On The Exploitation In BaShu Area During Han Dynasty To Tang Dynasty

It is the important period for the exploitation and development in Economy of BaShu Area from Han Dynasty to Tang Dynasty, and it lays the foundation of economic flourishing and basic economic pattern of Sichuan. Studies and survey on the Exploitation in BaShu Area during this period will help getting not only the complete picture of the historical development of this period, but also some regularity discoveries. In addition, it will provide enlightenments and useful references for the Western Exploitation ascendant in our country at present, and for speeding up the exploitation and development of the upper reaches area of Yangtze River.Although scholars had started their researches on economic history from Han to Tang Dynasty since 30s last century, and had published some monographs and papers in the past years, but the researches were mainly on the periodical economy history in general, and lacked of regional economic exploitation research. Among the researches of regional exploitation, studies on BaShu Area during this period are especially limited compared with those on Jiangnan, Lingnan, and Guangzhong Areas. Besides, the studies on BaShu Area in the past were obvious unsatisfactory. One was the short of systematic and complete research, and another was the insufficient of the comparative research with other areas in certain specific historical background. This paper is trying to do a comprehensive study systematically on the economic exploitation of BaShu Area from Han to Tang Dynasty.This paper discusses the economic exploitation of BaShu Area from Han Dynasty to Tang Dynasty in seven chapters.The first chapter expounds the historical foundation and natural environment of the Exploitation in BaShu Area. The paper points out that BaShu Area has proceeded exploitation in certain scale before Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, and formed its regional economic system in the exploitation. Qin innovated in policies, and adopted aseries of measures in exploitation of BaShu Area after its conquer to BaShu Area, which were mostly followed by the later governments in governing this area. Qin's achievements created the essential prerequisite for exploitation of BaShu Area after Han Dynasty. Based on the economic development situations of different districts, the paper further divides the BaShu Economic Area into five economic districts: Chengdu Plain, plateau in West Basin, Hills in Center Basin, East Basin and Northeast, and probes into their geographical range, natural environment, distinguishing economic features.The second chapter discusses the economic exploitation of BaShu Area in Western and Eastern Han Dynasties and the Three Kingdoms from five aspects of agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, handicraft, traffic, commerce, key city. The paper considers that the 500 years of Han Dynasties and the Three Kingdoms are the big time for economic development of BaShu Area. The exploitation surpassed the past dynasties both in scope and depth. Along with the development of agriculture, handicraft and commerce, the city economy developed rapidly, and gradually formed the BaShu economic area, centered with Chengdu, BaShu Basin as the inner circle, and covering the whole Southwest district. BaShu Area became one of the ten big economic areas in the mid and later period of West Han Dynasty, and Chengdu became one of the six biggest cities at the time. Linqiong and Guanghan also became very famous industrial cities in the country. BaShu Economic Area jumped into the advanced economic area from the average level.The third chapter is concrete case studies of Exploitation of BaShu Area during Western and Eastern Han Dynasties and the Three Kingdoms. Case studies are on Emperor Wu's opening up of the Southwest Minority Area, and Zhu Geliang's achievement on Shuhan development. The paper considers that Emperor Wu's exploitation is mainly on territory expansion, Through his effort, he fulfilled the historical undertaking of establishing the system of prefectures and counties in Southwest Minority Area. Its effects are extraordinary. The frontier area of this part had kept stable for several hundred years since then. Zhu Geliang made the social production of the original abundant area getting continuing improvement and turning up more prosperous situation, through carrying out correct economic policies and productive exploitation measures based on the characteristics of Yi Eparchy during his administration.Chapter Four studies the economic exploitation of BaShu Area inWestern and Eastern Jin Dynasties and Northern and Southern Dynasties. The academic fields have different opinions on the economic development level of BaShu Area during this period. This paper investigates the population-changing tendency of BaShu Area at the time, and analyzes the influences of population migration on Agriculture development based on relative documents and materials combined with historical relics investigation materials. The paper considers that the agriculture production of BaShu Area during this period didn't decline seriously, and had been developing slowly in general, although it was affected by war destructions and population immigrations, and rising and down at times, and unequal in development in different districts. Its handicraft and commerce has kept in high level on the foundation of Western and Eastern Han Dynasties and the Three Kingdoms, and developed further in some aspects.Chapter Five observes the grand occasion of economic exploitation of BaShu area in Sui and Tang Dynasties from the aspects of opening up water conservancy and traffic, developing agriculture and handicraft, the flourish of commerce and cities. 19 irrigation works was built in BaShu Area in Tang Dynasty. It is a great progress on the condition that there were only 6 channels and weirs in the nearly one thousand years before Sui Dynasty. The great progress of irrigation works of BaShu Area in Tang Dynasty appeared not only in the increasing of amount, but also in the making the most of the old channels and weirs and expanding new irrigation areas Productively. Exploitations of agriculture were on broadening the paddy rice growing area, improving agriculture production techniques and diversification, and the numerous varieties of agriculture by-products. The handcraft got improved in the traditional industry such as textile industry, and turned up some new industry as printing industry. The land traffic was well developed and roads extended in all directions, and the shipping of Yangtze River came into a new developing period in this time.The sixth chapter analyzes the exploitation level and economic status of BaShu Area from Han to Tang Dynasty. The paper considers that the economic development of Center Shu took the lead position in the whole country, since Shu had the better natural environment advantageous for agriculture development, and harmed less by wars, though both Center Shu and Guanzhong are called the "Land of Abundance" at the time. The normal order of economic development of BaShu Area hadn't been interrupted and developed constantly andslowly through out the 80 to 90 years from the end of Eastern Han Dynasty to the died out of Shu Han. After the Three Kingdoms, the economic development of BaShu Area slowed down, and gradually lost its leading place, which was presented in the following two aspects: the economy of the South Area grows rapidly during this period. The exploitation effects of the lower reaches of Yangtze River were more and more prominent, and the economic development of BaShu Area was comparatively slow compared with that of the Lower reaches areas. On the other hand, it was also comparatively slow compared with the economic development of BaShu Area in Qin and Han Dynasties. The economy of BaShu Area held a very high status in Sui and Tang Dynasty, and plays a very important role in establishment and flourish of Tang Dynasty. On the vivid contrast to the prosperous of BaShu economy in Tang Dynasty was the decline of Guanzhong economy.Chapter Seven observes the characteristics, limitations and historical experiences of exploitation in BaShu Area. The paper concludes the following characteristics during the Han to Tang Dynasty: 1. The economic development situations of districts within BaShu Area have obvious disequilibria. 2. It has the unique "climate (opportunity)" and favorable geographical position for economic development. 3. The economic development of BaShu Area is in a contrary tendency compared with other main economic areas of the same period. The rich natural resources are the material base of economic exploitation in BaShu Area. The sufficient labor force and plenty of " Skill workers" provide the major human resources and technique power. 6. The development of commercial agriculture owns a relatively high level. By the mean time, BaShu Area has accumulated many valuable experiences in the long-term of development through Han to Tang Dynasty. We may get at least the following enlightenments. First, highly attention and support from the central government are the important guarantee for the success of exploitation of BaShu Area. Second, one of its major successful experience is to overcome the restricts of natural conditions, break the difficult obstacles of " Four obstructs", and strengthen the economical communication with the whole country, especially with the border areas. Third, reinforce BaShu Area's relationship with the middle and lower reaches areas of Yangtze River, and realize the whole exploitation and coordinating development of the upper, middle (and lower) reaches of Yangtze River. Fourth, lay stress on development of key cities along the traffic line, and strengthen the radiation function and affecting power in economy of the key cities. Fifth,Population immigration and improvement of population quality has produced the vital influence on social economic development of BaShu Area during Han to Tang Dynasty. Sixth, pay attention to exploitation and administration of the minority districts of BaShu Area. Take actions that suit local circumstances to carry forward the economic construction and social development of the minority districts.The unique spot and distinguishing feature of this paper is that it is attempting to fill in the academic vacancy of the systematical and comprehensive study on Economic Exploitation of BaShu Area in domestic. The paper divides BaShu Area into certain economic districts and proceedes the specific probing based on geographical environment and natural conditions. It takes serious consideration of the disequilibria of economic development in different districts of BaShu Area. According to the internal and external changes of economic exploitation of BaShu Area in different historical periods during Han to Tang Dynasty, it pays attention to the continuity of economic exploitation in different period, but more to grasping the phase characteristics, and do the detailed study of each stage. The paper also pays attention to crosswise comparison with the middle and lower reaches areas of Yangtze River and Guanzhong Area while observing the economic exploitation of BaShu Area as the upper reaches of Yangtze River, and investigates its overall economic level and positions and influences in the country. In the meanwhile, it lays stresses on analyzing the effects of population immigration and national merging on regional economic development. For the adoptions of research materials, on the prerequisite of making full use of the available historical documents and materials, this paper also tries to find the relative valuable materials on economic of this period from the archaeology discoveries, and combining the archaeology discoveries with the historical documents in the study.