Population changes can explain many problems, especially when there were no excessive data records in ancient times. During the feudal period, it was in a state of division and division for a long time, or the cause of war or cultural differences, many people moved their families. From a certain point of view, the people must be willing to live in a place that is relatively harmonious, stable, prosperous and powerful.
The population of the Qing Dynasty surged from 70 million to 400 million, so why did it explode? The reasons for this are intriguing and worth studying carefully. To understand the causes of demographic changes, it is inseparable from the policy changes in various periods. As we all know, the Qing Dynasty produced many famous Chinese and foreign emperors, and it was precisely because of their rule that the Qing Dynasty flourished.
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty in Chinese history, beginning with the emperor Taiji's title as emperor, and the Qing Dynasty began. However, the Early Qing Dynasty did not prosper until the Kangxi Emperor ascended the throne of the Qing Dynasty. The three emperors of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong pushed the Qing Dynasty to the peak of prosperity, but unfortunately the Qing Dynasty at the end of Qianlong went into decline, which was the inevitable development of history.
I. The early Qing Dynasty
The foundations of the Qing Dynasty stemmed from the exploits of Nurhaci, who had been committed to territorial expansion. He was originally just a tribal leader, but he was not willing to stop there, so he began a series of activities. Nurhaci first unified the Jurchen clan and then established the Houjin. At this time, the Ming Dynasty was in a stage of surviving, and the Later Jin and the Ming Dynasty were naturally always opposites.
Nurhaci continued to wage wars, obtaining many cities and supplies. However, the good times did not last long, and Nurhaci was unfortunately injured in the Battle of Ningyuan, and his life ended. Emperor Taiji endured the pain of taking the throne, he knew that his father's ideas were not all completed, so he resolutely took up the baton and continued to move forward.
Huang Taiji's vision was not limited to war, he was more concerned with internal contradictions. Huang Taiji began to put forward the policy of "Manchu and Han integration", no matter which ethnic group they belonged to, they should be peaceful and fraternal. Once the policy was promulgated, the people were overjoyed, the social contradictions were alleviated, and the people trusted the rule of the Emperor Taiji more, and the population was bound to increase.
On the other hand, Emperor Taiji successively occupied most of the region as well as the southern Mongolian part. The territory ushered in another huge expansion, and the Emperor Taiji established the Qing Dynasty at this time. Compared with his father's reign, the population and territorial area under the rule of Emperor Taiji have increased. Huang Taiji allowed the people of the world to witness the gradual rise of the Qing Dynasty, and his "Manchu-Han unity" attracted people to submit to the Qing Dynasty.
Subsequently, the young Shunzhi Emperor ascended the throne and Dorgon was regent. Many saw this as the best time to defeat the Qing Dynasty and strangle the dynasty in its cradle. Fortunately, the Qing Dynasty was not defeated in this war, but unified the whole country in one fell swoop. Although the Qing Dynasty still had various problems, it was convincing enough to unify the whole country.
At this time, the population of the Qing Dynasty was increasing, mainly due to the territorial area obtained by unifying the whole country. The common people generally believe that the Qing Dynasty can expand rapidly and will not perish easily, which is undoubtedly a court that can be relied on. Coupled with the harmonious culture advocated by the Qing Dynasty, it just meets the needs of the people. In this context, the people were naturally more willing to accept the rule of the Qing Dynasty.
Second, prosperity and prosperity
The era of the Kangxi Emperor soon arrived, and he set up a province and three counties in Taiwan to make the two one. The Kangxi Emperor then set his sights on the border areas and had to recognize the Kangxi Emperor as a natural ruler. First, in order to completely eliminate the aggression of Tsarist Russia, and second, in order to ensure the stability of the border, Kangxi began to personally conquer the desert north. He personally conquered the desert north three times in succession, giving the people enough security.
The Kangxi Emperor's wisdom did not stop there, he valued the selection of talents to provide opportunities for young people to gradually dismantle the power of the former Manchurian ministers. He took a series of measures to ensure the recovery and development of society after the war, returning the land to the peasants and abolishing the tax on people. Once the tax on people was abolished, the population of the Qing Dynasty increased rapidly, which shows that it has always plagued the people with taxes.
The people were the foundation of the country, and the Kangxi Emperor knew this well. Handicrafts have also received a broad platform for development, and people have more choices in their lives. The textile industry and porcelain have even reached their peak, and what people would not like such a living environment? During the Kangxi Dynasty, the economy of the Qing Dynasty was restored and developed, and the borders were stable, which was the main reason for the increase in population.
When the Yongzheng Emperor ascended the throne, he solved the corrupt atmosphere of the imperial court, and the people shouted to the people. He did not abandon the expansion policy, and after a long period of efforts, he successfully included Qinghai in the territory. He further eased the class contradictions and greatly reduced the economic burden of the peasants. The happiness index of farmers has increased, the food production created has increased greatly, and people no longer have to worry about food and clothing.
Yongzheng abolished the title of "untouchables", so that many people were no longer subjected to bullying and abuse. People no longer feared unfair treatment when settling in the Qing Dynasty, and this policy also attracted many people to settle down. He paid attention to the living conditions of ethnic minorities, abolished the toast system, and ethnic minorities entered a period of relative equality.
The Qianlong Emperor ascended the throne, and the peak of the Qing Dynasty appeared during this period of the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, and the society underwent earth-shaking changes. Qianlong first quelled the rebellions in various places and continued to consolidate its rule over the northwest region, and the Qing Dynasty gradually moved closer to a unified multi-ethnic country. Various industries are in full swing, and they can be described as leading the way. The cultivated land area is very vast, and the national treasury is enriched without interference.
Third, in the final analysis
Through the understanding of the history of the Qing Dynasty, it is not difficult to discover the mystery of the population surge. The first is the situation of continuous expansion to unify the country, and the premise of population growth is that there is enough area to live in. In ancient times, there were no high-rise buildings, and there was not enough territorial area to accommodate a sufficient population.
Second, the Qing Dynasty promulgated a series of policies to benefit the people, making the people willing to accept the rule of the Qing Dynasty. Whether it is the abolition of the tax on people or the return of land, it is a system that the people dream of. Attracted by such a policy of benefiting the people, how can the people foolishly support other regimes?
Finally, although the Qing Dynasty continued to fight wars large and small, its economic and other development did not stagnate. Under a series of policies, all walks of life were restored and developed, and the Qing Dynasty experienced unprecedented prosperity. The prosperity and strength of the Qing Dynasty brought the people a sense of security and greatly improved the happiness of the people, and population growth was an inevitable trend.
4. Summary
The population of the Qing Dynasty exploded, from 70 million to 400 million, which is a good thing. It symbolizes the period when the Qing Dynasty was moving toward prosperity, although it was far less than the tang dynasty, but the Qing Dynasty at that time had become an object of learning from other countries. However, the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty did not become the norm, and feudal society was eventually eliminated by history, leaving only the judgment and learning of posterity.
Centuries ago, the size of the population was no longer a sign of prosperity, and today the country is one of the world's most populous countries, and the challenges it faces have never diminished. Having a large number of people's food is naturally the top priority, and Yuan Longping's grandfather's hybrid rice perfectly solves this problem. The current population problem lies in aging, and I believe that the Chinese nation will soon solve this problem.