of Dutch civil engineering technology in developing of Chinese cotton plantations from 1909 to 1920. The paper will also investigate how the environmental factor impacted on the entanglement among state, private business and global flows of technology.