ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides the basic monetary terminology necessary for an understanding of prices and price quotations. It shows the extremely dislocated nature of the money or exchange markets within a province which was one of the richer of China’s poor provinces. The book deals with a brief account of the agricultural sector of the Shensi economy at this time. Since the total product of the province was almost entirely derived from this sector no attempt was made to allow for other sectors. It contains an analysis of the price zones of wheat, rice, millet and field peas as reflected in the prices of these foods in the markets of the 90 district towns in Shensi. These markets with no exception were the major grain markets of the province.
