Ancient China, this rich land, scattered vast and empty land. The Mother of the Earth did not hesitate to give her own gifts, and prepared a thick fertile soil for her children. However, most of this vast land was occupied by local tyrants and landlords, who became a circle for them to tame and exploit the peasants. Strangely, these exploited peasants did not choose to go to the uncultivated areas to cultivate the land, but stubbornly remained under the landlords to suffer and suffer. What is the reason why the peasants are willing to be oppressed, and would rather endure humiliation than break free from the shackles and pursue freedom? What is the reason for this history? Let's explore this puzzling mystery together.
The evolution of the ancient land system
The sun warms the earth, and the earth gives birth to life. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has taken root in this magical land and made a living by growing crops. Land is the lifeblood of farmers, and with land, there is food, clothing, and a future.
During the primitive society, human beings were still in a nomadic state, and as long as it was fertile land, people settled there temporarily. Land is a public resource, and no one can privately own. Everyone farms together, shares the harvest together, and lives in a big family whose blood is thicker than water.
After entering the era of slave society, with the progress of human civilization, private ownership of land began to appear. The ruling class appropriated the land for themselves, and the common people lost their land and had to work for the slave owners in exchange for food and clothing. At that time, the land system was called the "well field system" - the land was divided according to the shape of the well, and there was a 9,981 acres of public land in the center of the well for the slave owners to cultivate themselves; The outer circle was divided into a number of squares, which were given to slave tenant farmers for self-sufficiency. Slave owners only had the right to use it, not to buy and sell it freely, and the ownership of all land belonged to the state.
By the Warring States period, Legalist thought became popular, and the land system was reformed. Shang Yang first introduced privatization reforms in the Qin state, allowing land to be bought and sold freely. Immediately after that, Xiang Ji advocated that "the tiller has his land" and distributed the land to the peasants who were actually engaged in labor, thus establishing the status of small peasants. This reform was undoubtedly a slap in the face to the poor people, but it did not fundamentally change their humble status in the social hierarchy.
After the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, it treated land equally throughout the country and implemented private ownership. The rich can buy unlimited land, while the poor become tenant farmers because they have no money to buy land. Since then, the land privatization system has been further consolidated and developed in China.
All this seems to be a small step in the direction of democracy, but it also lays the root of class exploitation. The landlord class thus came into being, which became the beginning of the nightmare of the peasants. Emperors and nobles occupied large amounts of state-owned land and became emerging large landowners; Some wealthy people hoarded private land and became new small landlords. They hired peasants to cultivate their estates and exploited them. It was also from this moment that the peasants really became poor "tenants", and the living environment fell into a dark predicament...
The living conditions of the poor peasants
The sun is setting in the west, and the loess is gradually receding from the scorching heat of the day. The family was lying on the ground, sweat soaking their vests and their hands sinking deep into the mud. Who are they? is an exploited farmer.
After the wind and rain, those barren fields under the sunset are their only homes and cash cows. However, how can this barren land, where even the wooden flutes cannot survive, bring them abundant food and clothing?
The peasant stood up overwhelmed and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand. His eyes wandered in the sky, as if searching for something. Yes, for many years, their family has relied on these few acres of thin fields, and they can't make a living at all. It would be nice to reclaim those ownerless empty wastelands.
Unfortunately, despite the vast territory of ancient China and the endless wilderness everywhere, the peasants did not even dare to touch the uncultivated virgin lands. Because those places are either the emperor's imperial land or the nobles' private land, even if there is nothing that looks bare, it has long been carved up.
Every inch of land has a clear owner, and if you dare to invade, it is a great crime of trespassing! The peasants could not help but stand on end with their hairs when they thought of the heavy punishment. I can only honestly cultivate my own few acres of land and make ends meet.
The big landlord's Tian Zhuang Lang was currently riding a tall horse past, and the family hurriedly stepped aside, smiling and saluting. The landlord looked at them and sneered: "I said, you tenants, why are you so cowardly? You don't dare to touch other people's land, so you honestly sell your life to me? I won't touch those royal lands, if they are reclaimed, see how Lao Tzu cleans you up! ＂
The landlord's guards spat and cursed in a low voice: "That's it! It's your duty to call the master, and if you try to escape, you won't be tortured? ＂
The family bowed their heads tremblingly, for fear of annoying the landlord and causing death. The landlord proudly swayed his stirrups and rode away.
Looking at the arrogant appearance of the landlord, the peasants' eyes were red. He worked hard to cultivate, but he couldn't even occupy half an acre of land, and he could only pick up the landlord's scraps all year round. When will such a day be a head?
However, no matter how unwilling the peasants were, there was nothing they could do. For one, they simply did not have the ability to contend with the landlords. The fields of the manor are guarded by ruffians all year round, and they will never be allowed to occupy the slightest piece of territory. Moreover, the peasants had been influenced by the feudal hierarchy since childhood, and they bowed down to the landlords, and did not dare to disobey this social system at all.
As a result, the peasants had to do hard work day after day, living a life even more miserable than that of livestock. In the face of those ownerless empty lands, they can only hope to penetrate......
The hardships and risks of clearing wasteland
Although uncultivated land is scattered all over the country, farmers have no chance of getting involved in it. This is not only because of the ownership of the land, but also because of the hardships and great risks of the road to reclamation.
First of all, the tools used by farmers to reclaim land in ancient times were very rudimentary. They only had wooden hoes, rakes, and other agricultural tools to clear the hard ground. This work is often accompanied by a great deal of physical exertion and is slow. The serfs hired by the landlords were always placed to work on more fertile land, and the land cultivated by the peasants themselves was often barren and sandy.
On the other hand, even with the right tools, it is not easy to reclaim land that can grow crops. The ancients first considered the soil quality. In the arid northern regions, the topsoil is generally poor and lacks organic matter; In the humid areas of the south, the soil is fertile but heavily waterlogged. These factors will seriously affect the growth of crops, and if they are not scientifically analyzed and improved, it is difficult to have a good harvest even if they pay heavy labor.
The work of clearing new land is already difficult, let alone ensuring a good harvest. Farmers at the time were unable to use irrigation and drainage techniques properly, and the lack of chemical fertilizers and new farming tools meant that the yield of the newly cultivated land was always stretched.
What is even more deadly is that in ancient times, disasters and famines were rampant, often resulting in the failure of crops. Droughts have dried up farmland and opened ravines, and floods have drowned out all hope. No amount of sweat can defeat the power of nature. Farmers were unable to cope with these catastrophic events and had to exhaust their losses. Therefore, in the face of the unknown wilderness, they have no way to start.
But even if you try to reclaim a piece of sweet water and green field, it is difficult to guarantee that it can be planted for too long. At that time, the peasants did not receive land ownership, and the harvest of the cultivated land could not be used independently. Once a warlord or landlord covets this fertile land, he will drive the peasants away at any time. To avoid this, the authorities often simply prohibit farmers from cultivating land without permission.
In addition to these difficulties, nothing is more daunting than the severe punishment imposed by the authorities. Any unauthorized reclamation of imperial or aristocratic lands was a capital offense, even for a small piece of land. Flogging, exile, and confiscation were common punishments. Thinking of this, the peasants naturally did not dare to think anything wrong.
In the face of these difficulties and risks, the peasants naturally chose the method of calming down the situation - obediently working as coolies under the hands of the landlords to provide those landlords with a comfortable life. They can't even dream that one day they will have a piece of land of their own.
The root cause of peasant intransigence
Despite the temptation to reclaim uncultivated land, the ancient peasants still stubbornly stayed under the landlords as tenant farmers for exploitation. The deep-seated reasons for this situation are actually rooted in their deep-rooted ideological concepts.
First of all, the ancestral precepts and hierarchical ideas of feudal society have been deeply rooted in the minds of the peasants. Since ancient times, the ruling class has instilled in the people the idea that all things are born, and the bearded one is the Son of Heaven, followed by the princes and doctors, and the lowest is the common people. This kind of thinking solidifies the hierarchical gap between people, making it an inviolable law of nature.
The peasants were educated in this way from an early age, and although they complained about the social stratification system, they let it go. When there are people who desire to flee and no longer suffer from exploitation, the patriarch taught them: "Gifts are exchanged, know what is in order, and the Lord's grace should not be lost." This means that they should always be loyal to the upper echelons of the rulers, at their mercy. Otherwise, it is an act of ingratitude and an unforgivable sin.
At the same time, the peasants were deeply influenced by the concept of hierarchy and had an inferiority complex towards the landlord class. The landlords not only ruled the land and wealth, but were also considered the embodiment of culture and the descendants of the noble class. In contrast, the peasants considered themselves to be "lowly people" who were destitute and ignorant. Even when some fertile land was occupied by big landlords, they did not dare to have the slightest unconvinced idea.
In addition to the ideological shackles, the powerful power of the landlord class also made the peasants fearful.
The landlords were often in the ascendancy, with large armed forces and various instruments of torture in their hands. They regarded serfs as private property, which could be disposed of at will. If a farmer wants to flee, he will be severely retaliated against at any time. Prison and family destruction are the most common ends. Who would dare to take such a risk?
As a result, most peasants still chose to walk on their toes, working silently as tenant farmers, handing over all their cultivated crops to the landlords. Even if they are exploited and destitute, they are still under the shackles of hierarchical thinking and fear, and do not dare to disobey in any way.
In addition, there were indeed some peasants who "resisted" and tried to reclaim their land by force. However, this often led to more brutal repression, and many peasants were killed or tortured to death in this revolt. The tragic fate not only punished the rebels themselves, but also taught the other peasants a bloody lesson. When future generations saw this, they were afraid to avoid it, and would rather sacrifice their freedom to save their lives.
In this way, under the triple attack of hierarchical thinking, military deterrence, and cruel retaliation, the majority of the peasants were silent, allowing the landlords to exploit and plunder at will, but they were helpless. They have become accustomed to a life of servitude and do not see the dawn of a free future.
The hope of a new agrarian system and the emancipation of the mind
Time flies, years change. After the long dark years that the farmers have endured, there is finally a glimmer of hope.
With the continuous progress of society, some pioneers began to advocate the abolition of the system of exploitation and the reform of the old system of land ownership. They believed that the land should belong to the peasants who actually worked and should not be monopolized by a few nobles and landlords. This idea has had a far-reaching impact among the masses of the people.
Wang Anshi, a famous thinker in the Song Dynasty, once advocated the reform of the law, greatly controlled the land produced by the state, and gave the peasants self-cultivation. Sima Guang also advocated the distribution of land to peasants and the development of yeoman farming, in the hope of solving the land problem and stabilizing social order.
By the Ming Dynasty, peasant uprisings broke out one after another. Armed with steel spears, the peasant army resisted the exploitation and oppression of the landlords and regained ownership of large tracts of land. Li Zicheng, a well-known peasant leader, traveled all over China, severely punished the landlord class, and extensively implemented the policy of "equalizing land and households" to distribute land equally among the peasants.
At the same time, reformist officials such as Wang Mang and Wang Zhen also put forward similar ideas. They believed that the social system of the time was stale, and that land ownership was too concentrated in the hands of a few. In order to reverse this passive situation, the authorities had to take radical measures to abolish the old system of well-fields and distribute the land to individual peasants completely and without compensation.
Unfortunately, due to the stubborn resistance of the ruling class, these reforms, although they were implemented for a while, were often quickly stifled or restored by the reactionary forces. However, they have greatly inspired the peasants' ideological consciousness to pursue freedom, and let everyone see the hope of a better life in the future.
The peasants witnessed the affluent life of yeoman farmers and finally realized the importance of land privatization for them. They began to aspire to own their own one-third of an acre of land, to get rid of the exploitation of landlords, and to live an independent life.
Driven by this cry, the peasants finally let go of the fear of the ruler and gradually walked towards the road of emancipation. People of insight bravely stood up and continued to shout: "Those who have no land get land, and those who have land get more!" "Three acres of land, your own freedom!" "In order to break the shackles, you must first break the shackles of the mind! ＂
The calls for reform and opening up came and went, and finally in the 20 th century, they were thoroughly realized. A massive agrarian revolution dragged China out of the quagmire of feudal society. The large-scale movement for the equal division of land has enabled the vast number of individual peasants to obtain ownership of the land they cultivate, and have since been freed from the fate of poverty and exploitation for thousands of years.
This is undoubtedly a great step for the Chinese nation to regain its freedom, and it also marks the complete emancipation of the peasant class and the march toward an unprecedentedly bright future.