Research On Clan Flields In South Of Jiangsu In The Modern Times

The modern time was an important stage of the clan fields' development. It is an important content of Modern social and economic history to realize the operation and characteristics of the modern clan fields.South of Jiangsu had been the clan fields economy developed area since the clan fields appeared. Therefore, the research on the clan fields in south of Jiangsu is typical of this kind.At present, the focus of the research on the clan fields in south of Jiangsu is in the Ming and Qing Dynasties temporally and in Suzhou spatially.The paper analyzes the source,the state of development, management and operation and the function of clan fields which based on the massive south of Jiangsu clan register, the local chronicle and the land reform material, and then discusses the characteristics of clan fields from new point of view.The origin way of clan fields was diverse in the modern south of Jiangsu. The quantity of clan fields developed continually on the whole during the modern time. The homestead of clan fields usually rent the fields to the poor peasants of other clans to cultivate. The renting rate was lower than that of private fields. The clan guaranteed their benefit and treated the tenant farmer fairly as far as they can in the process of collecting rent. Loaning to others and investing industries and commerce were two main methods of the rent management. There was a strict system to manage the clan fields in south of Jiangsu during the modern time.The clan was endowed with the right to select the governor and to supervise the management of income and expenses of the clan fields. The governor exercised the right under the strict management system, which could increase the working efficiency and greatly reduce the possibility of corruption. The clan fields had many functions in south of Jiangsu during the modern time. The patriarchal clan could count the advantages and disadvantages, thus to bring each function into full play. Regarding the clan fields' quality, it is very difficult to ascribe that it is the landlord land ownership's form. It can only say that it is one kind of land which the patriarchal clan collective altogether has.