The Merchant Elite and Vernacular Writing

Historical Background

The Four Occupations

The Four Occupations come from either Legalist or Confucian principles, dating back as far as the Zhou Dynasty. These four different occupations were organized in a hierarchy of importance, starting with the Shi, followed by the Nong, the Gong, and finally the Shang. The Shi were the cultural elite, and originally were a warrior class, but over time shifted into the scholarly elite seen in the Ming dynasty.