Welcome back China! My son returns! As we learn about China during the postclassical period, we will see China in what I refer to as the middle school/high school stage. During the postclassical period most Chinese people, perhaps 85% of the population, were peasants working small plots of land, as had been true for the previous several thousand years. The contributions of the peasants to the country were essential: They grew the grain, bred the animals, made the cloth, mined the coal, built the roads and dug the canals. They also made up the great majority of the soldiers in the army.What was it like to be a peasant in China during the postclassical period? This basic question has been the focus of much research by scholars during the past several decades. One line of inquiry has studied the material standards of the peasants. How much land did they possess? What techniques did they employ in cultivating the land? How onerous was their tax burden? A second subject of investigation has been the beliefs of the peasants. To what extent did Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism shape their thinking? How influential on the peasants was traditional folk religion?
Although the scarcity of documentation regarding the peasants makes it impossible, at least for the present, to fully answer many of these questions, the poems and legal documents that I would like you to read at least give us a good start in our understanding. Most of the poets whose verse appears in this chapter were governmental officials who, in order to obtain their positions, had passed rigorous examinations testing their mastery of Confucian teachings. Some of the officials, notably Dufu, are regarded as among China's greatest poets. Of course, the social origins, rich literary learning, and standard of living of the officials set them apart from the peasants. However, as they moved from posting to posting, the officials had an opportunity to closely observe rural life in many of China's regions and this is reflected in the poems that I would like you to read.
The two legal documents sandwiched between the Tang and Song poems that you are going to read date from the 9th and 10th centuries and were found, together with many similar records, in the western Chinese town of Dunhuang about a hundred years ago. From 400-1000, Dunhuang was one of the most important rest stops for caravans traveling on the Silk Roads to and from China. It was also a huge Buddhist monastic complex, featuring worship centers in about 500 splendidly decorated caves, some of which were also libraries. Around the year 1000 the monks and merchants abandoned Dunhuang, probably because of invasions by nomads from the north. Owing to the extremely arid climate in this region, the contents of the caves--statutes, paintings, and documents of various kinds--were preserved in amazingly good condition until discovered by a British archaeologist in the early 20th century.
Please read the poems and legal documents by clicking on the following link (Tang-Song Poetry). How do the poems and legal records help us to understand the lives of peasants? Additionally, I would like for you all to think about and discuss the following: What do the poems suggest about the material standards of the peasants? How did the peasants provide for their material needs? What did they produce? What kinds of tools did they use? What did Chinese governments require from the peasants? How would you describe the relationship of the peasants to the government? Do the poems provide any evidence of peasant protest? Were the peasants economically self-sufficient? Did they depend on markets? Do the poems suggest that the lives of the peasants were changing over time? Do the poems provide any clues to the beliefs of the peasants? Do you see any indications of Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, or folk traditions? What do the poems reveal about the attitudes of Tang and Song officials toward the peasants? Do you see evidence of the officials' Confucian learning? How do the two contracts from Dunhuang add to our understanding of how the peasants lived? What do the contracts suggest about the role of Buddhism in China? What other kinds of evidence would enable us to add to our understanding of the peasants? Finally, in your opinion, do you think Chinese peasants were poorer or better off than peasants elsewhere in the postclassical world?
22 comments:
With peasants their seems to be three things that bother them taxes & debt, military service, and bad harvest. Many of the articles tell of either debt in crops or in one instance debt by selling ones own family members. I don't think Confucianism played a big role in a peasants life because the govornment that was leveeing these taxes was based on confucian principles, plus confucianistic ideas have to be studied and looked over and being that many peasants were not well educated probably were unable to read confucian texts. Buddhism is a more probable religion for these peasants becasue they would be more likely willing to endure the pains of life in order for a peaceful afterlife by following the 4 noble truths. Also the unwillingness to serve in the military showed contempt for the government and the extremes they would go through, such as breaking their arm, just to avoid it means that military service really was hell.
Well I think that the peasants lived off pretty much out of farming living their own produce. Bad thing was though was that they had little land, having little crop yield. All the poems say the officials were harsh to them which I believe it was true. They make their own cloth by plants around them and living a simple life. Most of the men, according to poems, were drafted out of war when they are healthy. By looking at these poems I belive China had many wars. This seems cruel but to think about it this was pretty much the same to the rest of the world in this postclassical time period.
Every single poem described the hardships the peasants had to face. Sometimes it was that they were having trouble feeding themselves and sometimes they were having trouble paying the taxes to the government. They also lived in costant fear of being drafted into the military. The story of the man breaking his own arm shows how the Chinese viewed getting drafted as a death sentence. All of the poems showed the peasants struggling to survive in one way or another. Even though this seems like a terrible existence, I don't think it is much different than what peasants of other kiingdoms of this time had to go through in this time period. Unfortunately, this was just how life was for many people, especially peasants, during the post-classical period.
Was the draft in America any different from the poem of the old man with the broken arm? The old man was chosen from his family to fight in battle, but he smashed his own arm so he would be unfit to fight and forced to be rejected. I'm sure some people from the United States were drafted to fight and shot themselves in the foot to be relieved from battle.
Yes, each poem talked about the hardships faced by the peasants. However, in at least a few of the poems the peasants seemed to be semi- ok with their positions. One women mentioned how all the men from her house had been killed while fighting for the Tang military and the only man left from the family was just an infant. Despite this situation, the women still mentioned how she was willing to still go do her part by cooking food for the soldiers. Perhaps the peasants were ok with fulfilling their military duty because of the generosity the government had already shown through the equal-field system
awww. i thought this was so sad. it sucks what the peasants had to go through. i thought it was crazy how the old 88 year old man broke his arm on purpose just so he wouldn't have to fight in the war, but then again, i would rather live with a broken bone then die young.
The peasants had to work very hard and put all their effort into paying their tax and having enough food for the family and themselves. The peasants used the tools they had unless if they didn't have any, then they would use their hands. The government demanded taxes and if they didn't have enough money, they they peasants would eventually have to sell all their belongings and work for the government. The men of the house all had to be drafted, unless they had a disability or something. The relationship between peasants and the government was not pretty. The peasants also depended or market a lot. They needed to sell all they had to pay their debts.
All the poems showed at least a little confidence or hope for a better future. They knew what was going on and they just made the best of it.
Three major problems of peasants
1. Having enough to pay taxes and not go into debt.
2. Military Drafts
3. The hard work in the fields
The peasants seem angry, yet there is no mention of violent rebellion.
The contract about the man who was purchased because of debt was reflective of a majority of peasants unable to pay taxes.
It seems that the peasants have last faith in Confucianism. They don't really "like" the higher members of the beuracracy.
I think this clip goes greatly with the topic of peasants. Hopper seems like he favors legalism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tlWZZSD4irM
This was slightly deressing... well that might be because I read them at like midnight last night... but anyways... The peasnts DID seem to have a rough life. They really got the short end of the stick... It would realy suck if you were forced to do what thepeasants went through... I agree with Alec when he said that they seemed to have the least faith in Confucianism.
As you see peasants had to go thorugh alot in the post classical China. The peasants were the population in China. They did not like the taxes and dept they had to pay. They didnt like how they were in the military, so much that they would break there arm to get out of it. They also didnt like bad harvest. The poems show all of the bad things that the peasants had to go through.
based on this poetry, it seemed as though peasants had it pretty rough. every poem discussed complaints and hardships. Taxes and work seem to be their main use to the government, and it doesn't seem as though they are regarded as people. peasants, though, have the same complaints everywhere, and probably would not have been any better of anywhere else.
The hardships mentioned included their incredibly obnoxious taxes, their worries of being drafted into the military, and worrying about having a successful crop. They clearly did not like the Confucian government workers that were above them on the food chain. With these peasants already having such a rough lifestyle, I can't imagine that they'd be all that educated enough to be able to read enough religious Confucian texts for it to play a role in their life.
if the peasents were taxed and forced into the armies, why didnt they rebel against the government? they had the weapons that the army had given them to fight for them. but they didnt seem to think of reblling
According to the document, the peasants basically lived for agriculture and passing down their name. When they need to go to war, it is kind of a rude awakening since the are basically barged in on. also The field work seems to be very intensive and difficult. It takes a lot to live like that everyday. And trading on the other hand is pretty strict, which i agree with because there should be equal transactions among the merchants. A country has to profit somehow. The women's roles are different from the guys too showing gendered jobs. Women did more of the supplying of the house with water, and cooking, etc.Overall peasants lived a tough life with the taxes which they have a hard time affording, and supplying a surplus so that they can feed there family and sell to people to make some kind of profit.
The poems showed that peasants had to provide tax and military service to the government. The poem about the acorn-gathering women shows that poor peasants couldn't eat grains because they had to pay as a tax. I think Confuciansim played an important role in peasant life because larger bureaucracy meant more tax for peasants. I think that peasants elsewhere in the postclassical world had better life than Chinese ㅔㄷㅁsants because there wa s less China had the largest bureaucracy than any other regions in the world
It seems as the peasants of this time period were basically treated with much disgrace. They went through many hardships and had a tough life to live. The biggest problem i think that each peasant had to face was the scarcity of food. They were alwasy having trouble regarding their food supply. Teh problem was that they were to work on lands but there wasnt really enough land all throughout China.
in Classical China, it seemed that Confucianism was the choice for peasants. the peasants were above the merchants. but in post-classical China, Buddhism seemed like the best choice. just part of my thoughts. I agree with Greg in the sense that this is like the draft. i mean, he broke his arm to not fight...a little extreme, but who wants to be forced to fight and risk never seeing their families ever again?
Peasants in China, at least in my opinion, recieved recognition for
the hard work they did as shown in
the social levels of the Chinese. I also think Chinese peasants were much better respected than other societies we have met till now. Though, there were some
incompetent emperors and rulers,
the Chinese peasants had a good life compared to India and other civilizations.
I really like that the poems are written by different peasants in 1st person. It makes what they are saying more personal, even if writing about another peasant they see, especially because they are all in such pain and disappointment. They were working hard for food and clothing-to use and sell, but more was being taken then they could produce. It is so depressing that they had to go to the extent of selling family members to survive.
The gov. depended on the peasants, whom were weaker, because of the gov. taking from them, so they were dependent on the gov. not taking to much from them for food.
It did not sound as if the peasants were protesting, except on personal terms, like the man breaking his own arm. They just sound depressed.
They believe in souls and that when you die(in war?) your soul will wander and not move on. They value life at all costs. Their folk festivals involve music and dancing and is for a good harvest. They could feed theirselves, it seemed, but the markets were around and they could trade for a variety or to try to gain a little more money from all the taxes they are paying.
These poems describe the hardships in which the peasents had to face. They are taxed by the government and when they are not able to pay the taxes the government then takes the goods that feed their families. Also, the military recruits the men of the peasent households which leaves all of the work for the women (to raise the children, feed everyone, keep up with the land, etc.) The reason that buddhism attracted the peasents and commoners was the promise of an after life even if you do not give a bunch of money or riches to the church, but just follow the religions requirments.
It seems like they are mostly concerned with taxes, and mainly just money, and the draft. Also, in the case of the old man who broke his arm, it's crazy to think that he lived his whole life with a bad arm, where if we broke our arm, even intentionally, it would be fixed.
Still, i think peasants in China were probably better off than peasants in other places at this time period because China actually respected the peasants, and with the Confucian system treated them with honor
These poems give us insight on the hardships of the peasants. In the poems about some of the family being recruited by the officials, they say that hate and are very cautious, but they are also very nice and give food to him. I think that these poems reflect the sad times of the peasants, the peasants in my opinion were the basis of China. They get the harvest, they try to pay taxes, they make up most of the military, but even though they make up 85% of the population they go through the hardest times. In all of this they seemed okay with all this and obeyed and followed the government in these poems for the most part and surprisingly did not rebel with these conditions. I disagree with the people saying that there was a scarcity of food. The surplus of food is what made China were it is back again. The equal-field system tried to make the harvesting equal among the peasants.
Peasants seem to have a difficult time. They don’t seem to fret over big stuff, just little things, like food. Well, that’s not little; just they concentrate on necessities, not wants.
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