明清时期皖江流域农民生活与农村社会考察

The Living Conditions of Peasants in the Wanjiang River Basin in the Ming and Qing Dynasty and the Governance of Rural Commodities at That Time

农业的发展直接影响社会稳定与经济发展。明清时期,战乱灾荒频繁、农村土地掠夺式开发等破坏了农业生产,农村商品经济发展缓慢,但也逐渐形成不同层级、功能各异的农村商品流转体系。明清官府、地主和高利贷者等利用农民对土地的需求,趁机抬高租额及各种额外盘剥,农民不断失去生产资料,生活状况堪忧。农民收入微薄,依靠以副补农、出卖劳动力和从事商贩活动等谋生。

Agricultural development has a direct effect on social stability and economic development. In the Ming andQing Dynasty, agricultural production was undermined by frequent wars and famines, the predatory development ofrural land disrupted agricultural production, and the rural commodity economy was very slow in development.Nevertheless, a rural commodity circulation system with different levels and functions was formed gradually. Feudalofficials, landowners and usurers in the Ming and Qing Dynasty, using farmers＇ demand for land, raised rents andvarious additional exploits by all means so that farmers continued to lose their means of production and wereexposed to a very worrying living condition. In such a situation the peasants at that time, whose income was verymeager, had to live by making up for agricultural losses with sideline income, selling labor force and engaging inpeddling activities.