Hebei Province's Agricultural Disaster And Farmers' Economic Life In Kang Yong And Qian Period

In history, Hebei province has often suffered from agricultural disasters, which was even more serious in Kang, Yong and Qian period. Nowadays, agricultural disasters are still influencing our agricultural production and country steadiness. Therefore, the study on agricultural disasters of that period will benefit today's measures for reducing disasters and agricultural production act.Although this area has been given a deep research , there is still something for further study: First, there are not many studies on Hebei' agricultural disasters, and general studies on Kong , Yong and Qian period are even fewer. Second, studies on measures which farmers and government took to defend against agricultural disasters are lacking; Third, disasters' economic influence on farmers' life deserves further research. This paper aims to the above questions which will be explained in the following three aspects:1 .General features of Hebei's agricultural disasters in Kang, Yong and Qian period. By analyzing historical materials we can see agricultural disasters from the point of time and space. From the point of time, there were mainly spring drought and summer-autumn drought . Flood usually appeared in summer. From the point of space, Hengshui district, Shijiazhuang and Handan district were often hit by both flood and drought. The factors causing agricultural disasters are the following: natural environment; agricultural cultivation; lack of long-time projects; man-made factors. Therefore, to reduce flood and drought influence, we must begin from natural environment and social system.2.Agricultural economy influenced by disasters. The author noticed that agricultural disasters directly caused reduction of corn output and then price fluctuation. Then population drifting, change of Land-relationship and tenancy forms are following. Different from the researches before, the author paid special attention to the following point: main disasters varied in different areas, even the same disaster had different effect on different areas. Then the reason analysis was given: nature factors,agricultural plants distribution, population and economy factors, different abilities against disasters.3.Analysis of Hebei farmers' pauperization in Kong, Yong and Qian period. In this part, by comparing farmers' living conditions before the disasters with that after the disasters and by analyzing people' rebellion, the author pointed out that it was agricultural disasters that aggravated farmers' pauperization. But the farmers were not so poor that they ate other people to live on, so rebellions caused by agricultural disasters were few. As population increased, it was a tendency for farmers' pauperization. Although agricultural disasters intensified this tendency, it was not the only factor that caused farmers' pauperization. Why was the effect caused by agricultural disasters not great? In the author's opinion, it was because all kinds of precautions against disasters and promptly remedial measures after disasters were taken by government, society and farmers themselves. Therefore, defending against and reducing disasters need joint efforts from government, society and individual.4.Conclusion. This paper points out that frequent agricultural disasters of Hebei in Kang, Yong and Qian period influenced farmers' normal life and intensified their pauperization. But supported by government, traditional farmers owned certain abilities to defend against disasters. In traditional conditions, it was difficult for farmers to defend against disasters by themselves. Therefore, it was necessary to have a good social and systematic condition for steady agricultural production and life.The new point of this paper lies in that it carries out a thorough research on Hebei province's agricultural disasters and farmers' economic life by using historical and economy analysis methods.