Evolution of distribution area of agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry in loess plateau
At the beginning of the historical period, there were large areas of forests on the Loess Plateau, which were mixed with grasslands and temperate forest grasslands. The grassland belt is mainly located in the west of the northern section of Ziwuling Mountain and the east and west sides of Liupanshan Mountain, that is, the banks of the Yellow River from Qingyang, Huan County to Jingyuan, Gansu Province.
Although agriculture developed at that time, the proportion of agricultural area was quite small, which could not be compared with forests and grasslands. With the passage of time and the development of productive forces, agricultural areas have gradually expanded. After several changes in the middle, farming and animal husbandry alternately occupied a more important position, but later agriculture surpassed animal husbandry, and the forest area became smaller, which was almost completely lost in modern times.
At the beginning of the historical period, the forest area of the Loess Plateau was quite vast. Especially in the mountains of Lvliang. Until now, the forest on this mountain is still an important forest area in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. At that time, forest areas were not limited to mountainous areas, but also grew in vilen at the foot of the mountain. The forests in the middle and upper reaches of the Weihe River maintained a certain scale until the Sui and Tang Dynasties. What is particularly commendable is that the so-called arid areas, the counties of Kelan and Wuzhai, Luya Mountain and Kelan Mountain in Shanxi, and the counties of Baode, Hequ and Pianguan, the eastern part of Ordos Plateau, the Hengshan Mountains in northern Shaanxi, the southern and central parts of Ziwuling, Liupan Mountain and Wuqu Mountain, were once forest areas.
The Loess Plateau is a region suitable for both agriculture and animal husbandry. The vast grassland is indeed a good place for nomadic people to develop animal husbandry and raise livestock. However, when the agricultural people come to this area, they will inevitably transform the grassland into farmland and make it an agricultural area. Due to the contradictions and conflicts between ethnic groups in the historical period, several major changes have taken place in this area which is suitable for both agriculture and animal husbandry. Among them, from pastoral areas to agricultural areas, there have been three times:
The first time was from the end of the Warring States to the Qin and Han Dynasties, the second time was the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the third time was since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Once or twice, it returned to the nomadic area. At that time, nomadic areas not only recovered, but also expanded, far beyond the Loess Plateau. Between the second and third times, agricultural areas and nomadic areas alternately coexist. Although they coexist, nomadic areas are still slightly inferior to agricultural areas. The Great Wall built by Qin at the end of the Warring States Period is the southernmost part of the dividing line between farming and pastoral areas. The Great Wall starts from Min County, Gansu Province in the southwest and extends to the banks of the Yellow River in Zhungeer Banner, Inner Mongolia in the northeast. It passes through Guyuan, Huanxian and other counties between Liupanshan and Ziwuling, and goes northeast along Hengshan Mountain range. The northernmost dividing line between farming and pastoral areas is above Helan Mountain and Yinshan Mountain, mainly the Great Wall of Qin and Han Dynasties. The Great Wall is not within the Loess Plateau and is not involved. Qin Changcheng at the end of the Warring States did not last long. The Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty also played the most important role in the Ming Dynasty. After the Ming dynasty, it can no longer be the dividing line between agriculture and animal husbandry. In addition, because the forest area was destroyed, no one was engaged in restoration and renewal, and the original forest land was reclaimed into farmland.
1, the outline of the boundary line between agricultural and pastoral areas in the Western Zhou Dynasty
Zhou people founded their country by agriculture, and its influence and seal should be in agricultural areas. Some places or non-agricultural areas have gradually become agricultural areas through the governance of the Zhou people. Zhou Benji records that the ancestors of Zhou people began in Houji. Hou Ji planted good quality hemp seeds, sowed 100 seeds and sealed them in Taitai. It is now in Wugong County, Shaanxi Province, in the lower reaches of the Weihe River. After that, he did not lose his official position and ran between Rong and Di. The so-called Rongdi should be regarded as an animal husbandry area. According to legend, step 330 ran in the Tang Dynasty was in Lisan, southeast of Qingzhou, and step 338+0 in the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty ruled Qingyang County, Gansu Province, which was then a nomadic area. Zhou people originated from. The north and south of Weihe River near Joo Won? are mostly vassal fiefs and aristocratic fiefs, so it is naturally an agricultural area. This is west of Longshan. According to the history book Qin Benji, Fei Zi once raised horses for Zhou between Wei and Wei, so he was sealed in the city of Qin, a vassal state, and continued to raise horses in Qin. Later generations lived in Xiquan Mountain, all to the west of Longshan. It shows that the west of Longshan is an animal husbandry area.
From the Shang tombs in Xi 'an Lantian, Laoniupo, Tianjiazhuang and Yuanjiaya, it can be seen that Yin Shang culture has a solid foundation here, and local farming has also developed to some extent. From the two-week ruins in Yongshou, Shaanxi, and Lantian, xi 'an, and from here to the east on both sides of the Yellow River, there are even more governors of the Zhou Dynasty. Guo Rui, where the Weihe River meets, Shen Guo, now southeast of Heyang County, South Korea, Guo Song, now hancheng city, and Guoguo, now Sanmenxia City, are all governors of the Zhou Dynasty, which also shows that Zhou people continued to develop on the basis of Yin and Shang culture.
East of the Yellow River is the so-called land of Hedong. In the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the most vassal countries were agricultural areas. At that time, the northernmost vassal here was named Huo Guo. Huo is in Huo County, Shanxi Province today. There is Huoshan Mountain in the north of Huoxian county today, that is, Huotai Mountain in ancient times. The climate in the north and south of Huoshan has always been different, and there was no feudal city in the north of Huoshan at that time, so the dividing line between agriculture and animal husbandry at that time should be above Huoshan.
What was discussed above was the demarcation line between farming and pastoral areas in the Western Zhou Dynasty, which extended to the northeast of Longshan near Joo Won?, the birthplace of Zhou people. Specifically, this dividing line is from the foot of Longshan to the north, bypassing Miller at that time, that is, Lingtai County, Gansu Province, turning to the southeast, from Jingyang County, Shaanxi Province today, crossing the Jinghe River to the northeast, passing through the northern part of Pengya, which is equivalent to the northern part of Baishui County, Shaanxi Province, going east to hancheng city, Shaanxi Province, crossing the Yellow River, following the west side of Fenhe River, turning south, crossing the Huiheyuan, and as for the prince, more. Ji, the capital of Yan State, is now Beijing.
2. Changes of the dividing line between farming and pastoral areas in the Spring and Autumn Period.
After the death of King Xuan, his son Ji Gong Nie acceded to the throne. Wang You is a famous tyrant. He not only doesn't care about state affairs, but also takes the name of Shi Guo's father who is "good at paying attention to interests". At this time, there was a great drought in the world and countless people died. In order to win praise and laughter, Wang You also lost the trust of the vassal states. Then, in 77 1 year BC, Shen Hou joined forces with Gou Guo, Yi Xi and Quan Rong to attack Haojiang, the political center of Zhou Dynasty, and was quickly captured by Shen Hou. Zhou Youwang fled to the foot of Mount Li with his praise, and was chased by the Rong people. When the governors of various countries saw that they were dead, they negotiated with Shen Hou and Gui Hou to establish the position of Prince Yijiu in order to be king. After Wang Ping ascended the throne, Rong people were everywhere in Wang Ji, and the Western Zhou Dynasty could be attacked by Rong people at any time. In view of the weak strength of the Zhou Dynasty, it is difficult to resist the Rong people and revitalize the Western Zhou Dynasty. So, in 770 BC, under the escort of Wei Wugong, Jin Wengong, and other soldiers, he gave up the Haojiang River in the capital and moved to Luoyi and Zhou, known as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in history.
The dividing line between farming and pastoral areas in the Spring and Autumn Period is east of Longshan, from north of Yong, the capital of Qin State, along Qishan and northeast of Liangshan, and then through Ma Tunnel and north to the foot of Longmen Mountain in Liangguo. That is, today it passes through Jingyang, Baishui and Hancheng in Shaanxi and reaches the bank of the Yellow River. This dividing line starts from Longmen Mountain in the east, crosses the Yellow River, passes through the south of Qu Zhi, and descends along the northeast of Lvliang. As for the north of Yangqu County, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, that is, the north of Yuxian County at that time, it bypasses the south of Yuxian County in the southeast, reaches Taihang Mountain in the east, and then reaches the east of Taihang Mountain, passing through the north of Yuji, the capital of Yan State at that time, and reaches the Bohai Sea coast in the southeast. To the south of this dividing line, during the Spring and Autumn Period, vassal states and governors lived together with various kinds of Rong Di, and even the Elo Valley near Luoyi, the royal family of the Zhou Dynasty, had traces of Rong. Of course, at first, these mixed-race Rong Di still lived a nomadic life. Living with China countries in areas suitable for farming, they gradually abandoned the nomadic customs and began to operate from field to field.
Rong Di lived together among princes, mainly in early Jiang Rong, and Jiang Rong's family was the so-called Lu Hunrong, also known as the surname Rong. This family used to live in Guazhou. Rise by the water. Jiang's city is not far from Hetai, but Jiang Ji's two surnames are similar, and they are family members in the world. Later, he changed from a nomadic life to a farming life. Bai Di is a nomadic people. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Xianyu, Gu Fei and Dagu were small countries established by Bai Di. By the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, these small countries had battlements. The existence of castles and palaces without China nationality also illustrates the transition from nomadism to farming. Li Rong's hometown is Xinfeng County, Jing Zhaoyin of Han Dynasty, which is now Lintong County of Shaanxi Province. Jin Xiangong once conquered Li Rong. At that time, there were many Rong people living on the west side of Taihang Mountain. Lu's, Liu Xu's, [Guangsi's] pursuit of Confucianism and Dongshan Gaoluo's are all authors. There is also a beautiful land and grassland. Lushi is in the north of Lucheng County, Shanxi Province. Liu Xu stayed in Tunliu County, Shanxi Province today. Chen Duo is in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province today. * [Hongzhi] Strange is like being on the Taihang Mountain to the east of Lu. The glory of beautiful scenery and grass should be between Nanxi City and Taihang Mountain in Yangcheng County, Shanxi Province. Although there are many people here, Lujia is the largest. Before it was destroyed, it had changed from a nomadic life to a farming life.
3. The dividing line of farming and pastoral areas in Han Dynasty.
Sima Qian wrote Biography of Historical Records and Huo Zhi, which was then divided into four economic regions:
(1) Shanxi: Rao Cai, Zhu, Gu, Yi, Chen, Yu;
(2) Shandong: more fish, salt, lacquer, silk and music;
(3) Jiangnan: Chu, Zi, Jiang, Gui, Jin, Lian, Dansha, Zhen, Zhu Ji and Yage.
(4) Longmen Jieshi North: Thomas, cattle, sheep, crouching, tendons.
The description of economic division in Biography of Historical Records of Huo Zhi roughly reflects the situation from the Warring States Period to the early Han Dynasty. It divides the whole country into four economic zones: Shandong, Shanxi, Jiangnan and the north of Longmen Jieshi. Shandong, that is, Guandong, generally refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River east of Xiaoshan and Hanguguan, and has become a farming area since the Warring States Period. Shanxi originally refers to Xiaoshan and Hanguguan to the west, Guanzhong Basin and Jingwei, the upper reaches of Beiluo River, and the Yellow River to the west. However, Guanzhong basin has been an agricultural area since Zhou and Qin dynasties. It's just that the upper reaches of Jing, Wei and Beiluohe River in the north and its west areas, that is, Tianshui, Longxi, Beidi and Shang Jun in the Western Han Dynasty, have been inhabited by Rong Di since the Spring and Autumn Period, and the early Han Dynasty was still a pastoral area known as "grazing the world". To the north of Longmen and Jieshi are animal husbandry areas, where there are many horses, cows, sheep, sheep and tendons. Longmen is the Longmen Mountain where Yumenkou is now located. Its north is the Yellow River Mountain-Shaanxi Canyon, Hexi is the northern Shaanxi Plateau, and Hedong is the northern Shaanxi Plateau. "In northern Shaanxi, there is a tolerance for trouble." The old places of Hulin and Loufan are still dominated by animal husbandry.
In the early Han Dynasty, Chaona (now southeast of Guyuan, Ningxia) and Fuxi (now south of Yulin, Shaanxi) were the dividing lines with Xiongnu, which were roughly the dividing lines between agriculture and animal husbandry in the Warring States period. In the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, after the northern expedition to Xiongnu and the recovery of Henan, nearly one million Han people moved from the mainland and settled in the northern frontier, and a large number of counties and counties were set up, including Shanshan Canyon, the upper reaches of Jingwei River in the late Western Han Dynasty, the northern Shanxi Plateau and even the Hetao area, with a population of more than 365,438+10,000. A large area of cultivated land has been opened up. The boundary between agriculture and animal husbandry in the north has been greatly pushed northward. Except for a part of grassland in Yikezhao League in the middle, it reaches Wulanbu Desert and Helan Mountain in the west, Hexi Corridor and Huangshui River Basin in the north, the yinshan mountains in the east and along the Great Wall in the east.