Why did ancient China dislike merchants?

The more important aspect is reinforce agriculture. Whether to suppress commerce depend the internal and external circumstance. So, there are still much time that commerce boomed in China. However, merchant can't get high scoial status regardless however rich he is. read more

Because they either have goods for sale or buy goods. Anything an ancient person wanted was either produced by themselves, eg a sheepskin winter coat, or bought. The buying part invariably means a merchant, or similar. read more

During the Han Dynasty, paper and the silk loom were invented, both of which became very highly-demanded goods for countries along the Silk Road and large sources of income for most Han Dynasty merchants. The Han Dynasty lasted 400 years, and was divided into two periods of time. In the Former Han Dynasty, the success of the merchants brought them roles in the government, but in the Later Han, merchants were overthrown and frowned upon. read more