1796 At the beginning of the year, a grand meditation ceremony was held in the Forbidden City. Qianlong passed the throne to Jiaqing and announced that the whole country would be exempted from salary and food next year.
This is the most perfect ending of Qianlong's life. Since he came to power, the country has enjoyed peace and stability, and all countries have come to North Korea, creating unprecedented prosperity. Today, he can successfully hand over the most powerful power of the empire, which is extremely rare in the history of China.
Ganlong's arrogance, martial arts should have surpassed all the emperors in the past, and he is truly the first perfect person in the ages.
However, hitting the face always comes quickly. On the sixth day after the finale, a large-scale Anbaili Uprising broke out on the border of Sichuan and Chu. The uprising completely tore up the dream of prosperous times in Kanggan, and all Gan Long's hard work went up in smoke.
It seems that the reason for the outbreak of this uprising is that the Qing government's bureaucracy was slack and corruption was serious in the late Qianlong period, which led to the rebellion of officials. However, the essential reason should be that the population growth exceeds the tolerable level of social and economic development, which leads to the extreme hardship of national life and provides suitable temperature and moisture soil for social unrest.
168 1 year, Kangxi pacified the San Francisco Rebellion and recovered Taiwan Province Province, and the civil war in China came to an end. Since then, after three dynasties of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, the population of China has soared, exceeding 200 million and 300 million successively. Stenden, deputy ambassador of the British magazine mission, even estimated that the population of China reached 350 million.
The brutal growth of population was a remarkable achievement of the Qing government, but it also laid a mine that exploded at any time for the Qing government. Because the population of China is growing geometrically, and the grain can only grow arithmetically. Eating too much porridge will lead to a sharp rise in food prices and land rent prices. As early as 1709, Kangxi realized this problem. He said in the imperial edict, "Although the registered permanent residence has increased and the land has increased, how can one person's property be distributed to several families?" .
In the first year, he said, "Therefore, people who have not finished their work must have a good household registration for a long time, have a rich household registration, and do not increase their land, increase their production, or give them." I look forward to this hidden hole, and I miss it deeply. "
However, population pressure did not become a major social problem during the Kangxi period, because the national eloquence had just passed 654.38 billion, and the Qing Dynasty was still expanding. The expansion of the collar can bring more cultivated land to China, and more cultivated land can bring more grain output. It's like the progressive movement in America. Farmers in the three eastern coastal States can go to vast areas to reclaim land and relieve the pressure in the eastern region. Therefore, during the Kangxi period, only Jiangning, Suzhou, Shanghai and Fujian became lack areas and needed to allocate food from other provinces.
However, in Kangxi's later years, the problem of poverty caused by population pressure became increasingly apparent. As soon as Yongzheng came to power, he said to provincial governors: "Over the past few years, the country has stopped fighting and has a large number of accounts, but there is such a number of land. We must lead the farmers all over the world to double and triple their income, and we must have a healthy family. "
However, the method of relieving oral pressure in Yong Zhengdi was expensive in the early years of Qianlong, and now it has spread all over the country. Sichuan, the land of fertile land and abundance, increased from 4 to 5 yuan in the ninth year of Yongzheng (1730, 173 1) and to 2 yuan in the third year of Qianlong (1748), at least 8, 9 yuan. The price of this grain-producing area in Sichuan has even doubled, and the prices of other grain-producing provinces can be imagined. Interested readers can log in to the "Grain Price Database of Qing Dynasty" of the Institute of Modern History of Academia Sinica, and search for the main grain prices reported by the provinces to the emperor after 1736, so as to have a more specific understanding of the rise of grain prices in Qing Dynasty.
By the end of Qianlong, population pressure had become the consensus of the ruling and opposition parties. 1793, in the imperial edict, Gan Long expressed his concern that "fewer people are born and more people are born, which is related to Yan Lu's sincerity." If the old age is rich, the wolf is fierce, people are lazy and the mu is barren, it will be unsustainable and the benefits will be tight. I'm worried! "
So, is there any way for Qianlong to solve it?
During the Qianlong period, Hong, a famous scholar in Jiangsu Province, put forward a new method to solve the problem of China Mouth. He believes that China's overpopulation has caused difficulties in planning. There is no once-and-for-all case to solve this problem. There are only two ways to relieve the pressure slightly.
One is the method of regulating heaven and earth, that is, relying on natural forces, such as plague, natural disasters, etc., causing mass death of the mouth to reduce the pressure on the mouth. But through the study of China's history, he thinks that "people who suffer from drought and disease are unfortunate, but they are too tired", which does not help the rapid increase of population; Second, the way to adjust the monarch and the minister is to maximize the development of resources, and the government should formulate policies to stimulate production, develop production and improve work. Although Hong did not propose a solution, he was still called "Elsa of China".
The Qing government made a lot of efforts in the Law on the Adjustment of Jun Xiang. First of all, the Qing government encouraged reclamation. According to statistics, from the early years of Shunzhi to the late years of Kangxi, 40,000 hectares of wasteland were reclaimed in major provinces and regions of China. In the fifth year of Yongzheng, the government allowed all localities to reclaim land in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, and gave pioneers the right to take imperial examinations. After three years of Qianlong, the government encouraged all localities to go to Xinjiang to reclaim land;
Secondly, the Qing government vigorously promoted sweet potato and corn, two American crops, to feed the people. These two magical works have no requirement for land. They can be planted in barren areas, hills and slopes, and will never occupy the land of major food crops. Under the signal of Emperor Qianlong, local governments stipulated that the land where sweet potatoes were planted would be tax-free forever.
Third, the Qing government spared no effort to control rivers that like to make waves, such as Huaihe River and Yongding River, and provincial governments spared no effort to dredge major rivers. The flood has been effectively controlled and the safety of agricultural products has been greatly guaranteed; Fourth, the acting emperors of the Qing Dynasty adhered to the ancestral motto of "never increasing taxes" and repeatedly exempted money and grain from the world under the financial principle of "measuring out" to reduce the burden. The total agricultural tax reduced or exempted in Qianlong dynasty alone was 202.75 million taels-in this case, Professor Yi Zhongtian's conclusion that Qianlong was the king's egg remains to be discussed.
However, as Hong expected, these policies and measures of the Qing government could only alleviate the population pressure, but could not completely solve it. First, although the territory of the Qing empire is unprecedented, it is still stretched relative to the population of 300 million. By the late Qianlong period, all the land that can be cultivated has been cultivated, and all the land that cannot be cultivated has been cultivated hard, which is still not enough. Wang Duo, an expert in Daoguang period, once said, "There are many harms, but the roof is broken. There are continents in the river, old forests in the Sichuan, and deep holes in the seedlings. I still can't raise them. " According to Hong's research, the average farmer needs 3 to 4 mu of land to maintain the minimum living. The average annual mu of Ranganlong (1753) is only about 3.86 mu, that of three years (1766) is 3.56 mu, that of Jiaqing seven years (18 12) is 2. 19 mu, and that of Daoguang three.
Although American crops have been widely popularized, according to the estimation of scholar Wu Hui, their output only accounts for 4.63% of the national grain output from the last years of Qianlong to Jiaqing. Professor Hou Yangfang has repeatedly stressed that "American crops greatly increased the population of the Qing Dynasty, exceeding 200 million, 300 million to 400 million, but it is still traditional crops that feed hundreds of millions of people in China". In fact, this assertion can be inferred without historical evidence. How much do you think the hilly slopes in those areas can accumulate? How many sweet potatoes can they grow?
Promoting development and cultivating profits can ensure the fruits of agricultural production to the greatest extent, but it cannot increase the original grain output; Universal exemption from the world's money and grain can reduce the economic burden of ordinary people, but it can't fundamentally improve their living standards. What's more, in Qianlong's later years, the Qing government became increasingly corrupt, local governments imposed exorbitant taxes and levies, and landlords annexed land unscrupulously. The people can only hold Wowotou in their hands, and there is not a drop of oil in the dish, so they can't live at all. In addition, Jianghan burst its banks year after year, causing local people to either resist rent riots or find another way out. John Barrow, a member of the British Ghani delegation to China, recorded: "I didn't see any signs of food and clothing and prosperity in the countryside during the three days I went to Beijing in Zhoushan or by the river ... I touched the scene of poverty and backwardness." This is definitely not beside the point.
At the junction of Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces, there are virgin forests, which are staggered and the terrain is dangerous. They are collectively called Bahrain. The land is barren and the weather is bad. If you have to, you don't want to settle here. However, after thirty-seven years of Qianlong, Sichuan, Hubei, Henan, Anhui and other provinces "brought many families here to reclaim land, and there was an endless stream". Before the Lianjiao uprising broke out, the population of Bahrain was no less than one million.
In this relatively backward and closed economic and cultural area, such a large-scale crowd has gathered, which is very suitable for folk religions to take root and thrive here. At this time, it only takes two crazy arms to shout, and millions of believers will chop wood into soldiers, unveil poles as flags, and the whole world will respond without making a scene and burning swallows. Emperor Qianlong severely cracked down on heresy, so he did not hesitate to set off a frenzy of terror, and even the mentally ill people suspected of spreading heresy were not tolerated, and he ordered to be executed in the middle of the year. However, the careful consideration and prevention of Emperor Qianlong finally failed, and the Lotus Sect established a secret religious kingdom in Bahrain, which is about to roll up.
In order to solve the enormous pressure and eliminate the hidden unstable factors, Emperor Qianlong's only choice is to promote the complete transformation of the national economy, trade with other countries in the world, connect with the historical trend, and make a qualitative leap in productivity.
The three generations of Kang, Gan and Yong are the period of rapid development in Europe. Industrial life, traffic life and political life are swarming, and new theories, ideas, inventions and differences in philosophy, economy, politics and science are constantly emerging. In Britain, with the development of textile industry, thousands of farmers leave their hometown and come to cities to become industrial workers. The population of pure agriculture decreased from 90% in15th century to 50% in17th century, greatly reducing the pressure on rural population. 1795, the British government also introduced the "Spinham system" to provide financial subsidies for industrial workers whose income level is not up to standard. At the same time, the government also actively helps farmers who have lost their land to find suitable jobs in cities, gradually complete the transfer of rural surplus labor, and reduce social instability.
A large number of farmers have flowed into cities, which has led to the emergence of many megacities with large populations in Britain. For example, the population of London reached 570,000 at the end of 17, and it has been spreading all over Europe. The city of Pangkou needs more animal husbandry products such as cheese, eggs and butter, and agricultural and sideline products such as fruits and vegetables in nearby rural areas, prompting many farmers to transform and plant livestock products and dairy products with higher added value. Due to the limited quantity needed for animal husbandry, more farmers enter cities and become industrial workers. The fast-growing industries can absorb these continuous influx of labor. In the prosperous period of Kanggan, the urbanization level of China was less than 7%.
Because of its scale advantage and relatively low price, the cotton textiles produced are affordable for most people. The same is true of other industrial products and agricultural products, which makes the consumption power of ordinary British people improve and their living standards enter a well-off society ahead of schedule. According to records, at the beginning of his career, the average employee of a farm in Hampshire, England, had the following three meals: breakfast was milk, steamed buns and salted pig hands left over from the previous day; Lunch is buns, cheese, a small amount of beer, pickled pigs, bell potatoes, vegetables or carrots; Dinner is bread and cheese. On Sunday, you can eat fresh pigs. At the end of my career, jobs in Britain are booming. 1808, 2.3 gallons of skim milk, 1 pound of cheese, 17 pint of light beer, half a pound of oil and sugar, and 1 ounce of tea will be added to the consumption list of ordinary British farmers. It's really hard to calm down when I look at all kinds of records of people starving to death in China in the same period.
The improvement of the consumption level of ordinary people in Britain, in turn, promoted the expansion of production and the increase of employment, further eliminating the population pressure in Britain.
Take the United States as an example /kloc-at the end of 0/8, I stole England and started my career. 18 10 The population of the United States was 7.24 million. However, with the development of industry, China's labor force is seriously inadequate. So the United States has absorbed overseas immigrants. From 1820 to 19 10, the number of American immigrants reached 27.92 million. A large number of immigrants not only solved the problem of industrial shortage in the United States, but also brought various new technologies to make American industries catch up.
In a country dominated by industry, low-cost labor is not a burden, but a driving force for economic development. In a closed agricultural country, a large number of cheap labor is not only the engine of social progress, but also the cultural medium of social unrest. This truth, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, is better than.
Why did India stir up trouble on the Sino-Indian border recently? The deep-seated reason is that India's mouth is a pyramid structure, and the prime labor force accounts for an absolute majority. If the Indian government can solve these surplus labors, then India's future development will be limitless, but if Indian government laws provide enough jobs for these, then Indian society is likely to fall apart.
Therefore, the Indian government covets China's position in the world, hoping to replace China, solve the employment problem for India and stabilize domestic unstable factors.
Of course, we ask Emperor Qianlong to keep up with the world trend and promote economic transformation. This is an idea of attacking from behind. As the leader of China two centuries ago, it is difficult for him to transcend the shackles of traditional ideas and maintain the inertia of being in power. We can't be too hard on him.
Moreover, even if Emperor Qianlong is willing to lift trade controls after Ghani's visit to China and follow suit to a limited extent, it is estimated that it will be too late, because even the uprising has not been a few years. The Anbaili Uprising tore the veil of the prosperous times of Kanggan and ruined all the preventive measures taken by the Qing Dynasty to maintain autocratic rule. From our future point of view, the only way for Emperor Qianlong to stop the Lianjiao uprising is to open up, study and participate in world trade.
Imagine China digging tens of thousands of plots of land, China solving how many surplus laborers, China tens of thousands of cargo ships sailing to the dock, China full of food, China thousands of super cities springing up, rural cash crops being promoted, China thousands of cotton textile products flowing to the market, China no longer wearing rags. ...
It's a pity that all this is just imagination. Emperor Qianlong, who was already in his dotage, sat in the chair of the emperor's father, silently reciting the secret mantra of the domain, and it was lightning and thunder, hoping to curse the leader of the Lotus Sect uprising.
Emperor Jiaqing, sitting next to Emperor Qianlong, looked puzzled.
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