Study On Landlord-based Economy In China

As an economic system, landlord-based economy is aggregation of production relations which occupy dominant position for a long time in Chinese feudal society. In this economy, feudal landlords separate their own land into two parts: small one and big one. On the one hand, landlords operate small one by commanding juvenile male servants or hiring farm laborers, which forms landlord economy based on the operation of autonomy. On the other hand, landlords rent big one to individual families and collect rent from them, which form tenant-peasant economy. Compared with feudary-based economy in Western Europe, the main characters of landlord-based economy in China include buying and selling of land, operation by peasants and kain. Following part is further explanation of differences between the two systems. First, difference exists on form of land ownership. Under system of feudary-based economy in Western Europe, land is enfeoffed by a king to feudaries according to their social class and can hardly be bought and sold as a result. Land ownership is inherited by legal heirs of feudaries at all levels, so feudary-based economy is literally hierarchical system. However, in system of Chinese landlord-based economy, land can be either bought or sold. It is hard to predict the direction of distribution of land ownership, which always takes the form of dynamic change: from decentralization to centralization to decentralization. Annexations take place when land is centralized, which helps to form landlord class. Among them are some small and middle landlords who used to be peasants. Second, difference can be discovered from the relationship between landlords or feudaries and peasants. Under feudary-based economic system, ownership of land by feudaries is eternally unchanged. Thus the land also obtains social title which is enjoyed by feudaries. Peasants, under exploitation by feudaries, attach themselves greatly to feudaries. In fact, these peasants are serfs whose positions are like nothing more than slaves. But under landlord-based economic system, land ownership can free from personal attachment and exist independently because land ownership is not fixed, even though tenant peasants establish relationship of personal attachment with landlords due to land renting. In another words, personal attachment is not intrinsic property of land ownership. Ownership by feudal landlords plays a dominant role and gives prominence to characters of time, though landlord-based economy in China sees various sorts of ownership during its time. Chinese feudal landlords mainly take the form of land renting to exploit peasants. Apart from that, a few of them operate land by themselves. So change of this feudal personal attachment manifests itself in change of tenancy and employment, which is also a developing process from consolidation to relaxation. In the long developing history of feudal production relations, the change identifies watersheds of different historical age in Chinese feudal society so that this measurement can be used to mark development of landlord-based economy in China. From Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC) and Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) to Southern Dynasty Age (420AD-589AD, 4 feudal dynasties appear in southern China according to the order of time, they are dynasty of Song [420-479], Qi [479-502], Liang [502-557] and Chen [557-589] ) and Northern Dynasty Age (386AD-581AD, this age sees 5 feudal dynasties established in northern China) is primary stage of landlord-based economy. From Sui Dynasty (581AD-618AD) and Tang Dynasty (618-907) to Song Dynasty (960-1279) Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) is stage of normal development of landlord-based economy, which matures during the age and results in a peak of agriculture production. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) witness another rapid development of landlord-based economy. Many peasant uprisings break out in the history of Chinese feudal society. However, what each peasant movement is against is different. Creeds and slogans raised by peasants are restricted by development of then landlord-based economy. Under this circumstance, land ownership and land-based personal attachment are demonstrated clearly. In the age of feudal society, landlord-based economy is superior to feudary-based economy, which can be proved from the concrete example of evolvement of landlord-based economy from feudary-based economy in East Zhou Dynasty (770BC-256BC) of Spring and Autumn Period. This is the reason why Chinese landlord-based economy develops for a long time and plays a leading role in Chinese feudal society and feudal economy. That is to say, landlord-based economic system provides the momentum to Chinese feudal society. Close connection between landlord-based economy and commodity economy has been established since the day when landlord-based economy comes into being. So commodity economy comprises an important component of operation of landlord-based economy. At the same time, commodity economy promotes bud break of agricultural capitalism, though this force is quite weak. Review on landlord-based economy should be made from historical perspective. On the one hand, positive and objective appraisement can be given when we take following factors into consideration. Landlord-based economy plays a constructive role in the promotion of productivity of agriculture, rapid development of commodity economy, working enthusiasm of feudal peasants and further improvement of social security system. However, production relations in terms of ownership form, model of land management and operation, inheritance and transfer of land, distribution of labor products, the way how laborers connect with land and laborers'social status are not in accordance with development of productivity to various extent. So it is natural to see it end when productivity at advanced stage appears.