Agriculture: A Cornerstone of the Han Dynasty - Essay Sample

Introduction

Agriculture was considered to be part and parcel of the Han dynasty. It had a great influence on people's way of life. It had a considerable effect on their beliefs and way of life. Archeological evidence has been found to show that agriculture played a significant role in the establishment and success of the Han dynasty. They used their unique farming method known as the "Tuntian" method. Tuntian was a state that promoted a system of agriculture that brought positive effects to the overall economy of China. It is important to note that agriculture played a great role in the mythology and foundation of the Han Dynasty itself.

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Agriculture

Throughout history, there were five major Dynasties, which were Liang, Tang, Jin, Han, and Zhou. The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty in China, and it ruled from 206BC to 220AD. The Han Dynasty ruled more than four hundred years, and many historians evaluate the Han dynasty as a significant dynasty in the history of China. The dynasty earlier than Han was known as the Qin Dynasty, which was also a powerful dynasty during that time. The Qin dynasty's unique significance was that they defeated and conquered other countries to control the land entirely. Since the Qin dynasty played a significant role during history, the emperors of Han made a great effort to ensure both land and agriculture. Agriculture was important during this time because it could give enough supply to people to ensure the normal living standard. Agriculture was considered as important during ancient China, so people who worked in agricultural areas were considered as workers for the emperor in the government.

Compared to previous dynasties, Agriculture in the Han dynasty was quite different. For example, farming in previous dynasties was rough because only cattle-related farming methods were available for them. However, the Han dynasty was based on water-based farming, artificial planting, and gardening. These methods were all invented during the Han dynasty, which was an efficient method to grow the good quality of farming (HackneyedScribe, 2017). Moreover, the Han dynasty established a department to control the wild animals to use them as farming resources. This factor had a huge influence on their agriculture. In addition, another unique significance of the Han dynasty was the usage of human labor. These people used wind-driven and water-driven devices for farming to enhance the effectiveness of farming. As mentioned earlier, people in the Han dynasty made a great contribution to the agriculture system. Usage of farming devices made great progress in farming. For example, they changed rough tools to practical tools. Furthermore, Tuntian was one of the successful contributions made by people from the Han dynasty, and it solved problems toward farming (Zhuang et al., 2016).

The method called the Tuntian system was mostly used in the Western region of the Han dynasty. The Tuntian system helped to cultivate land easily and protect the land from any danger. This method was also used in the military. It helped to solve the food shortage problem because it could cover a large portion of the land. According to the research, the estimated coverage of land was 2800ha to 8000ha. There were two types of Tuntian systems, which were the distribution of land to people and the protection of land assigned to soldiers. The government assigned soldiers for each area to keep the portion of food they needed and gave authority to run the cycle. By running this cycle, they were able to ensure the food and prevent starvation. In the past, starvation was a common problem. Distribution of land to citizens was another type of Tuntian system, and most of them were farmers. They were able to collect rent and food from the land. Even though the land was owned by the government, the government gave the authority to use the land as their property. The foods produced by land were used as rent fees to the government, and the rest of them were assigned to citizens. Citizens made a great effort to take care of the land and their produce. The Tuntian system was unique to the Han dynasty because it established an achievement toward the development of Chinese agriculture (ARSINOE LIBRARY, n.d.). I was also impressed by the fact that this system is only suitable for Chinese agriculture. Other dynasties or empires would not have made successful achievements with the Tuntian system because it is designed only for Chinese agriculture. Although the farming skills of different civilizations are outstanding, there are ways to suit each environment.

Mythology

The mythology of the Han Dynasty dates back to 202 BC. The Han Dynasty was considered to be the second great imperial dynasty of china. It was the first golden age for the people of China. Their mythological aspect was mainly seen in the art they made. Murals and wall paintings have been found pointing to the Han dynasty, showing one of their agricultural deities plowing a field. "Shennong," a deity involved in the inventions of agriculture, is the most famous. The myths that are related to agriculture include the invention of fire that was used for cooking warmth and light. Another include animal husbandry and the invention of tools that catered for farming. These myths fostered the people's beliefs in farming and acted as a motivation for the people to farm. One of the main foundations of the Han Dynasty was farming. Farming enabled the dynasty to have enough food to take care of its people. Agricultural stability enables the dynasty to grow.

Other deities that were associated with the Han deity included, Shujun, Houtu, and Houji. They all were involved with different aspects of Chinese culture and agriculture and were greatly revered (Zhao,1989). Some myths though farfetched were believed by the people to have made agriculture possible include; the destruction of an excessive number of suns and the ending of the great flood. Some myths, such as the invention of fermentation and the formation of farmer's markets, saw the growth of agriculture in the Han Dynasty. These myths to date are related to popular religion and rituals.

According to Chinese Agricultural mythologies related to the Han dynasties, agricultural technologies are said to have been invented to the four deities, Shujun, Houtu, Houji, and Shennong. These technologies, such as sowing, resulted in the evolution of agriculture. Shennong, the most famous of the deities, was said to have invented various tools that made farming much easier. The deities are said and beans. To have taught people how to farm and use the 5 grains that included; two types of millet, rice, beans, and wheat. Shennong invented the ax that was used to cut wood. He taught people how to excavate wells and even created the calendar that was used to show various seasons. The deities played a significant role in agriculture, and the beliefs were carried on till date. China is still one of the biggest producers and a consumer of rice in the world. Mythology provides a gateway to the agricultural history of the Han Dynasty. Their beliefs in their agricultural deities provided a guide on how and why they farmed. The seasons they used in their planting were all attributed to particular deities in their mythology. The tools that were used were also believed to have been made by a particular deity. These beliefs founded their agricultural ways. Their religion was also grounded in these deities. Agriculture was able to evolve from the myths, and the science of agriculture came into existence. Increased yields were seen in the Han Dynasty as the people learned new farming methods

The Han Dynasty proved to be one of the greatest dynasties reigning for 400 years. Their agricultural advancement a prowess was trivial in their success (Hays, 2008). Their beliefs in the myths and deities were also instrumental in founding their religion and their agricultural beliefs. Agriculture has been key in exploring the myths and history of the Han dynasty. The myths grounded their roots in agriculture and enabled the Han Dynasty to grow and become one of the greatest dynasties in China.

References

ARSINOE LIBRARY. (n.d.). The Tuntian system: CAO CAO's secret weapon. Arsinoe Library - Publisher and Research Center for Those Affected with Autodidacticism. https://www.arsinoelibrary.org/AEPS/articles/the-tuntian-system-cao-caos-secret-weapon/

The cradle of heaven-human induction idealism: Agricultural intensification, environmental consequences, and social responses in Han China and three-kingdoms Korea. (2016). Taylor & Francis. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00438243.2016.1251850

HackneyedScribe. (2017). Han dynasty agriculture. History Forum. https://historum.com/threads/han-dynasty-agriculture.171243/

Hays, J. (2008). Agriculture in ancient China. Facts and Details. https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/4sub7/entry-5413.htmlYang, L., & An, D. (2005). Handbook of Chinese mythology. ABC-CLIO.

Zhao, Q. (1989). Chinese mythology in the context of hydraulic society. Asian folklore studies, 231-246.