Jia Sixun is a famous agronomist in Chinese history, whose birth and death years are unknown, and in his book "Qi Min Zhi shu", there is the inscription "Later Wei Gaoyang Taishou Jia Sixun", from which we can infer which dynasty Jia Sixun was. Then there is the time of his writing, which is about 533 to 554 AD, and according to the time of his writing, it is of great help to later generations to deduce which dynasty Jia Sixun was.
Portrait of Jia Sixun
Since there are not many descriptions of Jia Sixun in historical records, and there is no historical data to follow, the only way to find clues about which dynasty Jia Sixun is from his book "Qi Min Zhi Shu". According to the inference, he should be in the Northern Wei Dynasty, when the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei tribe gradually unified the northern region, the society gradually moved from turmoil to stability, and the society was gradually recovering from the depressed economy and developing continuously.
In ancient Chinese history, economic development mainly depended on agriculture, and the production level and technology of agriculture directly affected the level of social and economic development, and the Northern Wei Dynasty was no exception. It can be said that the dynasty in which Jia Sixun lived was a developing society dominated by agriculture. Based on the background of the dynasty and the needs of production development, it provided a favorable environment for Jia Sixun to write books.
It can be said that the dynasty in which Jia Sixun lived achieved Jia Sixun, and it was also the development of his life dynasty promoted by Jia Sixun. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, Emperor Xiaowen attached great importance to the development of agriculture, and also formulated a series of reform measures to facilitate agricultural development.
In short, Jia Sixun's ability to write "Qi Min Zhi Shu" is inseparable from his dynasty, if there is no peaceful life, without the emperor's attention to agricultural development, he cannot complete such a world-wide work, it can be said that Jia Sixun's dynasty has achieved him.
Jia Sixun's historical position
Jia Sixun's historical status is irreplaceable, and his "Qi Min Zhi Shu" provided a large number of scientific bases for future generations in agricultural production and made great contributions to the social development of that time. Moreover, he also provides a large number of technical methods in the processing and production of agricultural products.
Jasson Tsa Nongtu
Jia Sixun is the most famous agronomist in ancient Chinese history, he has traveled to other places many times in order to be able to write "Qi Min Zhi Shu", summed up the agricultural production experience in Shandong, Hebei, Henan and other places in detail, and also personally practiced the production experience learned, which lasted nearly twenty years and finally completed an epic work.
In the era of Jia Sixun's life, agriculture was the basis of social development and the main source of the economy, and the completion of the "Qi Min Zhi Shu" made Jia Sixun's historical status rise to an unattainable height.
The cultivation and management of crops he describes is very detailed, and he also proposes to change different farming methods according to climate changes. He pointed out that in the autumn, it is necessary to cultivate deeply, and in the spring and summer, it is better to cultivate shallowly, and it is better not to cultivate than to dry when cultivating, and the soil that is too wet will be compacted. Emphasize that when crops grow, they should be diligent in weeding and loosening soil. There are also many descriptions of the varieties of crops, as well as the types of fertilizers and fertilization methods.
He also gave a detailed description of the processing and production of agricultural products, and also provided information on how to improve yield and profit efficiency. Wine, sauce, vinegar, etc. all have a detailed production process, which is the first time in the history books. And he also described how to sell after production, which provided a strong scientific basis for the economic development of the time.
Jia Sixun's historical position is not limited to the development of Chinese agriculture, but also provides strong evidence for the evolution of organisms. When Darwin studied the theory of evolution, he once referred to the Qi Min Zhi Shu, and even scholars are still studying his Qi Min Zhi Shu.
Jia Sixun's contribution
The famous Chinese agronomist Jia Sixun and his book "Qi Min Zhi Shu" can be described as a milestone in the history of China's agricultural development. Jia Sixun's contribution to agriculture is obvious to all, and his contribution is not only limited to agricultural production technology, but also includes many aspects.
Jia Sixun farm drawing
Jia Sixun's contribution to the agricultural development system is unprecedented. He has made significant contributions not only to planting, breeding and aquatic products, but also to the processing, brewing and utilization of agricultural products. From the preparation of production to the processing of finished products after harvest, he put agriculture on the path of sustainable development. There are even technologies that are still being studied and utilized. It can be said that he established a complete agronomic system.
Jia Sixun's contribution to the breeding of animals is also rare. His "Qi Min Zhi Shu" describes the breeding methods of livestock, poultry, and fisheries, and puts forward the conclusion that the enslaved animals should measure their abilities. It also summed up the experience of "three blades for food and three hours for drinking".
In the processing and utilization of agricultural products, Jia Sixun's contribution is also obvious to all. Wine, soy sauce, vinegar and other cooking products appeared very early, but their production process is not specifically recorded, and Jia Sixun's "Qi Min Zhi Shu" is recorded in detail, it can be said that Jia Sixun first recorded the production process of cooking products. In the case of the production of sauce, he recorded the preparation methods of meat sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, caviar, etc., and there are also ways to store vegetables.
He also attaches great importance to a very comprehensive analysis of agricultural production techniques. For example, melons, fruits and vegetables, afforestation, fish farming, brewing, etc., describe in detail how to diversify operations, increase production, and increase income. According to these, it can be said that Jia Sixun's contribution is unparalleled.
The writings of Jasson
In the history of Chinese agriculture, Jia Sixun's book "Qi Min Zhi Shu" can be described as a world-renowned masterpiece. In the "Qi Min Zhi Shu", it covers the knowledge of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline, fishing and other aspects. He carefully borrowed the essence of the classics and agricultural books of his predecessors, proved them in practice, and summed up the experience, making his works popular and passed down to this day.
Writings of Jasper
Jia Sixun's book "Qi Min Zhi Shu" was also borrowed by Darwin and also had a certain influence overseas. This book is the most complete and comprehensive ancient book of agricultural knowledge preserved in China. The book was written two years after the Eastern Wei Dynasty, and the specific time of writing is unknown.
There are ninety-two articles in the Qi Min Zhi Shu, with a text of about 70,000 words and more than 40,000 words of annotations, for a total of 110,000 words. There are "Self-Introduction" and "Miscellaneous Sayings", more than 150 kinds of works borrowed from predecessors, and more than thirty agricultural proverbs. The book covers agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, by-products, fishing and other aspects, but also records the processing and brewing methods of agricultural and sideline products and livestock products, as well as the production and use of daily necessities, and even the production and application of stationery and many other aspects of knowledge and technology. In the preface to the book, it is widely excerpted from the examples of previous monarchs and people of insight who paid attention to agricultural production, and records the results they achieved. The miscellaneous sayings in front of the book are said to have been added by later generations, but now there is no way to examine them.
Jia Sixun's writings had a great influence on future generations and made a "great contribution" to the history of agricultural development. In ancient times, which were dominated by agriculture, his writings were undoubtedly the most beloved. The works covered a wide range of experience and provided a favorable theoretical basis for the development of agriculture at that time, resulting in rapid economic development and rapid growth of the country.