In ancient China, when disasters occurred, how were they generally relieved, and who was responsible?
In this ancient and vast land of China, it has been constantly tested by natural disasters since ancient times. Floods, droughts, earthquakes, plagues, ...... Every time a disaster strikes, it is like a huge wave that impacts the stability of society and the lives of ordinary people. However, it is precisely these challenges that have forged the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation and nurtured a wealth of wisdom and systems for disaster relief. Next, we will delve into the ancient Chinese way of disaster relief, from the bearers of disaster relief responsibilities to the specific disaster relief measures, and strive to restore how people responded to disasters with wisdom and courage in the context of that era.
1. Bearers of disaster relief responsibilities
In ancient China, disaster relief was a complex and huge system project, and its responsibility was mainly shared by the imperial court, local government and social forces.
1. The leading role of the imperial court
As the center of the state, the imperial court naturally played a central role in disaster relief. Whenever a disaster occurs, the emperor will often issue an edict for disaster relief, use the funds of the state treasury, allocate food, medicinal materials and other materials, and send officials to the disaster area to appease the people and organize rescue. For example, in the Qing Dynasty, whenever a flood or drought occurred, the imperial court would quickly activate the relief mechanism, distributing relief food according to the population to ensure the basic living needs of the victims. In addition, depending on the severity of the disaster, the Imperial Court will reduce or reduce taxes in the affected areas as appropriate, so as to reduce the burden on the people and promote post-disaster recovery.
2. Implementation by the local government
As the executors of the imperial court's policies, the local government played a vital role in disaster relief. They not only had to report the disaster in a timely manner, but also organized manpower and material resources to carry out rescue according to the instructions of the imperial court. When disasters occur, local officials often need to visit the disaster area in person to check on the situation, reassure the people, and ensure that relief materials can be accurately and timely distributed to the victims. At the same time, they will also mobilize the local wealthy gentry to donate money and materials, organize the people to help themselves and each other, and form a disaster relief pattern in which the whole society participates.
3. Active participation of social forces
In addition to the imperial court and local governments, social forces were also an integral part of disaster relief. In ancient China, many wealthy businessmen, scholars and students were actively involved in disaster relief. They either donate money and materials, or go to the disaster area to provide relief to the victims within their capacity. In addition, there are a number of religious groups and charitable organizations that are also involved in disaster relief activities, such as temples and Taoist temples that set up porridge factories to help the victims, and charities that are responsible for raising funds and materials to support the disaster areas.
2. Specific disaster relief measures
In ancient China, disaster relief measures were varied, covering many aspects, such as relief, relocation of millet and rice resettlement, evacuation of disaster victims, and resettlement of bereavement and bereavement benefits.
1. Relief
Relief was one of the most direct and effective methods of disaster relief in ancient times. Whenever a disaster occurs, the imperial court will distribute relief money and materials to the disaster area free of charge to solve the urgent needs of the victims. There are many forms of relief, including "in-kind relief" that directly distributes daily necessities such as grain and cloth, and "monetary relief" that distributes money in the form of money such as silver taels and copper coins.
In addition, there is a special form of relief called "cash-for-work", that is, allowing disaster victims to participate in public welfare undertakings (such as building water conservancy projects) to obtain corresponding relief money. This approach not only solves the livelihood problems of the disaster victims, but also provides labor for the country's disaster prevention projects, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
2. Adjust the millet to level the rice
Adjusting millet is an important measure in ancient disaster relief. In times of disaster, food is often the most scarce resource. In order to alleviate the problem of food shortage in the disaster area, the imperial court will transfer grain from other places to support the disaster area. There are three main sources of these grains: first, the national treasury cang; the second is to intercept the grain; The third is procurement. After the grain arrives in the disaster area, it will be sold to the victims at or below the market price, so as to stabilize the price of grain and ensure the basic living needs of the victims.
3. Evacuate victims
For those who were severely affected and could not continue to live in the local area, the imperial court would adopt a policy of "emigration for food" to resettle them in places with sufficient food and fertile fields. Such policies can both solve the livelihood problems of the affected people and alleviate the social pressure in the affected areas. At the same time, the process of resettlement will also be accompanied by land reclamation and population redistribution, which is also of great significance for promoting local economic development and social stability.
4. Bereavement Settlement
In addition to the above-mentioned measures, the imperial court will also provide compassionate resettlement to the people affected by the disaster. For families who are poor, disabled or have lost relatives due to disasters, the imperial court will give certain financial compensation or living assistance; For those who have lost their homes, they will be arranged to live in makeshift shantytowns or resettlement sites. In addition, the imperial court will also organize medical teams to go to the disaster area to treat the wounded, control the epidemic and prevent the spread of the disease; At the same time, public security patrols will be strengthened to prevent bandits from taking advantage of the fire to rob and disrupt social order.
3. Wisdom and enlightenment in disaster relief
The ancient Chinese way of disaster relief contains a wealth of wisdom and enlightenment. First, it embodies the concept of people-oriented governance. In the process of disaster relief, both the imperial court and the local government have always put the safety of people's lives and property in the first place; Both the relief and the resettlement of the bereaved have taken full account of the actual needs and living conditions of the victims.
Secondly, it demonstrates the organic combination of the imperial court and the power of the people. In the process of disaster relief, the imperial court played a leading role, but at the same time, it also actively mobilized social forces to participate, forming a pattern of disaster relief led by the government and participated by the society. Finally, it embodies the concept of disaster prevention with prevention first. In ancient times, Chinese people have realized that disaster prevention is more important than disaster relief, so they pay attention to strengthening the construction of water conservancy projects, improving storage systems and other disaster prevention measures to reduce the occurrence of disasters and reduce disaster losses.
To sum up, the ancient Chinese way of disaster relief is the interweaving of responsibility and wisdom, the organic combination of the imperial court and the people's forces, and the embodiment of the concept of disaster prevention based on prevention. These valuable experiences and wisdom are still of important reference significance for us today in dealing with natural disasters and ensuring the safety of the lives and property of the Lebanese people.
Conclusion: In the mainland, there have been serious floods in several areas recently, I hope you have the money to contribute, and you don't have any worries! Helping others is a traditional virtue, so act on it!