Chapter 39 3. Building a village community, from horseback to the field

The Mongols who live by water and grass are very unfamiliar with the settled agricultural civilization, so at the beginning of their conquest, they carried out brutal force suppression and economic plunder in the Han areas, causing great damage to the economy of northern China.When Genghis Khan destroyed the gold, some Mongolian nobles once proposed to Genghis Khan that "the Han people are of no benefit to the country", and advocated that all the fields in the Central Plains should be transformed into pastures for grazing Mongolian cattle and horses.Under the persuasion of Yelu Chucai and other Song and Jin vassals, the friendly Mongolian rulers were moved by the countless state taxes every year, and finally changed their original intentions, so that the agricultural production in Han areas could be maintained at a relatively normal level. development trend.

However, the Mongolian people really changed their policy and moved from horseback to the field. It was when Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, paid attention to agriculture, encouraged farming and mulberry, and established village communities. In spring, the Xilin Gol Grassland is green, the grass is green, and the lake water that has been frozen for a winter also has charming ripples. It is really like the smiling face of a shy girl hiding her face. It is so infatuated and intoxicating.Green grasslands, tall trees, clumps of willows with whirling branches, patches of golden Caragana flowers, green orchids and Malan flowers make the grasslands more charming and moving, swaying and colorful... …Once breaking free from the shackles of severe winter, the Xilin Gol Grassland will immediately show the vigor and vitality bursting from her bone marrow.

Kublai Khan's Mansion in Kaiping in 1261 was also like this charming spring, with various undertakings flourishing. Zhang Wenqian, the newly-appointed agricultural officer, came out of the class and said: "Your Majesty, since accepting the agricultural officer, I have been lamenting all night long, and now I have thought about ten ways to develop agriculture, and I would like to report to your majesty: One of them said: offering sacrifices to Xiannong.The emperor not only wants to declare that agriculture is the foundation of the country, but also to promote agriculture in the world. He should also take the opportunity to sacrifice to the first farmers, let the descendants of the Mongolians plow the fields, create momentum, make agriculture a fashion, and pave the way for agricultural development.

The second said: Reaffirm the decree.Reiterate the prohibition of the kings and nobles from trampling on the fields for hunting, and the prohibition of privately converting farmland into pastures. At the same time, the government should stop the practice of supplying food to the Mongolians who migrated to the Central Plains, and directly distribute the cultivated land, so that they can cultivate themselves to get a salary, and let them walk on horseback. field. The third is: implement farming to reduce the burden of farmers' military supplies.To annihilate the Southern Song Dynasty and consolidate the frontier defense of our Mongolian Empire, relying on long-distance transportation will cost people and money, and the gain is not worth the loss, because it will increase the burden of food production and transportation for the people.In order to solve this contradiction, the minister thought that the system of garrisoning land should be implemented.It is clearly ordered that all branches of the military and arms should be changed from soldiers who come and go in autumn and spring to occupy important areas. If the enemy invades, they will fight; if the enemy retreats, they will plow the fields.When the grain is harvested and the supply is sufficient, the frontier will naturally be strengthened.When autumn comes, and then send out large-scale troops, the enemy will be invincible. "

The fourth is: select experts.He ordered the Xuanfu divisions from all walks of life to visit talents and seek talents, look for experts with special skills who are proficient in agricultural affairs, and appoint them as officials to persuade farmers to go to various places to persuade farmers to plant mulberry and guide agriculture. The fifth is: communication technology.Collect all the books on farming and mulberry from ancient and modern times in the world, collect the successful experience of agricultural production in various places, compile them into volumes, and guide farmers in farming.

The sixth is to build farm tools.The country should manufacture agricultural tools, distribute them to poor villages, and sell them at a fixed price, as a means of increasing national fiscal revenue and promoting the recovery and development of the agricultural economy. The seventh said: Add the Department of Persuading Agriculture.The central and local governments set up agencies to encourage agriculture, and dispatched agricultural officials at all levels to supervise farming and mulberry farming. Government offices at all levels should hang up farming and weaving maps, so that officials can know the origin when they come in and out.

The eighth said: Set up righteous warehouses to prepare for shortages.Strengthen the construction of warehousing system.We must pay attention to the problem of grain storage, store in warehouses in good years, and open warehouses for disaster relief in case of catastrophe, saving the people from fire and water. The ninth said: Construct water conservancy.The central government set up the capital water supervision department and the river and canal department to build water conservancy, build rivers and canals, and instruct agricultural officials and those who know water conservancy to go to various roads to inspect the "system of farming and mulberry".

The tenth is: reform the land system.The farmer is allowed to reclaim wasteland, and is given a variety of benefits, recognizing that he has the right to use it permanently.This will naturally greatly mobilize the enthusiasm of farmers to reclaim wasteland. "What a list of ten memorials!" Kublai Khan claimed: "These ten articles are really the soul of the development of agriculture in the Mongolian Empire! Enjoin the whole country to implement it." How could Kublai Khan be unhappy?He has been influenced by these Han Confucian staff since he was a child. He took Tang Taizong as an example and "thought great achievements in the world". Therefore, he has a deep impression on the political and economic system of the Central Plains; In the southern period, his system of "affiliating with Han law" achieved great success, which provided a strong material guarantee for him to defeat Brother Ali and seize the Khan throne.Therefore, he has different views on agricultural production in the Central Plains than ordinary Mongolian nomadic nobles.

After seizing the Khan throne, Kublai Khan expanded his territory, and new problems faced by his rule also emerged: should he continue to maintain the nomadic tradition and abandon farmland as pasture, or move from horseback to the field to adapt to the development of the agricultural society in the Central Plains? The far-sighted Kublai Khan certainly knew which was more favorable to his rule! Today, he has set up a special department to persuade farmers, and sent many envoys to various places to rectify agriculture and mulberry. A few days later, news came back one after another that the envoys to persuade farmers from all over the country had fulfilled their duties, and spring sowing had been completed in all areas, and 200,000 to 300,000 mu of arable land had been newly added across the country.

After Kublai Khan came down to court, he still couldn't restrain his joy. He went straight to Liu Bingzhong's Buddhist hall, wanting to tell him the good news. Seeing that Kublai Khan was so happy, Liu Bingzhong clasped his hands together, chanted the Buddha's name, and said to him with a smile, "Amitabha, congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Majesty." Kublai Khan said: "Hey, there is no need to be strict. There is another one, do you know? The common people now have a solution, what do you think, they have all formed a hoe society! Haha..."

Liu Bingzhong asked suspiciously: "What is the Hoe Society?" "Hehe, this time you are a think tank, can't you!" Kublai Khan laughed loudly: "This is the most gratifying thing I sent to report when I sent an envoy to persuade farmers! Envoys to persuade farmers went to various places to urge local officials to plant mulberry and silkworms, and build water conservancy, no, the effect is obvious, what makes me even more happy today is that they brought back such news.” Seeing that Kublai Khan was so happy, Liu Bingzhong said: "Thanks to your majesty's wisdom, this is the blessing of all people and the country!" Kublai Khan went on to say: "What do you mean by a hoe society? It is completely a spontaneous organization of the people. They reported that these hoe societies usually unite several families, 'first hoe the fields of one family, and the family provides food for them, and the rest follow. , Within ten days, all the fields of each family will be hoeed, so a small cooperative group will be formed. Even if someone has a disease, other people will work together to hoe it. Farming delays farming, resulting in barrenness. These farmers really have a way, haha!" Liu Bingzhong suddenly realized after hearing this, "Amitabha, so it is so." Kublai Khan continued: "Look, how should we use this organization to develop agriculture? I've been thinking about this problem all day, and I can't figure it out. Do you have a magic trick, Zi Cong?" Liu Bingzhong thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, since it is a non-governmental organization, we should make the best use of the situation. Why don't we recognize its status and encourage them to elect a president, which is easy to manage and included in our overall management system. Let’s call it a grassroots organization.” "Good! Good!" Kublai Khan nodded his head and said repeatedly: "I also have this intention. Why don't we stipulate that the villages and counties belong to the counties, and all fifty families should be established as a commune. They are senior-year-old, proficient in farming, and family-owned. Ding is the head of the company, who organizes farmers to cultivate land, repairs rivers and canals, manages sideline businesses, and teaches and supervises the farming affairs of the village community; if the number of families increases to a hundred, there will not be a head. If the number of families is less than fifty, they will form a community with the nearby village The land is far away and the people are sparsely populated, and they cannot join together, and those who are independent listen to each other. Those who join together to form a society, the president still chooses in the village. Usually, a wooden sign is set up at the edge of the field, and a letter is written to a certain person in a certain society, and the president advises according to the time; If there are many households affected by the disaster in one commune, the two communes will help them; the corvée of the president will be exempted, and the local government will not send another department, how about it?" "Good! Good!" Liu Bingzhong listened to Kublai Khan's plan, and was very happy that the Mongolian emperor paid so much attention to agriculture.You know, how much work he and Han Confucians have done to reverse the legacy and influence of the nomadic production mode.Today, Kublai Khan has not only repeatedly promulgated the prohibition that Mongolian kings and nobles are not allowed to change farmland into pastures, but also pays attention to the self-organization of farmers, which shows that the development of agriculture has taken root in his heart.In other words, this job has been considered a success, how can we not make him happy? Thinking of this, Liu Bingzhong said: "Your Majesty puts the people first in all things, the people are based on food, and the food and clothing are based on agriculture and mulberry. It seems that it has been well implemented throughout the country. I really should congratulate Your Majesty." Yes, when the Mongolian nomads first entered the Central Plains, the Mongolian nobles often ran horses to enclose the land, drove away the Han people on the original land, left it barren, opened it up as pastures, and herded cattle and sheep, causing a large number of Han people who depended on the land to make a living. They were forced to flee their homes; the land was barren and the population dropped sharply; it also caused the Han people to resist to the death, unwilling to surrender the situation.Nowadays, since Kublai Khan proclaimed Khan, he has vigorously developed agriculture, encouraged farming and mulberry, built water conservancy, reformed the land system, and lightened the taxation; "The idea of ​​"agricultural development is good or bad, "increasing household registration and opening up fields" as the primary conditions for evaluating local officials and deciding on promotion.These policies and measures have enabled the displaced people who have suffered from the war to regain their land, and the once barren fields have been replanted with crops.How can the people not be full of passion? Thinking of this, Liu Bingzhong continued: "The poor monk thinks that His Majesty can use this organization to accomplish a lot. For example, His Majesty can use this organization to build schools and popularize education. It is stipulated that every commune has the obligation to build schools for the children in the village. When only a small amount of labor is needed in the farmland, let their children go to school and receive the influence of Confucianism. In this way, we will pass the examination and selection form, and it will not be difficult to include people with lofty ideals in our arms and contribute to the country. " "Okay! Zhunzao!" Kublai Khan said happily: "Actually, this kind of organization has another function, that is, I want the local officials to select and train a good president, and let the president supervise the farmers in the commune on the one hand. Agriculture should not be degenerate. More importantly, it is strictly forbidden for the president to lead the community to gather unreasonably, and the president should supervise the gathering of farmers. Anyone who does not obey the president’s advice will be prosecuted from the lawsuit.” "Amitabha, His Majesty can kill three birds with one stone in order to build a village. It is really a wise move. I believe that as long as the people can live and work in peace and contentment, there will be no troubles for no reason. Your Majesty can rest assured." "Okay! I hope so!" Kublai Khan said: "The village community, let it be an administrative organization below the county level. We will build a village community in the countryside, and we will also set up a city gate system in the city. Divide the city into several pieces, named Said Yu, such as east-west corner, southwest corner, northeast corner, and northwest corner. There is a square under the corner, and there are square officials and square officials. Under the square, there is a village or society, where the principal and the president are located; the village community system is in the county. Set up the township, the head of the township, the capital under the township, and the village community under the capital. In this way, both the city and the countryside are under my control, and I can sit back and relax, haha!" The series of policies and measures adopted by Kublai Khan to develop agriculture enabled the nomads known as the "nations on horseback" to quickly accept the advanced agricultural production technology in the Central Plains, and moved from horseback to the field. All ethnic groups in the country have been integrated together, which has promoted the development of agricultural production.According to the "History of the Yuan Dynasty", the population recovered to more than 53.64 million during the reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, which was a relatively large increase compared with the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty and was close to the number of Song and Jin Dynasties.The area of ​​cultivated land and output also recovered to be close to the level of the Song Dynasty.