Data and Code for: Rebel on the Canal: Rebel on the Canal: Disrupted Trade Access and Social Conflict in China, 1650-1911

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Yiming Cao, Boston University; Shuo Chen, Fudan University

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
Data			12/17/2021 09:37:PM
Program			03/28/2022 03:15:AM
Results			03/28/2022 03:16:AM
Readme.pdf	application/pdf	300.4 KB	03/27/2022 11:00:PM

Project Citation:

Cao, Yiming, and Chen, Shuo. Data and Code for: Rebel on the Canal: Rebel on the Canal: Disrupted Trade Access and Social Conflict in China, 1650-1911. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2022. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2022-04-19. https://doi.org/10.3886/E157781V1

Project Description

Summary:

This paper examines the effects of the abandonment of China's Grand Canal --- the world's largest and oldest artificial waterway --- which served as a disruption to regional trade access. Using an original dataset covering 575 counties over 262 years, we show that the canal's abandonment contributed to the social turmoil that engulfed North China in the nineteenth century. Counties along the canal experienced an additional 117% increase in rebelliousness after the canal's closure relative to their non-canal counterparts. Our findings highlight the important role that continued access to trade routes plays in reducing conflict.

Funding Sources: National Natural Science Foundation of China (71773021; 71933002); Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (2017-01-07-00-07-E00002); Legendary Project on Humanities and Social Sciences at Fudan University

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: China's Grand Canal; Rebellions

JEL Classification:
      D74 Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
      N75 Economic History: Transport, Trade, Energy, Technology, and Other Services: Asia including Middle East
      O18 Economic Development: Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

Geographic Coverage: China

Time Period(s): 1650 – 1911

Collection Date(s): 2/2015 – 12/2021

Universe: Counties in Zhili, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu provinces as of 1820

Data Type(s): geographic information system (GIS) data; observational data

Methodology

Unit(s) of Observation: county-by-year

Geographic Unit: county

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Published Versions

V1 [2022-04-19]

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