Social Aid Thought In Pre-Qin And QinHan Dynasties

Pre-Qin and QinHan Dynasties are social aid thoughts'budding and initial development period in ancient China. The basic framework of social assistance thought was found in Pre-Qin period, and was enriched and developed well in QinHan Dynasty. Many politicians and thinkers put forward some ideas and advocacies about social aid according to the level of productivity at that time. The implementation of these ideas and advocacies played a big role in consolidating the rule, safeguarding social stability and promoting the development of social production.Some of those outstanding thoughts and advocacies has been inherited, and had a significant impact on social aid issues in following dynasties.They even help to solve social aid issues in modern society.Social aid thoughts included government's aid, family aid and social folk charity etc.This thesis discussed from the angle of government's aid which mainly targeted at poor population and vulnerable groups, such as victim of disaster, old man, widowers, widows, orphans, childless, disabled person and soldier and their family members.The main aid thoughts included material bestows, reducing farm tax and corvee ,easing penalty, national raising children , curing and Saving lives etc.This thesis was divided into seven parts. The first part was preface which defined the relevant concept of social aid based on the combination of the understanding of social aid concept in present books and actual historical development in Pre-Qin and QinHan dynasties. The concept of social aid was that the state and society provide aid and pension to those poor population and Vulnerable groups, so as to maintain their livelihood.The second part was about the aid for victims of disaster. It analysed the causes of the disaster, and then introduced the main disaster situation from the natural factors and social aspects. Disater aid thoughts included pre-disaster defense thoughts and post-disaster relief thoughts.The third, fourth and fifth parts mainly discussed the social aid thoughts about old man, widowers, widows, orphans, childless, and disabled person.They lost the labor ability because of age or physiology factor, and can't live without aid. The government took measures to help them, such as material bestows, reducing farm tax and corvee ,easing penalty, national raising children , curing and Saving lives etc.The sixth part mainly discussed the aid for soldier and their family members. The government compensated them through various ways,such as rewarding the rank of nobility, enhancing social status and material reward.The part of the final conclusion firstly discussed discussed"people oriented thoughts"which was the basic thoughts of social aid. In addition, the thoughts such as Confucius'"good government"thought, Mozi's"Mutual love And benefit"thought all had a major impact on social aid issues in ancient China. Then it summed up the main characteristic and historical meanings of social aid thoughts in Pre-Qin and QinHan dynasties.The main characteristic is analysed from the angle such as the broad scope of aid, various forms of aid and the low level of relief thoughts. The historical meanings of it are analysed from its impact on that time, following dynasties and modern society.