中世纪晚期英国自由农发展的地区不平衡的主要原因

On the Regional Differences of Free Peasants in Later Medieval England

中世纪晚期英国农民在从农奴到自由农的转变过程中,呈现出明显的地区不平衡。东部和西南部各郡的自由农发展较快,其主体是自由持有农,而中部地区和米德兰平原自由农发展相对缓慢,以公簿持有农(copy-hol der)为主。前者的惯例中保障农民个体权利的因素相对较强,后者的惯例中保障农民个体权利的因素相对较弱,是造成中世纪晚期和近代早期英国自由农民地区发展不平衡的主要原因。

Historical evidences have shown that there existed regional differences in the transformation of the serfs into the free peasants in later medieval England. The transformation in the east and southwest of England was faster than that in the midland and central regions because the majority of free peasants were freeholders in the east and southwest while in the midland and central regions the majority were copyholders. The critical reason of causing the regional differences was the differences of the factors of safeguarding tenant individual rights in local customs. In the midland and central regions the customs of safeguarding tenant individual right were relatively weaker than those in the east and southwest.