In traditional Chinese rural society, the gentry class played a very important role. They are seen as representatives of vernacular civilization, but at the same time they are often misunderstood as landlord bullies. What kind of people were the squires, what role did they play in rural society, and what was the difference between them and the landlords?
The origin and status of the squire
Speaking of the identity of the squire, it can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At that time, there was a group of scholars living in the township, although they did not have official positions, but with their own knowledge and cultivation, they were quite prestigious and influential in the village. This was the first prototype of the squire.
In the Qin and Han dynasties, with the establishment of the county system, the status of the squire was gradually established. At that time, the squires were mostly composed of famous scholars, retired officials, and elders of the clan. By virtue of their knowledge and prestige, they held important responsibilities in the villages, such as maintaining law and order, adjudicating disputes, and educating post-graduates.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the gentry system was more complete. The Tang Dynasty established two positions, "Lizheng" and "Squire", which were held by the squire. Li Zheng is mainly responsible for grassroots law and order, while the squire is responsible for educating the villagers and adjudicating disputes. The position of the squire was thus further consolidated.
By the Song Dynasty, the prosperity of the imperial examination system made the source of the gentry class more extensive. Not only the children of famous families, but also civilian intellectuals who gained fame through the imperial examination joined the ranks of the squires. The status of the squire was thus more democratized.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the gentry system matured. The gentry of this period were mainly composed of three groups: first, the scholars with meritorious reputations, the second were retired court officials, and the third was the elders of the clan. With their knowledge, prestige and family background, they occupy a pivotal position in the village.
There is a good story that illustrates the weight of the squire in the countryside. During the Qing Dynasty, there was a squire named Zhang Yuanji, who was very prestigious in his hometown. Once, when the county magistrate was newly appointed, he heard that Zhang Yuanji was very prestigious, so he went to visit. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuanji didn't come out to see him at all, but just sent a family member out and said: "Master Zhang is napping and doesn't see any outsiders." The county master had no choice but to leave in disgrace. From this incident, it can be seen that the status of the squire in the village was sometimes even higher than that of the county officials.
The duties and roles of the squire
As the elite class in rural society, the gentry assumed many important duties and roles. They are the backbone of rural governance, the disseminators of culture and education, and the leaders of social customs.
First of all, the squire is the mainstay of rural governance. In ancient China, there was a saying that "the imperial power does not go down to the county", which means that the jurisdiction of the central power is only at the county level, and it cannot be directly controlled further down. This requires the role of the gentry, a "public-private intermediary", to assist the government in maintaining law and order in grassroots villages.
For example, during the Qing Dynasty, the squires were given the duties of "catching thieves, correcting lawsuits, rectifying stubbornness, and managing fields". They were responsible for assisting the government in catching thieves, adjudicating civil disputes, rectifying the rebels, and expropriating land taxes. It can be said that the squire is the "agent" of the government in the grassroots villages, and is the key force in implementing the central government's decrees.
In addition to assisting in the governance of the government, the squires also shoulder the important task of educating the villagers. Most of them are scholars, have in-depth research on Confucian classics, and are themselves role models of self-cultivation. The squires would set up private schools in their hometowns to recruit rural children to study and write. For example, Wu Ziyu in the Ming Dynasty founded Wu's private school in his hometown to teach Confucian classics, which had a far-reaching influence.
Another example is Chen Yuanlong, a squire of the Qing Dynasty, who founded the Chen Academy in his hometown, which not only taught scriptures, but also opened practical courses such as arithmetic, medicine, and agriculture, and cultivated a group of talents who contributed to rural construction. It can be said that the squire is the main bearer and disseminator of rural cultural education.
In addition, the squire also played a role in leading the civilization of the countryside. Not only do they have noble morals, but they also vigorously advocate religious civilization in the countryside. For example, Wang Xuejun, a squire of the Ming Dynasty, once promoted a new trend of "preaching scriptures and reasoning, and abiding by discipline and law" in his hometown, vigorously opposed the bad habits of the villagers such as gambling, smoking and drugs, and worked hard to create a good social atmosphere.
Another example is Zhang Yuanji, a squire of the Qing Dynasty, who vigorously advocated the new fashion of "being diligent and thrifty, respecting teachers and valuing education" in his hometown, not only setting an example for himself, but also setting up a reward and punishment system to reward the good behavior of the villagers and punish uncivilized behavior. It can be seen that the squire played an important role in leading the fashion of rural civilization.
The New Squire's Origins with Education
The relationship between the squire and education goes back a long way. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were a group of scholars who lived in the countryside and lectured, and these people can be regarded as the initial prototype of the squire. In the Qin and Han dynasties, with the establishment of the county system, the status of the squires was gradually established, and they began to play an important role in the education of post-education in the villages.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the gentry system became more complete, and the Tang Dynasty set up a special position of "squire", mainly responsible for educating the villagers, adjudicating disputes and other affairs. During this period, the role of the squire in rural education became increasingly prominent.
There is such a typical case: Zhang Wei, a famous minister in the Tang Dynasty, said that his father, Zhang Wei, was a squire who set up a private school in his hometown to recruit rural children to study and write. Zhang Wei not only taught in person, but also invited several famous scholars from the capital to come to teach as assistants. Under Zhang Wei's careful cultivation, Zhang Shuo and several of his younger brothers became wise men from Hanlin.
In the Song Dynasty, the prosperity of the imperial examination system made the source of the gentry class more extensive, not only the children of the family, but also the common intellectuals who had achieved fame through the imperial examination to join the ranks of the gentry. These new squires have set up private schools in their hometowns to pass on their knowledge to rural children and become the main force of rural education.
For example, Zhu Xi, a famous physicist in the Song Dynasty, founded the famous "White Deer Cave Academy" in his hometown, specializing in teaching scientific thoughts. Zhu Xi not only gave lectures in person, but also recruited a group of outstanding people from all over the country to teach. As a result, Bailudong Academy became one of the most famous private academies in the Song Dynasty, sending a large number of talents to the society.
By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the role of the squires in rural education had reached its peak. The gentry class of this period was mainly composed of three parts: first, meritorious scholars, second, retired court officials, and third, elders in the clan. Relying on their knowledge and prestige, they vigorously established private schools and academies in the villages, imparting Confucian classics and practical knowledge to rural children.
For example, Wu Ziyu, a squire in the Ming Dynasty, founded the famous Wu's private school in his hometown, specializing in teaching Confucian classics such as the Four Books and the Five Classics. Wu's private school continued until the Qing Dynasty, and its influence surpassed that of the local area, becoming a well-known private school.
Another example is Chen Yuanlong, a squire of the Qing Dynasty, who founded the Chen Academy in his hometown, which not only taught scriptures, but also opened practical courses such as arithmetic, medicine, and agriculture, and cultivated a group of talents who contributed to rural construction.
The Squire and the Public Affairs of the Village
In addition to educating villagers, maintaining law and order, adjudicating disputes, and other duties, the squire also shouldered the important task of promoting the development of rural public undertakings. They not only actively participated in their own activities, but also called on the villagers to contribute and benefit together.
When it came to infrastructure development, the squire played an important role. For example, Wang Xuejun, a squire of the Ming Dynasty, initiated the construction of water conservancy projects in his hometown. Wang Xuejun not only donated money out of his own pocket, but also personally supervised the work and called on the villagers to participate, and finally successfully dredged the local river and solved the waterlogging problem that had plagued the villagers for a long time.
Another example is Zhang Yuanji, a squire of the Qing Dynasty, who initiated a road repair project in his hometown. Zhang Yuanji first paid a huge amount of money out of his own pocket, and then called on the villagers to donate money and energy, and finally built a straight avenue in the village, which not only improved the transportation, but also became a major landscape in the village.
In terms of public health, the squire also played an important role. Wang Xuejun, a squire of the Ming Dynasty, once vigorously advocated the new fashion of "washing hands and rinsing his mouth frequently" in his hometown, and personally supervised the villagers to clean up the environment regularly. Wang Xuejun's actions have greatly improved the local health situation and effectively prevented the spread of diseases.
In terms of disaster relief, the squire is even more dedicated. Whenever there is a flood or drought, the squires will immediately launch a disaster relief fundraiser and personally deliver relief materials to the victims. For example, Chen Yuanlong, a squire of the Qing Dynasty, once launched a fundraising campaign for the first time when his hometown suffered a major drought, and opened all his granaries to help a large number of villagers affected by the disaster.
In addition, the squires actively participated in the organization of cultural and sports activities in the village. For example, during the Lunar New Year, the squires will organize the villagers to celebrate the festival together, and hold various cultural and sports activities, such as poetry competitions and martial arts competitions, which not only enrich the rural life, but also enhance the feelings of the villagers.
Difference Between Squire and Landlord
In traditional society, both the gentry and the landlord were important classes in the village, but there was an essential difference between the two.
First of all, the squire and the landlord had different sources of identity. The gentry consisted mainly of meritorious scholars, retired officials, and elders of the clan, whose status was mainly derived from their knowledge and prestige. Landlords, on the other hand, relied mainly on the wealth of the land to gain social status.
Secondly, the social roles of the gentry and the landlord were different. The squire is mainly responsible for public affairs such as educating the villagers, adjudicating disputes, and assisting in governance, and is the backbone of maintaining the operation of rural society. Landlords, on the other hand, mainly manage their own land and property, and have less participation in rural public affairs.
Again, the influence of the squire and the landlord in the countryside was not the same. By virtue of their knowledge and prestige, the squires had a pivotal position in the countryside and were generally respected by the villagers. Although the landlord has a certain economic strength, if he does not have the corresponding knowledge and cultivation, his influence in the countryside will be greatly reduced.
For example, there is such a typical case in the Qing Dynasty: there was a squire named Zhang Yuanji at that time, who was very prestigious in his hometown. Once, when the county magistrate was newly appointed, he heard that Zhang Yuanji was very prestigious, so he went to visit. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuanji didn't come out to see him at all, but just sent a family member out and said: "Master Zhang is napping and doesn't see any outsiders." The county master had no choice but to leave in disgrace. From this incident, it can be seen that the status of the squire in the village was sometimes even higher than that of the county officials.
During the same period, there were also some landlords who made their fortunes or got rich by relying on land, and gathered around them such as bullies and ruffians on the fringes of the countryside.
It should be noted that there are landlords among the squires, and there are also squires among the landlords, and the two are not completely opposed. Some of the gentry became landlords because they had been managing the land for generations and their families were wealthy, while others gained a certain amount of knowledge and prestige through the imperial examination or the post, and became the squire. But in any case, the gentry was mainly divided by social status, and the landlord class was mainly divided by economic conditions, and the connotations of the two were different.
In general, the gentry gained social status by virtue of their knowledge and prestige, and were the representatives of rural civilization, while the landlords mainly relied on economic strength, and some of them may abuse their power and become "local tyrants and inferior gentry". It is inappropriate to equate the squire with the landlord, and we should look at the distinction and intrinsic connection between the two objectively.