On aspects of the division of labor in ancient China

• Project/Area Number: 11610378
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Asian history
• Research Institution: Hokkaido Tokai University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUKI Tamio Hokkaido Tokai University, Research Institute For Higher Education, Professor, 教育開発研究センター, 教授 (50125655)
• Project Period (FY): 1999 – 2001
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2001)
• Budget Amount: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000); Fiscal Year 2001: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000); Fiscal Year 2000: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000); Fiscal Year 1999: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
• Keywords: division oflabor / Chunqiu period / Zuozhuan / 左伝 / 分業 / 農 / 庶人

Research Abstract

Included are three papers cm the division of labor in Ancient China. The first paper is entitled "Nong and Shuren in the Chunqiu period - as referring to one of four divisions of labor." In the Chunqiu and Zhou periods, Shuren meant farmers, merchants or handicraftsmen, and it included government officials. Shuren included both government officials and common people. During the Zhanguo period, Shuren did not intclude government officials, it was only used for common people.
The second paper "Shang in Zuozhuan" is a basic analysis of historical materiais.In an analysis of Zuozhuan, I compared the usage of the words Shang and Gu. They both meant merchant, but Shang was more general than Gu, and after the Zhanguo period, Shang-Gu was used as one word meaning merchant.
The third paper is entitled "Formation of four divisions of labor in ancient China." In this paper I found that the four ranks of labor were changeable in the Chunqiu period, and became fixed after that period, with government officials Seen as the highest class, followed by farmers, handicraftsmen and finally merchants.