1) Abandoned minefields and buildings
Shang Yang's major economic move is to "abandon the mining field and open a building". Historical Records records that Shang Yang "worked for the field, built and sealed the border, and paid a flat tax". "The Warring States Policy" said that Shang Yang "broke the building to teach the people to plow" and abolished the principle of "no porridge in the field". The so-called "building" refers to the irrigation canals and corresponding vertical and horizontal roads in the middle of the "mine field", which is called "building" vertically and "building" horizontally. "Fengjiang" is the boundary of the mine field sealed by the slave owners and nobles. "Opening the border and sealing the border" means withdrawing and sealing the border marked with state-owned land, abolishing slavery of state-owned land and implementing private ownership of land. Legally abolished the minefield system. The law stipulates that people are allowed to open up wasteland, land can be bought and sold freely, and taxes are shared equally according to how much land each person occupies. Since then, although the Qin government still owns some state-owned land, such as ownerless wasteland, mountains and rivers, and land newly occupied by other countries, it has gradually turned into private ownership. This destroyed the relations of production of slavery and promoted the development of feudal economy.
2) Pay attention to agriculture, restrain commerce and pay attention to agriculture.
Shang Yang carried out the policy of emphasizing agriculture and restraining business. It is stipulated that those who produce more grain and distribute more cloth can be exempted from labor and tax, with agriculture as the "industry" and commerce as the "last industry". The whole family was punished as an official slave because they abandoned their roots for the end, or idled and became poor. Shang Yang also recruited landless peasants in Qin State to open up wasteland. In order to encourage the small-scale peasant economy, it is also stipulated that every family with two sons must make a living independently after adulthood, or they will have to pay double taxes. It is forbidden for father and son (adults) to share the same room and implement the small family policy. These policies are conducive to increasing population, collecting corvee and household registration tax, and developing feudal economy.
The reason why Shang Yang implemented the policy of emphasizing agriculture and restraining business is: 1. Agriculture is the most basic means of livelihood for people. 2. The state guarantees fiscal revenue through stable land tax. 3. It is conducive to social stability and binds farmers to the land. Industry and commerce will aggravate the loss of labor from the land, which will lead to various social problems. 5. If the commodity economy is underdeveloped, it is better to manage the land with peace of mind.
3) Unified measurement
Before Shang Yang's political reform, there was no unified measurement in all parts of Qin. In order to ensure the state's tax revenue, Shang Yang formulated standard weights and measures. Now, the Shang Yang Quantity handed down from generation to generation is engraved with Qin Xiaogong's eighteen years, Liang Da made a martingale, and a statue of sixteen (inches) and five (inches) is one liter. According to Shang Yang Quantity, the standard scale of 1 specified by Shang Yang is about 0.23m today, and the standard scale of 1 is about 0.2l today. According to the measuring device and its inscription, unified measurement was very serious at that time. Shang Yang also unified the weights and measures such as bucket, bucket, weight, scale and ruler. Qin people are required to strictly implement it and must not violate it.
The function of unified measurement: 1. Promote economic and cultural exchanges. 2. Conducive to the unification of taxes and salaries. 3. Conducive to the elimination of separatist forces. 4. Lay the foundation for the unified measurement of Qin Shihuang.
The Significance of unified measurement
First, there are standardized measurement standards all over the country, which provide convenient conditions for people to engage in economic and cultural exchanges.
Second, it has played a positive role in the unification of tax system and salary system;
Third, it is conducive to eliminating the influence of local separatist forces;
Fourthly, it laid the foundation for the unified measurement of Qin Shihuang later.
2. Political measures
The focus of Shang Yang's political reform is to completely abolish the old "Shi Qing Shi Lu" system, establish a new feudal autocratic centralization of authority, and implement the county system. His contribution in this respect far exceeds that of Li Kui and Wuqi. The main contents are as follows:
1) encourage soldiers and implement the military title system.
Shang Yang ordered that "whoever has meritorious military service will be honored by himself, and those who fight privately will be punished", rewarding meritorious military service and prohibiting private fighting. It is stipulated that the title is awarded according to military service, and the imperial clan may not enter the public book unless there is military service. That is, "those who make meritorious deeds show honor, and those who do not make meritorious deeds are rich but not glorious." In other words, aristocratic children who have made contributions can enjoy prosperity; No credit, although the family has money, you can't be extravagant.
The establishment of the military title system means that Shang Yang completely abolished the old system of Qing Shi Lu, and in the future, he will be awarded titles according to the size of military service, and officials will be selected from those who have military titles. After several years' development, the system of military service knighthood has developed into the famous system of 20 knighthood: one is a scholar, the other is a superior, the nineteenth is a Shanhaiguan, and the twentieth is a Chehou. According to "Hanshu" records: "For the sake of the law in Qin, I was given a first-class title and wanted to be an official for fifty stones." It also explains the reward method: beheading the enemy's head in the war and conferring a knight, which can be a 50-stone official; Cut off the enemy's head and give him a knighthood, which can be a hundred stone official. Titles at all levels stipulate the number of houses and handmaiden occupying farmland and the order of clothes.
The so-called private struggle does not mean ordinary people fighting, but refers to "city fighting." "Yi" refers to an ordinary town occupied by slave owners. Slave owners often fought for land and property. The purpose of the new law is to weaken the power of slave owners and strengthen feudal centralization. The way to severely punish private fighting is: those who fight privately will be punished according to the seriousness of the case.
Because of the praise of the meritorious military service, Qin Jun's combat effectiveness has been greatly enhanced. In foreign wars, Qin's national strength was further enhanced, thus reversing the long-term passive backwardness. In 355 BC, Qin Xiaogong and Wei Huiwang joined forces in Du Ping, ending the passive situation of long-term nonalignment between Qin State and Central Plains governors and improving the status of Qin State. Qin also gradually occupied Bashu area with fertile land and high agricultural development level and northwest area rich in cattle and horses by force, and social production developed rapidly, laying a material foundation for Qin's reunification.
2) In addition to Shi Qing's official career system, the imperial clan nobles were encouraged to establish a military service system.
According to Records of the Historical Records, the State of Qin stipulated that "the imperial clan must have a theory of meritorious military service, and it is not allowed to follow. In the Ming Dynasty, the official rank and rank were different, the name of Tian Zhai was different, and the clothes of male and female servants were also different. Those who make meritorious deeds show their glory, and those who have no merit are rich. " That is, the level of aristocratic status is determined by the size of military service. This rule dealt a heavy blow to the old nobles of slave owners, and thus aroused their disgust. "Historical Records" records: "Shang Jun entered Qin for ten years, and the imperial clan was rich and resentful." Any political reform in history is not only a re-selection of the general plan of governing the country, but also a re-adjustment of interest relations, which is also the real reason for the obstruction of reform.
3) Reform the household registration system and implement the deskmate method.
The capital, towns, cities and settlements of Qin are all natural settlements. In order to strengthen the feudal autocratic rule and manage the vast number of residents, Shang Yang stipulated that residents should register their household registration. Use heavy penalties for misdemeanors. Li Kui's "Law Classic" was promulgated and implemented, which increased the method of sitting together. The main contents are: residents take five as "five", ten as "ten" and ten and five as basic administrative units. According to the preparation, registration and household registration, and ordered mutual supervision. If one family is guilty, nine families will report it. If they don't report it, ten families will sit together for the same crime. Those who don't report traitors will be beheaded, those who report "traitors" will be rewarded to cut off the enemy, and those who hide traitors will be punished to surrender the enemy. This is the same as the later Baojia system. Shang Yang also stipulated that hotels should not take in people without official documents, otherwise the owners would have to sit together.
4) implement the county system
Shang Yang's major reform was to "set small cities as counties", take counties as local administrative units, and abolish the feudal system, "every 31 counties" (some history books think it is 4 1 county or 36 counties). County magistrate is in charge of county administration, county magistrate assists county magistrate, and county commandant is in charge of military affairs. The county has jurisdiction over several cities, townships, cities and towns. By setting up a county, Shang Yang brought the political privilege of the Lord to the central government. This measure effectively cooperated with the policy of "abandoning mines for construction" and ensured the private ownership of land by political means. It consolidated the centralized feudal rule and weakened the local power of the rich and nobles.
Later, Qin established a county in the newly occupied area. The scope of the county is very large, with the nature of border defense, so the chief of the county is called the county guard. Later, the situation in the county was stable and turned into civil affairs, so there were several counties under the county, forming the county system of Qin State.
5) Establish Qin law, and "burn poems and write laws".
Shang Yang's measure is to eliminate the interference of retro ideas. The high-pressure policy of "burning poems" initiated by Shang Yang not only greatly suppressed people's thoughts, but also destroyed China's cultural classics.