A review of ancient Chinese fertility policy literature
Introduction:
The fertility policy in ancient China was a social The product of the joint influence of institutional and cultural background. Through a comprehensive study of relevant literature, the historical evolution, institutional characteristics and impact of ancient China\’s fertility policy on population development can be revealed. This article will review the literature on fertility policy in ancient China in order to gain a deeper understanding of the historical background and practice of population management in ancient China.
1. Fertility policy during the Qin and Han Dynasties
The \”Historical Records\” records the fertility policies of the Qin Dynasty, among which the \”equal land system\” is the most famous. This system stipulates that each farmer household has an equal allocation of land, adjusted according to population size. This policy has encouraged population growth to a certain extent and provided assistance to social and economic development.
2. Fertility policy in the Tang and Song Dynasties
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, feudal society gradually matured, and the fertility policy also changed accordingly. \”Tang Lv Shu Yi\” stipulates that unmarried men and women must get married and have children, and families that do not have children will be punished. The starting point of this policy is to maintain family continuity and social stability, and it has played a certain role in promoting population growth.
3. Fertility policy during the Ming and Qing Dynasties
Due to the socio-economic development and rapid population growth during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the government began to take a series of measures for fertility management. These include the \”Ming Ling Law on Procreation\” and the \”Emperor Ming Ling\”, which stipulate that men and women must marry and have children, and encourage more children. At the same time, the government also penalizes and rewards families that do not have children or have fewer children to control the rate of population growth.
4. The impact of fertility policy on population development
The fertility policy in ancient China had an important impact on population development. Under the land equalization system during the Qin and Han Dynasties, the population grew rapidly, which provided assistance for social and economic development. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the government\’s forced childbirth policy helped maintain social stability, but it also brought a certain burden to people\’s lives. Fertility policies during the Ming and Qing Dynasties were more complex, including measures to encourage more children, as well as penalties and rewards for families that did not have children or had few children. These policies control population growth to a certain extent, but they also bring about the problem of too much or too little population.
Through the literature review of ancient China’s fertility policies, we can see the purposes and specific measures of these policies in different historical periods. These policies are both a reflection of social systems and are also influenced by cultural background and economic development. Understanding the historical background and practice of population management in ancient China will help us better understand the development and changes of ancient Chinese society.
A literature review of ancient Chinese fertility policies: a review of historical population control measures
In human history, every civilization has faced population problems. In ancient China, a series of fertility policies were formulated in order to control the population and maintain social stability. This article will review the fertility policy in ancient China and review the population control measures in history.
The fertility policy in ancient China can be traced back to the early feudal society. During this period, the hereditary system was widely adopted and male lineage inheritance was valued. Therefore, it was common for people to have multiple wives and sons to ensure the continuation of the family line. This system led to overpopulation problems because each male could have multiple offspring.
With the development of society, ancient China began to take some population control measures. During the Han Dynasty, there was a serious overpopulation problem in society, and the government began to implement a series of policies to restrict fertility. The most famous among them are the \”Method to Prevent Overpopulation\” and the \”Nine-Rank Method of Righteousness\”. These decrees limited population growth by requiring officials to consider the size of people\’s families when assessing their contributions.
As time goes by, ancient China’s fertility policy gradually evolved. During the Tang Dynasty, the government began to implement a policy called the \”Rent Registration Law\”, which required each family to register the number of people in the register and levied taxes based on the number of people. The purpose of this policy was to control population growth through economic means.
In the Song Dynasty, population issues once again attracted attention. The government enacted a series of laws to restrict birth control. These include implementing family planning policies, fining families with more than one child and depriving them of government relief. The government also encourages late marriage and late childbearing by raising the age at which women get married and pushingImplement the \”late marriage, late childbearing and eugenic policy\” to control population growth.
In the Ming Dynasty, China continued to implement a series of fertility policies. The Ming government stipulated that each family could only have two sons, and any extra sons would be raised until they were six years old and then sent away. The government also implemented a policy of universal sterilization of women, encouraging women to adopt sterilization measures to limit their fertility.
Ancient China’s fertility policies were diverse and ever-changing. The purpose of these policies is to control population and maintain social stability and development. These policies have also brought about some negative impacts, such as gender imbalance and imbalance in family demographic structure. As society changes, China\’s fertility policy is constantly being adjusted and improved to adapt to new social needs.
