University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 12-1967 Land Reform in China (1911-1953) Chen-hung Keong University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Keong, Chen-hung, "Land Reform in China (1911-1953). " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1967. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/3225 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Chen-hung Keong entitled "Land Reform in China (1911-1953)." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in Political Science. Vernon Iredell, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Selwyn Geller, Salo Engel Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Ma y 19 , 1967 To the Gradua te Council: I am submitting he rewith a thesis written by Chen-hung Ke ong entitled "Land Re form in China (1911- 1953) ." I recomme nd that it be accepted for nine quarter hours of credit in partial fulfillme nt of the requirements for the degree of Ma ster of Arts , with a major in Political Sc ience . Ma jor Professor We have re ad this thesis and recomme nd its acceptance : c­ �� � Accepted for the Council: Vice President for Gr aduate Studies and Research LAND HEFORM IN CHINA (1911 - 1953) A Thesis Presented to the Gradua te Council of The University of Te nnessee In Partia l Fulfillme nt of the Re quirements for the Degree Ma ster of Arts by Che n-Hung Ke ong December 1967 ACKNOWLEDGMENT All of my gratitude goes to Professors Vernon Irede ll, Selwyn Ge lle r, and Sa lo Enge l for their he lpful suggestions and valuable criticism. ii 7681_�)5 TA BLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. PEASANT PROBLEMS IN CHINA 1 II. LAND REFORM MOVE11ENT IN THE PERIOD OF THE REPUBLIC (1911- 1949) 36 III. LAND REFORM IN COMMUNIST CHINA (1949- 1953) 69 IV. CONCLUSION 87 BIBLIOGRAPHY 104 iii CAAP�R I PEASANT PROBLEMS IN CHINA China 's peasant prob lem is as old as its civilization . Agri­ culture is so important to China tha t not only the pe ople 's live li­ hood but also the socia l and powe r struc ture have been closely linked with the land sys tem. By utilizing the ma teria ls tha t are available , this the sis attempts to describe the rea litie s of the Chinese peasant problems and the peasant moveme nt in the pe riod of the Repub lic (1911- 1949) ; at the same time it attempts to examine the land re forms carrie d out from 1950 to 1953 in Communist China . The significance of the Chine se land re forms consis ts in the elimination of the land lord-gentry class and redistribution of land among the peasantry. It is , there fore , necessary to evaluate the following ma tters , before discussing land re form itse lf. 1. Since Confucianism has domina ted the Chinese minds for about two thousand ye ars , it wi ll be useful to examine its impact on both the land lord-gentry class and the peasantry. 2. In the Chinese history , the landlord-gentry class con­ stantly played an important and active role in social, economic and political affairs . A study of its origin , deve lopment, and struc ture wi ll undoub tedly he lp us to understand the land lord-gentry class of the period of the Re pub lic , which wa s actua lly the extension of the ancient one . 1 2 3. The concentration of land owne rship gave rise to the tenancy system. Ove rpopulation caused the peasants ' suffering . A discussion of the peasant prob lems in terms of land ma ldistribution , te nancy sys tem , ove rpopulat ion , and political instability , wi ll te ll us why land re form was urgently necessary. Social stratification can be made by various criteria. Ka rl Ma rx , for example , asserted tha t society should be stratified in te rms of the owne rship of the me ans of production. There is , according to Ka rl Ma rx , a class dist inction between the capita list who owns the means of produc tion and the prole tariat who does not. In addition to the possession of economic me ans , Ma x We ber suggested two other criteria, name ly , the exte rnal standard of living and cultura l and 1 recreationa l possibilities. In contra st to th ose ob jectivists such as Ma x Weber and Ka rl Ma rx , the re we re certain subjectivists who be lieved tha t some sub- jective factors should be emp loye d to divide the society. According to them, people who are analogous in income , occupation , education , or 2 re ligious be lie f can easily get together. Social differentiation may be de termined by social status rathe r than class . In this case , an individua l's rights and duties are fixed; social mobility is entire ly impossible . Howeve r, if 1 Paul Mombert, "C lass ," Encyc lopaedia.£! the Social Science , III (New York : The MacMi llan Company , 1930), 53::.. 2 Ib�d. p. 533. 3 socia l diffe rentiation is based upon class ra the r than status, there is 3 no obstacle standing in the wa y of interclass mobility . Although a lot of subjective or objective criteria have been pro- vided by various writers , it is still difficult to draw a clear-cut line between classes , since socia l classes are not so rigid as a caste sys tem. Perhaps the mos t important criterion is psychological. Members of a class share common ideas , attitudes and fee lings , and 4 regard themse lves as be longing to one group . Class distinct ion re flects in we alth, prestige and power. The se three things are actua lly inte rre lated with one another. The we althy people can easily obtain power; the powerful persons can easily become rich; and prestige seems to be monopolized by the rich and powerful persons . In China , a the ory conce rning social classification was deve loped by Confucius . Under the aristocratic and feudal sys tem of Confucius ' time , which can be dated back to 1100 B.C., the farme rs we re ignorant persons who live d a primitive life. The Chine se farme rs jus t like other ancient peop les , lived at the me rcy of nature . How- ever the y we re fortunate because huma nism deve loped in the ruling , learned , and wealthy aristocratic class . It seems to be the olde st princ iple of ruling to treat farmers in a benevolent wa y. On the 3 Ib.:d.L . p . 531 . 4 Morris Gindberg . "C lass Consciousness , " Encyc lopaedia .£i the Social Sciences , .E.!?· cit. , p. 536 . 4 basis of th is oldest principle , Confucius built his own theory accord- ing to wh ich the functions of the aristocrat and the farme r we re close ly distinguished. The farmer should not play politics , wh ile the aristo- crat need not know how to cultivate the land . In other words , the y we re classified in te rms of the ir functions . There we re , according to Confucianism , on ly two classes , namely, the gove rning and the governed classes. In th is respect , the Confuc ian social diffe rentiation is simi liar to that of Ka rl Ma rx , although the ir bases are entire ly dif- fe rent . Confucius ' viewpoint of the "me n above " can be illustrated by the fol lowing story about his te aching . When one of his students asked him about farming , Confucius replied , "lam not as good as an old peasant." When th is student we nt out of the classroom , Confuc ius told others , "What a nit-wit , that Fan (the name of the student who asked Confucius about farming) . If the men above love the rites , no one of the peop le wi ll dare be irreverent. If the me n above love justice , none of the people will fail to conform . If the me n above love veracity , none of the people will want to use mendacity. When the great one is like this , the people of the Four Square s (the wor ld) will come to him with the ir childre n on the ir backs . What doe s he need to know about 5 farming ?" The farme rs ' attitudes might be indicated by the fol lowing folk song wh ich prevailed in the Chinese countryside about 2500 years ago. 5 confucian. Ana lects (Trans lated by Ezta Pound ) (New York : Re view, Inc. , 1950) , p. 59. 5 Sunrise to work , Sunset to stop , Dig we lls to drink. Till fie lds for crop. 6 The king's might to me what good 0? Th is division of function was made in accordance with the Con- fucian ethical system instead of the princ iple of division of labor .