Although the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were in a state of long-term division and confrontation, they made many achievements in the political and economic system and played a connecting role in Chinese history. The nine-grade Zhongzheng system, the gentry system, and the equal land system were the first political and economic systems of this period.

The gentry system is a unique historical phenomenon during the Three Kingdoms, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties. It is characterized by the different political, economic and cultural status of the gentry and the common people according to their family status. Historically, the gentry system There is a long process of germination, formation, full development (also known as heyday), decline and demise; we should based on the scientific point of view of historical materialism, put the gentry system under the specific historical conditions at that time, seek truth from facts and divide it into 2. Analysis and evaluation.

Use the perspective of development to understand the emergence, development, decline and demise of the gentry system and the inevitability of the imperial examination system.

Concept:

The gentry - a privileged class among the landlord class formed in society based on family and family status (enjoying high political and economic status) privileged wealthy family). The aristocratic clan, also known as the clan Tu clan, is a privileged class among the landlord class

The common clan - refers to the general small and medium-sized landowners other than the gentry, also known as the poor clan.

Characteristics (special status)

(1) Politically:

Sharing privileges according to family status, holding very important official positions for generations; (nine-grade Zhongzheng system It is the political guarantee of the gentry system;)

(2) Economically:

The gentry occupied a large amount of land and labor force, and established a self-sufficient and powerful manor economy; (Pinguan accounted for The Tianyin guest system provides economic security for the gentry system;)

(3) Social life:

Do not intermarry with the common people, or even sit on different seats;

(4) Culturally:

Advocate for conversation and occupy senior civil servant positions.

Evolution

(1) Germination (Eastern Han Dynasty)

Politics: Confucianism has been advocated since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and most bureaucrats started with Confucianism. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, it gradually formed He learned about the situation of ministers for many generations. Cao Wei implemented the nine-level Zhongzheng system, which allowed landowners from aristocratic families to participate in political power based on their family background.

Economy: In the middle and late Western Han Dynasty, land annexation was very serious, and a powerful landlord force consisting of bureaucrats, businessmen, and landlords gradually formed. The regime of the Eastern Han Dynasty was established with the support of powerful landlords. Therefore, powerful landlords enjoyed political and economic privileges in the Eastern Han Dynasty. They controlled the central and local political power politically, annexed land economically, and ran manors. They gradually became separatists and became famous families. The gentry landlords (also known as aristocratic clans and clan landlords) began to form in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which provided a class and economic basis for the establishment of the gentry system in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.

(2) Formation (Cao Wei, Western Jin Dynasty)

The formation of the gentry system refers to the ruling class promulgating various laws to institutionally maintain the political, economic, and cultural status of the gentry landlords. , social life and other aspects of privileges. The nine-rank Zhongzheng system implemented by the Cao Wei regime was an important symbol of the formation of the gentry system.

(2) Consolidation (Western Jin Dynasty)

After the establishment of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Sima family continued to implement the policy of indulgence and win over them in order to gain the support of the earth students of the aristocratic family, thus forming a typical Clan politics.

(3) Peak (Eastern Jin Dynasty)

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the gentry system was fully developed and entered its heyday. The reason is that the Eastern Jin Dynasty relied on the support of the northern and southern gentry to exist. The Eastern Jin Dynasty was a joint dictatorship between the Sima imperial power and the northern gentry represented by the surnames Wang, Yu, Huan, and Xie, as well as the non-mainstream gentry with the Wu surname in the south of the Yangtze River. This political pattern lasted until the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which lasted for a century. for a long time. At that time, the power of the gentry clan was enough to be on par with the imperial power, or even surpass the imperial power. The emperor had to rely on the support of the gentry clan, and clan politics reached its peak. During this period, the gentry had high political positions and generous salaries, monopolized political power, economically restricted the mountains and rivers, occupied large tracts of land and labor force, and culturally advocated free conversation. In order to maintain this system, during the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, the gentry attached great importance to the compilation of genealogies and paid attention to the origin of the gentry's lineage as evidence of their own privileges. Genealogy flourished, and genealogy monographs became a tool for the officials to select officials and maintain the privileged status of the gentry.

During this period, the Tu people had political privileges, and important official positions were monopolized by the gentry; economically, they owned farms, occupied a large amount of land and people, and often competed with the government for labor and population; culturally, they inherited family learning and occupied a monopoly position. He also vigorously developed the study of genealogy, advocated clear discussion of metaphysics, and was good at calligraphy, painting and other arts. In society, he did not intermarry with the common people. The gentry held great power but were unwilling to get involved in practical affairs, and they rotted away in elegance and luxury.

(4) Gradual decline (Southern Dynasties)

The gentry system gradually declined from the late Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Southern Dynasties. The fundamental reason lies in the decadence of the gentry themselves. Under the gentry system, noble gentry, especially high-ranking gentry, can become officials by virtue of their family status and control senior official positions for generations. The special social environment made many nobles not want to make progress, indulge in a leisurely and dissolute life, and disdain government and military affairs. In addition, the gentry were closely related and had extremely poor physical fitness. Therefore, after the Feishui battle between the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the former Qin Dynasty, some generals from common people stood out and showed high political and military talents, and their reputation and power rose rapidly. In the Southern Song and Qi Dynasties, The emperors of Liang, Liang, and Chen Kaiguo were all generals of the common people. Although the emperors of the Southern Dynasties could not change the situation in which senior nobles monopolized high-ranking officials, they used common people officials to entrust them with positions of low taste but with real power, and shared the privileges of the nobles in actual governance. The second reason for the decline of the gentry system during this period was that it was hit by the peasant uprising; the third reason was that the gentry was hit and weakened by the internal conflicts of the ruling class. The interaction of the above three reasons greatly weakened the class and economic foundation of the gentry system.

In the Southern Dynasties, due to the decadence of the wealthy families themselves. Losing the ability to rule politically and militarily; conflicts and intensification of social class contradictions, peasant uprisings one after another, Han landlords took the opportunity to rise with military exploits, while suppressing peasant uprisings, and then took charge of secrets and controlled local areas , commanded the army and became emperor with martial arts, such as Liu Yu, Xiao Daocheng, etc., breaking the situation where the powerful landlords dominated the world. Although the aristocratic landowners held high positions at this time, they no longer had real power and were heading for inevitable destruction. After the Hou Jing Rebellion and the Sui Dynasty's annihilation of Chen and other changes, the clan hierarchy was on its last legs, and the common landowners jumped to the main position on the political stage. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the nine-rank Zhongzheng system was abolished and the imperial examination system was implemented. "Scholar selection does not ask about family background, and marriage does not ask about clan qualifications." Finally, the clan system that originated in Wei and prevailed in Jin finally died out in the political and legal systems. .

(5) Destruction (late Tang Dynasty)

The gentry system disappeared during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The first reason is that the implementation of the imperial examination system in the Sui and Tang Dynasties allowed the common people landowners with low family status to participate in the political power through examination, which destroyed the political foundation of the gentry system, the "nine-grade Zhongzheng system"; and the implementation of the land equalization system and the rent adjustment system It allowed some farmers with little land to obtain some land, and also guaranteed the farmers' production time. Its regulations prohibiting unlimited land occupation and random land buying and selling have to some extent inhibited land annexation and protected self-cultivators, and weakened the economy to a certain extent. The economic basis of the gentry system. The second is the struggle for power within the ruling class of the Tang Dynasty. Third, the peasant war further destroyed the decadent gentry system. From then on, the gentry system that had existed for six to seven hundred years finally disappeared from the historical stage.

Causes

(1) Historical roots: the development of powerful landlord forces since the Eastern Han Dynasty. (2) Political reasons: The basis of the Wei and Jin regimes was the gentry, and the emperor relied on the support of the gentry;

(3) Political guarantee: The nine-grade Zhongzheng system was the political guarantee of the gentry system. (Becoming a tool for aristocratic families to cultivate private power and maintain political privileges,)

5. Reasons for decline

(1) Self-destruction: decadent and luxurious life, inherent privileges As a result, the gentry lacked the ability to hold power, and even lacked the ability to survive;

(2) The internal struggles within the ruling groups of the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties were fierce, and the common people took advantage of the opportunity to gradually take over the secrets;

(3 ) The impact of the Hou Jing Rebellion. In the Jin Dynasty, the gentry who traveled to the south were "exhausted";

(4) The implementation of the imperial examination system in the Sui and Tang Dynasties shook the political foundation of the gentry;

(5) The impact of the peasant uprising in the late Tang Dynasty . (Completely sweep and end the gentry system)

6. Influence

The gentry system was the most prominent political feature throughout the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and was also a manifestation of the dark political corruption of the Western Jin Dynasty, which determined this The characteristics of the bureaucracy in politics, economy, culture and other aspects of the period had a profound impact on later generations.

Negative effects:

The political and economic characteristics of the gentry system determined that class conflicts, ethnic conflicts, and internal conflicts within the ruling class were often particularly acute during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, leading to long-term divisions between the north and the south. political situation. The gentry farm economy strengthened the closed natural economy and hindered the development of the commodity economy. The gentry were a decadent group among the landlord class. They became more decadent in the later stages and were a group of social parasites.

Objective positive effects: 1. Economically, the gentry farm economy was a feudal large-scale land ownership system. The gentry occupied a large amount of labor force, which strengthened the feudal dependence relationship. Under the turbulent political situation in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the peasants with household registration were attached to the aristocratic families and had relatively guaranteed production conditions, which was very important to the feudal society. Economic development is obviously beneficial; during the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, the south was relatively stable. The gentry landowners who were the core of northern immigrants came to the south to establish a country and start businesses. The objective situation made them the organizers of developing the southern economy. After all, the farms and mountain villas they built in the south were It played a role in promoting the development of the barren hills and swamps in the south of the Yangtze River. 2． In terms of ethnic relations, gentry officials played an important role in promoting the feudalization process of various ethnic minorities in the north. 3. In terms of thought, technology and culture, the gentry lived a prosperous life and had the conditions to engage in cultural undertakings. Some gentry despised etiquette and advocated freedom of individuality. Their thoughts were full of imagination and romance. Therefore, during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern Dynasties, there were more achievements in philosophy, literature, calligraphy, painting, and science. They have many achievements and are full of characteristics

The opposite of the gentry is the common people:

The social status of the aristocratic families in the Southern Dynasties is even more superior than their political and economic status. The status of the aristocratic family and the poor family are different. "A family with a high rank and a low-ranking family regard the son of a humble family as as light as a servant and as easy as a piece of grass. I have never associated with him" (Volume 76 of "Wenyuan Yinghua") Ten quotations from "Han Su Lun"). Therefore, there is no communication between these two classes. Although a Han person has achieved a prominent position and has risen to the rank of noble relative and close minister, if he goes to see the family without self-respect, he will not be politely received by the family and may even be insulted. For example, Lu Qiongzhi, the grandson of Lu Qiongzhi, the brother of Empress Dowager Lu, the mother of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song Dynasty, was a neighbor of Wang Sengda. Qiongzhi "tasted the loaded chariot and served Sengda. Sengda was about to hunt and had changed his clothes. Qiongzhi sat down, but Sengda refused. He said: "Who is the king who is related to the person who was once the servant of the disciple and the road was ruined?" ("Southern History: Wang Hongchuan Zi Sengda Supplementary Biography"). So he asked the people around him to burn the bed where Lu Qiongzhi was sitting, so that Lu Qiongzhi could not get off the stage. Zhang Fu of Wu County in the Song Dynasty was a member of Zhongshu Lang. Qiu Dang and Zhou Ji, members of Zhongshu She, thought they were colleagues of Zhang Fu and discussed whether they should visit him. Zhou Ji said, "If he doesn't entertain us, it will be embarrassing for us. We might as well not go." Qiudang said, "We already have a certain status. Since we are colleagues, we can sit around wherever we want." In this way, the two of them The man then decided to go see Zhang Shi. Zhang Fu "first set up two beds and removed the wall three or four feet. When the two guests were seated, Fu called to the left and right: "Move my distant guests" ("Southern History·Zhang Shao Zhuan Zi Fu Biography"), expressing his unwillingness to have sex with Han people. sit. Qiu Dang and Zhou Ji felt embarrassed and had to withdraw. Ji Sengzhen, who was in the bookstore of Qi Zhong, was in charge of the secrets. He once asked Emperor Wu of Qi Xiao Zu: "I was born in a military official, and was honored as a high official. I also married a daughter of the old Xun Zhaoguang family for my son. Now I don't have it." There are no other requests. I just ask your majesty to allow me to be included in the gentry clan." Emperor Wu of Qi said, "I can't think of anything to do with Jiang Xiu and Xie Lun, so I can do it myself. The monk really accepted the order and sat down on the couch. The order said: "I don't want to give in to the guests." The monk was really discouraged and retreated. He told Emperor Wu: "The scholar-bureaucrats are not ordered by the emperor." ("Nan Shi·Jiang Yi Zhuan") The superior social status of the aristocratic families, the strict distinction between official positions and status at that time, and the cold current of rejection by the aristocratic families can be summarized.

In order to show that their family status is particularly superior, and in order not to confuse the so-called "natural separation between scholars and common people", the aristocratic families must not intermarry with the common people from poor families. Therefore, when choosing a marriage, aristocratic families pay special attention to family status. A high-ranking family must marry a high-ranking family. The four surnames Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang in Wu County must also choose their own surnames, or they may marry Kong, Wei, Yu, and Xie in Kuaiji. Four surnames get married. On the one hand, they do not regard it as an honor to be married into the Southern Dynasty imperial family from a different family; on the other hand, they also regard it as "marrying for business" and not being ashamed of their family. Because they are "out of class" in marriage, they will be ostracized and criticized by people of their own class, their golden family status will become disgraceful, and their future political future will be eclipsed.

However, there were many generals from poor families in the Southern Dynasty who were appointed as generals or generals.

Since their political power is so great, a few aristocratic families have married these upstarts, such as Shen Wenji, the son of Langxie Wang Xi (seventh grandson of Wang Zun) who abandoned his daughter's wife, and Xie Chaozong of Chen County ( Xie Xuanxuan) "married Zhang Jing's children as wives for his sons" ("Southern History·Xie Lingyun Biography of Sun Chaozong"), Xie Xuan's wife Wang "Jingze married a daughter, just like" Wang Yuan of the East China Sea (the seventh grandson of Wang Lang) married a daughter Man Luan, the son of Man Zhang of the Fuyang Man clan, "paid 50,000 yuan as a betrothal gift"; Cheng Shen, the censor of the Southern Qi Dynasty, made an appointment to impeach him, thinking that Wang Yuan's great-grandfather was the right servant of Shangshu, and Wang Yuan himself and his father-in-law also They all ranked high in the Qing Dynasty, and although Man Zhangzhi was appointed as the minister of the kingdom, and Man Luan, Zhang's son, was appointed as the chief administrator of Wu County, "the surname and clan of the Man family cannot be distinguished by the common people," and "the marriage between the king and Man is really shocking." This is nothing more than an insult to the family, so we ask the government to remove Wang Yuan from his official position, remove him from the gentry, and "imprison him for life" (Shen Yue, "Zou Tan Wang Yuan", Vol. 40, "Selected Works of Zhaoming"). It can be seen that the boundaries between poor families and aristocratic families are still very strict.

The stricter the distinction between scholars and common people in society, the more aristocratic families show off their status to each other. "Competing with each other based on their surnames, they are proud of each other in the city" ("Shi Tong·Yi Li Chapter"), it is the custom of county officials has become their trademark. Since the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, aristocratic families from the Central Plains began to migrate across the Yangtze River. Everyone knew that a wealthy family was a wealthy family in its place of origin, so there was no need to show off on its own. However, this was no longer the case after they moved to other places. The Langye Wang family and the Taiyuan Wang family are aristocratic families, but the Wang family in other places are not; the Xie family in Chenjun and the Jiang family in Jiyang are aristocratic families, but the Xie family or Jiang family in other places are not. In one place, a newly moved family has the same surname. The surname is Wang or Xie. Who knows where his surname is Wang or where his surname is Xie? In this case, I have to solemnly declare that I am the Wang family of Langye or Wang family of Taiyuan and not other Wang families. I am the Xie family of Chenjun and the Jiang family of Jiyang and not the other Xie family or Jiang family. It can be seen that the emphasis on county prestige is the inevitable result of paying attention to the clan system. ...

Because of the emphasis on family status, the study of hundreds of families was passed down, and it became a specialized knowledge. Pingyang Jia Yuan, his ancestor Bi Zhi, his father bandit, three generations of ancestors and grandchildren were famous for their genealogy. Bi Zhi, Jin Taiyuan Zhong compiled the genealogy of the eighteen states. Liu Zhan of the Song Dynasty, Wang Jian of the Qi Dynasty, and Sengru the King of the Liang Dynasty all compiled the "Hundred Family Genealogy" for the convenience of the officials to interpret it. "When there is an election, one must check the genealogy and test its authenticity" (Liu Fang, a Tang Dynasty person). Therefore, those from the Song and Qi Dynasties who are not familiar with genealogy are considered to be unable to hold the position of the Ministry of Personnel