A review of the impact of smallholder economy on China s history and social development

Smallholder economy. It is a natural economy.

In ancient China, it was the main driving force to promote the development of intensive farming, and for the feudal dynasty, it had a high enthusiasm for production, which could stabilize the development of society, thereby consolidating the dominant position of the ruler. At the same time, it is also the main source of the imperial court's financial revenue. However, its small scale of production and simple division of labor by gender, which made it difficult to expand reproduction, hindered the social division of labor and the development of the commodity economy, and, in modern times, capitalism.

The germination and development of China has gradually lagged behind the trend of society.

The smallholder economy has had a profound impact on China's history and social development.

In ancient times, the small-scale peasant economy provided a solid foundation for the production of Chinese society and a stable social foundation for the rule of feudal dynasties. The productive enthusiasm of the small peasant economy allowed the rule of the feudal dynasty to be consolidated. At the same time, the small peasant economy was also the main source of the imperial court's fiscal revenue, providing economic support for the development and expansion of the feudal dynasty.

However, the small scale of production and the simple gender division of labor in the smallholder economy hinder the development of the social division of labor and the commodity economy. In modern times, the small-scale peasant economy also hindered the germination and development of capitalism, and made China gradually fall behind the world trend.

In general, the smallholder economy has had both positive and negative impacts on China's history and social development. Today, we should make the most of our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, carry forward the positive elements of the small-scale peasant economy, and at the same time gradually promote modernization in order to promote the all-round development of Chinese society.

Understanding the impact of smallholder economies from multiple perspectives.

1) Politically: The decentralization of the small-scale peasant economy is the necessity and economic basis for the existence of the centralized system.

2) Economic: the self-sufficiency of small-scale peasant economy is the root cause of the implementation of the policy of "heavy agriculture and suppression of business" and the policy of "closing the country to the outside world". The fragility of the small-scale peasant economy requires the ruling class to restrain commerce and prevent it from competing with agriculture for labor.

3) Science and technology culture: The development of small-scale peasant economy has promoted the development of science and technology related to agriculture, and created the characteristics of practicality and practicality of science and technology in ancient China. At the same time, the backwardness of small-scale peasant economic development also determined that ancient Chinese science and technology could not achieve fundamental breakthroughs. Many literary works in ancient times mostly reflected the ideals and aspirations of people under the small-scale peasant economy.

4) National psychology and family ethics: Chinese farmers under the small-scale peasant economy have the spirit of loyalty, honesty, hardship and hard work, but also have the shortcomings of narrow-mindedness, selfishness and conservatism; Under the conditions of small-scale peasant economy, it leads to the emergence of the ideology of "preference for sons over daughters" and "resettlement of land"; At the same time, it also forged the ancient Chinese concept of attaching importance to filial piety, strengthening neighborly relations and family harmony.

The factors influencing the economic development of smallholder farmers include: the emergence and popularization of iron plough and ox farming; Peasants have, to varying degrees, a certain amount of means of production; the small scale of the smallholder economy; In order to ensure financial resources, most of the wise rulers adopted the policy of heavy agriculture and Huaixun. The details are as follows:

The emergence and popularization of iron plough ox ploughing and the establishment of feudal land ownership promoted the development of the small peasant economy.

Under the small-scale peasant economy, peasants have, to varying degrees, a certain amount of means of production, a certain degree of autonomy in production, and can control a part of the labor products, and have the enthusiasm for production.

The small scale of the smallholder economy has prompted farmers to strive to improve their farming techniques and increase the yield per unit area as much as possible, which is conducive to intensive farming for agricultural development.

In order to ensure financial resources, most of the wise rulers adopted a policy of heavy agriculture.

Political: The natural economy is decentralized and independent, which makes the centralization of power extremely strong.

Economic: The fragile and conservative nature of the smallholder economy has led to a lack of fundamental change in the state of iron plough and oxen farming for thousands of years.

Ideologically: The small-scale peasant economy has led to the Chinese people being relocated to the land, conservative and selfish, and lacking a sense of collectivity, teamwork, competition, and innovation.

Culture: Due to the above reasons, our culture is stubborn and self-controlled, and it is not easy to accept foreign culture, so far, whether it is literature, art, science and technology, etc., it is extremely incommensurate with the status of an economic power.

The small-scale peasant economy dominated the feudal society, and in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the commodity economy was developed, but the small-scale peasant economy has always been dominant, until the Opium War, the invasion of foreign commodities, China's small-scale peasant economy, gradually collapsed, but at this time it was still dominant, and it was replaced after the Second Opium War

The small-scale peasant economy was the economic basis of feudal society, so the rulers of feudal society attached great importance to agriculture

The small-scale peasant economy was dominant in feudal society. After the collapse of the well-field system, the land was gradually privatized, and the small-scale peasant economy began to develop, and later developed into a self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy with men and women weaving. However, in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, capitalism gradually sprouted, and the small-scale peasant economy began to hinder the development of the commodity economy.