On Liyan’ Historiography Thoughts

Liyan(1914-2008), whose courtesy name is zisu and literal name is youzhou, is a famous historian and educator in China, as well as a creator of Chinese economic history subject in Yunnan University. He is an important representative with the theory of state ownership of land and West Zhou feudalism, who had a versed accomplishment on Chinese history of ancient economy, commodity economy, and land system, and had a unique view in lots of important research on land ownership forms, ancient history stages, rural commune, and division of landlords. He is known as one of the pioneers of research on Chinese ancient commodity economy history, because he made incisive analysis of the position of commodity economy history, and for the first time combined land system history with commodity economy history creatively. Meanwhile, he made remarkable achievements in research of local economic history of Yunnan province, monetaryeconomy of Tang and Song Dynasty, and the policy of physiocracy and restriction of business. He is recognized as an elite in academy for his rigorous scholarship and independent study.Guided by Marxist materialism, the papersummarizes Liyan’s significant works with methods of document review, comparative analysis, historical analysis, and interview, etc, combing with previous research. Based on his study works, the author analyzes in detail LiYan’s academic ideology and contribution on study of Chinese ancient economic history by research the achievements in historical environment and background in which LiYan lived and studied, to present his academic ideology, research achievements and education concept objectively and comprehensively, and estimate the reasonability and limitations of his study with the dialectical and historical view. At last the paper puts forward his academic style of’decorousness, sensibility and erudition’, academic ideology frame of’one body with two wings, one core with many points’, and the academic characteristics of’five combinations’.The first chapter is the introduction recommending Liyan’s biography, research value, domestic and international research status, existing problems, author’s points, research methods and main innovations. The second chapter illustrates the origin and basic structure of Liyan’s academic ideology. The author makes research by stages of Liyan’s academic development and then states that Liyan did his achievements as a result of teachers’instruction, guide of Marxism and practical experience. His academic ideology frame of’one body with two wings, one core with many points’means that the body is the study of Chinese economic research and the two achievements are Chinese land system history and commodity economy, and meanwhile research of monetary is the core and great achievements appear in his academic ideology. The chapter also makes illustration of the two wings of his historic ideology system, which is named as system with many different forms, and this is a great break in Chinese feudal land system and profoundly revealed the developing regulation of commodity economy. Finally the author expounds his research of historical division and Chinese feudal landlord system.The third chapter titled’formation and foundation’, discusses Liyan’s study of Chinese ancient commodity economic ideas, introduces his relative research on monetary development history and commodity economy, Chinese ancient commodity economy and Biographies of Merchants in Shiji with his deep theoretical background and accurate knowledge. He illustrated in detail the monetary history of Tang and Song dynasty and the development process of Chinese commodity economy history and successfully solved the unsettled questions of the origin of jiaozi, one kind of money in ancient China, and the usance of money exchange, and this achievement is of great importance in academic fields. He corrected the non-objective views on commodity economic history and developed a new research space and path of Chinese economic history by combining monetary forms, monetary circulation, commodity economic development and land system. The fourth chapter titled’developing a new way and obtaining mature accomplishment’ shows Liyan’s research of land system history. He made unique illustration on land ownership, historical division and commodity economy, etc, on which he proposed significant views and he is regarded as the important representative with the theory of state ownership of land and West Zhou feudalism, and a pioneer of Chinese ancient commodity economic history. This chapter introduces in detail the rich connotation of different land ownerships of which the landlord ownership of land is dominating, investigates the appearance, feature and origin of Chinese feudal land system. For the first time in history, he made a scientific distinguish theoretically of state ownership of land, possession system of large land and private ownership of large land, and then reviewed the origin of state ownership of land and revealed the inside relationship between state ownership of land and geographical conditions, centralized feudal country and peasant uprising. He stated that the land system in ancient China included feudal state ownership of land, private ownership of large land, possession system of large land, private ownership of small land and remaining country ownership, all of which existed at the same time and grew as others declined. This state reveals the law of contradiction and makes great contribution in the study fields of Chinese feudal land system history. The fifth chapter analyzes Liyan’s academic ideology and education concept. It states that the main connotation of his academic ideology is integration of past and present, history and theory, others’ and own thought, works and thought, rules and morality. The main ideology as well as the main characteristic is getting principles by studying history and putting historical principles into practice, which is also his core academic ideology. Independent study attitude, comprehensive of historical facts and theory, incisive research style and huge academic enthusiasm make him a leading authority in fields of ancient economic history subject. He held the spirit of maidenhair tree, contributed himself in teaching career, with the teaching method of individualized quality education and best use of situation. He made friends with students and taught them through his own actions as much as words. He paid much attention to principles as much as practice, which became his own teaching style. Professor Li is the good example in Yunnan University for his excellent character and unique education methods and his academic ideology and education concept have become important parts of culture of Yunnan University influencing plenty of students one generation after generation, many of who have been well-known scholars. Therefore, Professor Li is considered as respectable scholar and famous teacher in economy history subject.Research of history is the foundation of social sciences, with the mission of exploring the relationship between natural law and human affairs as well as searching the rules of historical evolution. Chinese economic history has been researched more than 100 years and remarkable achievements have been accomplished by lots of scholars, of whom professor Liyan is the talented representative. Besides academic attainments, his contribution to education concept is worth abiding and studying.lt is of great academic value and practical significance to research his research achievements, education concept, academic ideology and study methods. The spiritual wealth he left deserves serious study and inheritance, from which we can find new way to research economic history and provide theoretical basement and intelligence source for current social development.