This provision was required as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and continued until the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, the regulations of each dynasty are different, but the ultimate goal is the same, that is, to increase the population.
In the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, there was a rule in the Tang and Song Dynasties to encourage people to have children.
The Law of the Tang Dynasty stipulates: "Middle-aged men and young men over the age of 18 will receive 80 mu of treasury and 20 mu of yongyetian, 40 mu for the elderly, the sick and the disabled, and 30 mu for the widowed. Miscellaneous households collect fields like people. "
It means that if there are men over the age of 18 in the family, there are 80 acres of public land and 20 acres of private land, a total of 100 acres. And women are not qualified to divide these fields. Moreover, if the women in the family get married, they can get 30 acres of land. China is a big agricultural country, especially in ancient times. This practice in the Tang Dynasty directly led to a decrease in the age of marriage and encouraged people to have children.
The song dynasty said it was simpler. According to historical records, "Fujian customs often don't mention children." Anyone who is too poor to support his son can learn from it by writing the month when he is pregnant. When the time comes, the official will give him food and let his son live much more. "Simply put, if the children at home are fed food, the government will distribute food until the children reach adulthood. At the same time, the help for pregnant women from poor families is unprecedented. There is also an official child care center.
Of course, there were some related measures in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but they were not as clear as those in the Tang and Song Dynasties.