KIANGSI

Chinese (Wade-Giles) Chiang-hsi, (Pinyin) Jiangxi, sheng (province) of south-central China. It is bounded by the provinces of Hupeh and Anhwei on the north, Chekiang and Fukien on the east, Kwangtung on the south, and Hunan on the west. The area of the province is 63,600 square miles (164,800 square kilometres). On the map its shape resembles an inverted pear. The port of Chiu-chiang, 430 miles (692 kilometres) upstream from Shanghai and 135 miles downstream from Han-k'ou, is the province's principal outlet on the Yangtze River. The provincial capital is Nan-ch'ang. The name Kiangsi means West of the (Yangtze) River, although the entire province lies south of it. This seeming paradox is caused by changes made in administrative divisions throughout China's history. Lying in the midst of a longitudinal depression between China's western highlands and the coastal ranges of Fukien Province, Kiangsi constitutes a corridor linking the province of Kwangtung, in the South, with the province of Anhwei and the Grand Canal, in the North. Throughout China's history, Kiangsi has played a pivotal role in national affairs because of its position astride the main route of armies, commerce and trade, and large population migrations. Wade-Giles romanization Chiang-hsi, Pinyin Jiangxi south-central sheng (province) of the People's Republic of China, bounded by the provinces of Hupeh and Anhwei on the north, Chekiang and Fukien on the east, Kwangtung on the south, Hunan on the west. The provincial capital is Nan-ch'ang. Kiangsi was ruled by various dynasties from as early as 770 BC. Kiangsi enjoyed prosperity during the Six Dynasties period (AD 220589), when immigrants from North China brought northern arts, culture, and administrative skills to the province. Under the T'ang dynasty (618907) the opening of the Grand Canal set Kiangsi on the main trade route between North and South China. The Ch'ing dynasty (16441911/12) settled a period of protracted warfare in Kiangsi, but the opening of China's seaports to the Western powers in the mid-19th century diverted trade from the province. Kiangsi was wrested from warlord rule in 1926 by Chiang Kai-shek, but it quickly became a pawn in the violent struggle between the Nationalists and the Communists. It fell under Japanese occupation from 1938 to 1945. Communist forces took possession of the province in 1949. The population of the province is virtually all Han (Chinese). The language usually spoken is Mandarin, with a marked lower Yangtze accent. Other small population groups include the Miao, Yao, and a few Hui (Chinese Muslims). Kiangsi corresponds topographically to the drainage basin of the Kan River, which runs northeastward from the southern tip of the province to P'o-yang Lake and the Yangtze River in the north. Hills and mountains rim the province from all sides and rise in disconnected masses, thus containing corridors for interprovincial communication, especially along the Hunan border. Among the more important mountain ranges are: the Hwai-yu to the northeast; the Wu-i to the east; the Chin-lien and Ta-yu to the south; the Chu-kuang, Wan-yang, Yun-hsiao, Wu-kung, and Chin-ling to the west; and the Mu-fou and Lu to the northwest. The province is situated in the subtropics and therefore experiences hot and humid summers; the growing season in most areas is 10 to 11 months. Rainfall is plentiful over the province. Kiangsi is one of China's richest agricultural provinces. Measures taken to increase agricultural production since 1949 have included reclamation of land, soil treatment and conservation, the construction of large irrigation projects and hydroelectric power stations, and increased use of chemical fertilizers and mechanization. Food crops include rice, sugarcane, fruits, peanuts (groundnuts), and sweet potatoes. Tea, cotton, tobacco, and soybeans are commercial crops. Lush forests occupy a tenth of the province; timber produced here is exported to all parts of China. Water buffalo, pigs, chickens, and ducks are raised. Fishing is a major industry in some cities that lie along P'o-yang Lake. Important industries include food processing, farm machinery, paper, textiles, chemicals, and electrical supplies. Among Kiangsi's mineral resources are coal, tungsten, iron, and manganese. No account of Kiangsi's economy is complete without reference to its renowned porcelain industry, which dates from the 11th century. While waterways are the most important commercial form of transport, Kiangsi has four railroads, a well-developed highway system, and regular domestic air-travel facilities. Area 63,600 square miles (164,800 square km). Pop. (1988 est.) 35,590,000. History From 770 to 476 BC, during the Ch'un-ch'iu (Spring and Autumn period) of the Chou dynasty, Kiangsi was a part of the kingdom of Ch'u. During the Chan-kuo (Warring States) period (475221 BC) the territory east of P'o-yang Lake was annexed by the kingdom of Wu. When a unified empire was established under the Han dynasty (206 BCAD 220), Kiangsi became the western portion of the large province of Yang-chou and grew rapidly in population and culture. From 220 to 589, the period of the Six Dynasties, large numbers of families from North China, fleeing the Tatar invaders, settled in Kiangsi. Initially, there were clashes between the northern newcomers and the original inhabitants. In time mutual accommodation prevailed, and the province benefited immensely from the introduction of northern arts, culture, and administrative skills. It was during this period that the Kan River valley became the main highway of the empire. Under the T'ang dynasty (618907) the growth of commerce and population in Kiangsi was even greater than in earlier times. This was caused first by the opening of the Grand Canal, linking Lo-yang with the Lower Yangtze, and second by a new influx of people from North China. Equally noteworthy was the spread of Buddhism in this period. In the Sung dynasty (9601279) Kiangsi became a model of the Confucian state, governed by scholar-officials. The Pai Lu Tung (White Deer Grotto) Academy, near Lu-shan, where Chu Hsi taught, became a renowned centre of Confucian learning. From 1069 to 1076 Wang An-shih, a native of Lin-ch'uan, southeast of Nan-ch'ang, was prime minister; Wang introduced reforms to curb the rich and help the poor, only to be overthrown by the conservative champions of the traditional order. In the late Sung period and throughout the era of the Mongol conquest, Kiangsi's cultural and political vigour declined. Such was the obscurantism of the government that it sanctioned a Taoist papacy at Mount Lung-hu, near Kuei-hsi, which lasted into the mid-20th century. In the early years of the Ming dynasty (13681644) Kiangsi produced a number of great statesmen, but after a time the government's despotic tax program alienated the people. From the early 16th century onward, peasant brigands living in the hills fought the government. The widespread unrest was ended after the Ch'ing dynasty (16441911/12) reunified the country. During this period of prolonged peace Kiangsi again became one of the wealthiest regions of China, but its days of prosperity ended in the mid-19th century, when the Yangtze Valley was devastated by the great Taiping Rebellion against the ruling Ch'ing dynasty and when treaties with the Western powers diverted trade to coastal regions. In the first half of the 20th century Kiangsi became a focal point for revolution and war. After the 191112 revolution the province fell victim to warlord rule, until Chiang Kai-shek brought it under Nationalist control in 1926. Chiang's break with the Communists, however, made Kiangsi a bone of contention between the two sides. An uprising was staged in Nan-ch'ang by the Communists in 1927, followed by the establishment of peasant bases in the southern counties under the Communist leaders Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) and Zhu De (Chu Teh). Such was the growth of their strength that, in 1931, Jui-chin was declared the capital of the Chinese Soviet Republic. In the continuing struggle the Communist guerrillas withstood Chiang's annihilation campaigns, but his use of an economic blockade forced the Communists to flee Kiangsi and to begin their Long March (193435) to northwestern China. Chiang then briefly regained control of southern Kiangsi, and Nationalist government reforms were undertaken on an experimental basis in 193437. From 1938 to 1945 much of Kiangsi was under Japanese occupation. The Communists carried on guerrilla activities inside Kiangsi throughout the period. After the Japanese withdrawal Communist guerrillas dominated the countryside, while the Nationalist government took precarious control of the cities. In 1949 Communist forces crossed the Yangtze from the north and took possession of the province. Kiangsi then entered an era of stability and progress, and many new economic and social developments were pioneered there. Victor C. Falkenheim