What is the social nature of Shang Yang’s reforms?

Shang Yang’s Reform was very important to the Qin State and even the whole of China. So what is the nature of Shang Yang’s Reform? Below is the nature of Shang Yang’s Reform that I have collected for you. I hope it will be helpful to you!

The nature of Shang Yang’s Reform

China’s history has gone through primitive society, slave society, feudal society, semi-colonial and semi-feudal society and socialist society. When Shang Yang’s reform occurred, China was in the transition from slave society to feudal society. During this period, the use of iron farm tools and farming became more and more widespread, which led to the gradual replacement of state ownership of land by private ownership, which also affected the nature of Shang Yang's reform.

The nature of Shang Yang’s Reform was a reform movement of the feudal landlord class. It was carried out twice in one year in history. Their main contents include: Abolition of well fields, opening of Qianmo, emphasis on agriculture and suppression of business, Reward farming and weaving, unify weights and measures, encourage military merit, implement the county system, etc. The purpose of Shang Yang's reform was to make the country rich and strengthen the monarch's rule, so all the measures of Shang Yang's reform were designed for this purpose. Therefore, after Shang Yang's reform, the Qin State, which was not very strong in the early Warring States Period, gradually became stronger in the late Warring States Period. It became the most powerful country, until it finally dominated the Seven Heroes and unified the six countries.

Shang Yang’s Reform happened twice, in 356 BC and 350 BC respectively. At that time, China was in the Warring States Period, but the holding of Shang Yang’s Reform accelerated the process of history and made the Qin State become a the most prosperous and powerful country. The nature of Shang Yang's reform was a reform movement of the feudal landlord class. It conformed to the trend of historical development and was of great significance.

Contents of Shang Yang’s Reform

The abolition of the well field mainly refers to the removal of the well field system from the law in Shang Yang’s reform. Kaiqianmo means the abolition of state ownership of land and the implementation of land ownership. Private ownership, and the law stipulates that people can clear up wasteland and land can be bought and sold freely. Under this content of Shang Yang's Reform, the production relations of slavery were destroyed, and the feudal economy developed rapidly.

Emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce means attaching importance to agriculture, making commerce a sideline, and rewarding farming and weaving. The whole family will be punished for idlers. This regulation also allows a family with two sons to give up. If a son separates the family when he reaches adulthood and makes a living on his own, he will be punished.

Before the unification of weights and measures, the weights and measures in various places in the Qin State were not unified. In order to ensure the country's tax revenue, standard weights and measures appeared in Shang Yang's Reform, which brought many positive meanings. For example, it promotes economic and cultural exchanges between various places.

Encouraging military merit means rewarding military merit and opposing private fights. Under this rule, even wealthy children cannot enjoy a life of glory and wealth without military merit. This approach has made Qin’s national strength gain Enhanced.

Time of Shang Yang’s Reform

In history, Shang Yang’s Reform was held twice. The first time it happened was 356 BC, and the second time it happened It was 350 BC. At that time, China was in the Warring States Period. During the Warring States Period, China had not yet been unified. There were many vassal states. However, because the Warring States Period was preceded by the Spring and Autumn Period, many annexation wars occurred during the Spring and Autumn Period, so the vassal states The number has been greatly reduced. During the Warring States Period, there were seven vassal states that were the most powerful and were called the "Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period". Among them was the state of Qin where Shang Yang's reform took place.

In the early Warring States period, the development of the Qin State was compared with the other six countries in the "Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period", and its social economy was also relatively backward. Therefore, after Qin Xiaogong ascended the throne, in order to enhance the strength of the Qin State and ensure the Not to be annexed in the struggle for hegemony between vassal states. In order to strengthen the country's national strength, Qin Xiaogong recruited talents. Shang Yang came to Qin from Wei State. He was valued by Qin Xiaogong, and some of his development strategies were also supported by Qin Xiaogong, so Shang Yang's reform began.