According to historical records, rice was widely planted in Dayu period, but in Xia Benji, it is recorded that rice is beneficial to all people and can be planted in low humidity. Hou Ji was ordered to feed on ordinary delicacies. Eat less and give more to balance the princes.
Dayu ordered Boyi to distribute rice seeds to everyone and plant them in rice fields. He also ordered Hou Ji (Zhou's ancestor) to distribute food to everyone. Where there was no food, he ordered that there should be extra places and give them to those who had less food.
Extended data
Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China's economic center of gravity began to shift to the south. In the Song Dynasty, the population in the south of China surpassed that in the north, which was due to the achievements of rice production in the south. "History of Song Dynasty Food Record" said: "After crossing the south, the benefits of paddy fields are rich in the Central Plains, so water conservancy is built."
In Lu You's articles in the Northern Song Dynasty, there has been a saying that "Su Changshu is the best in the world". It shows that by the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the grain produced by Suzhou and Changzhou (roughly equivalent to Suzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi and the northwest of Shanghai) could not only meet the needs of the growing local population, but also had a large surplus, which could ensure the allocation and supply of the central government to other places.
The fundamental reason for this new economic structure change is that rice production is at work. The stability and development potential of rice ecosystem in southern China is far better than that of dry farming ecosystem in northern China. The soil fertility is unique, and the natural nutrients that hit the upper reaches of the plain are washed here, providing natural nutrients for the growth of crops.
Hydrothermal conditions are also very suitable for rice production. Rice planting can not only provide twice as much yield as the dry land in the north, but also cover the water surface of paddy field, prevent soil loss and stabilize the content of nitrogen and organic matter in the soil. The nitrogen content of paddy soil in Taihu Lake area is twice as high as that of dry land in Loess Plateau and Huanghuaihai Plain.
In addition, agriculture in South China has inherited the tradition of planting rice since the Han Dynasty, and the yield of rice is obviously higher than that of wheat. From the perspective of social system, after the Song Dynasty, the population of the southern region increased greatly, and on this basis, the political system remained relatively stable.
Due to the increase of population and the decrease of per capita land, the feudal land rent reached a higher level in the later period, and the degree of exploitation far exceeded that in the north. There is a saying that Jiangnan was heavily endowed, but there was no large-scale unrest until the late Qing Dynasty, which fully reflected the supporting role of the stable agricultural ecosystem in the south to the social system.
He Bingdi pointed out that as long as the feudal rulers maintained social stability and resisted the invaders from the north, they could obtain long-term stable rule, which was in sharp contrast with the political turmoil in feudal society 1000 years ago.
The population in rice producing areas is generally large, which is related to the high rice yield and can feed more people. On the other hand, it may be closely related to the nutritional value of rice itself. Although rice is rich in nutrition, most people who eat rice are not obese and seem to be healthier, so the population density in rice producing areas is higher.
With regard to the population growth in ancient China, it is generally believed that the rapid situation only appeared in the Qing Dynasty, the main reason was related to the introduction of American crops and their extensive cultivation in dry land, and the secondary reason was that Ding Yin, who had contacts with each other in previous dynasties, was included in a tax system imposed by land tax in the early Qing Dynasty. Since then, the rapid population growth in China has objectively relaxed the personal control of the bottom farmers.
It is a correct explanation to change the population tax into land tax, but the role of rice, which has not been paid special attention to, can not be ignored, because the number of dry land in Jiangnan is small and the population density is the highest in Jiangnan rice producing areas, so the credit of rice is the key.
Rice production also makes Suzhou and Hangzhou, known as the land of abundance, regarded as a "paradise" on earth, in which rice production plays a decisive role. In the Ming Dynasty, rice production developed in depth, and a large number of lakes were built around Jianghan Plain, coupled with the long-term influence of local land.
Accepting soil organic matter from the upper reaches is very fertile and conducive to the growth of rice. "The lake is wide and ripe, and the world is full" began to spread, and its function is rice without exception.
Baidu encyclopedia-rice