Let’s talk about the southward shift of our country’s center of gravity

Brief description

The southward shift of the economic center of gravity is an important historical phenomenon in Chinese history, almost throughout the entire history of China.

From ancient times to the Western Jin Dynasty The economic development level of northern China in terms of agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce far exceeds that of the south. Although Wu and Shu developed the south during the Three Kingdoms period, their economic strength was very different from that of Wei, which was at the center of China's economy. Therefore, this In the first period, the economic center of gravity was in the north. Starting from the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, the economic development level of southern China gradually improved. By the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the economic development levels of the north and the south were basically the same. From the middle and late Tang Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty, China's economic center of gravity shifted irreversibly. To the south.

By the Southern Song Dynasty, the economic development level of southern China far exceeded that of the north and became China's new economic center of gravity. So why does such a phenomenon occur? What is the reason?

1 day: During the Song Dynasty, China's climate environment underwent a huge change. The north, which used to have high temperatures, abundant precipitation, and superior natural environment, began to turn colder. In addition, the forests in the Central Plains had been cut down for a long time. Therefore, The natural conditions in the north began to deteriorate.

2 Geographical advantages: From the Anshi Rebellion in the middle and late Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, wars continued in the north of China, while there were fewer wars in the south.

3 people and: many People from the Central Plains moved south, bringing advanced technology with them and increasing the labor force in the south.

As mentioned above, the southward shift of China's economic center of gravity began in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, that is, the Anshi Rebellion, and ended in the Southern Song Dynasty. Period.

Detailed introduction

The Yellow River Basin is the main birthplace of the Chinese nation and the earliest developed region in China. It has a concentrated population, developed economy and culture, and has become the earliest economic center. However, since the Anshi Rebellion Later, the north was affected by the secession of vassal towns, the rise of the Khitan, and the invasion of the south. Production was destroyed, while the south was relatively stable. The northern population began to migrate south in large numbers, bringing advanced production technology with them. From then on, the economic center of gravity began to shift toward Transfer to the south!

(1) Development process

1. From the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms period, the south received key development.

2. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Southern Dynasties, the south was developed on a large scale, and in the late Southern Dynasties it began to catch up with the north.

3. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the southern economy developed rapidly, and there was almost no gap between the north and the south.

4. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the southern economy further developed.

5. From the Southern Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, the southern economy developed significantly and completely surpassed the north.

6. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the status of the southern economic center of gravity was consolidated and developed.

(2) A major development period when the economic center of gravity moved southward

1. The period from the "Eight Kings Rebellion" at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty to the end of the Southern Dynasties. During this period, due to the wars in the north since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the inward migration of ethnic minorities, the economy in the north declined. The relatively stable environment in the south of the Yangtze River caused the people in the north to flee the war. Migrating south has added a large number of labor force to the agricultural production in the south, especially bringing advanced production tools and technology. Together with the Han people and Shanyue and other ethnic minority people in the south, they built water conservancy projects and reclaimed large tracts of fertile land for rice cultivation. Technology improved, wheat began to be promoted, and cattle farming became popular. The economy of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River developed rapidly, and Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi also received a certain degree of development. By the end of the Southern Dynasties, the southern economy began to catch up with the north.

2. From the "Anshi Rebellion" to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. During this period, the north once again experienced long-term wars, and the economy was seriously damaged. It was not until Shizong of the later Zhou Dynasty that it recovered and developed, while the south was relatively stable. In order to preserve and strengthen themselves, the rulers of various countries

3. The Southern Song Dynasty took the "Jingkang Incident" at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty as the turning point. During this period, the people's anti-golden struggle prevented the Jin army from advancing southward, and the working people in the north moved southward one after another, which enabled the southern economy to develop by leaps and bounds on the original basis. In In Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, where farming technology is the most developed, paddy fields have increased, rice planting areas have expanded, and production has increased.

The production volume has increased significantly. The proverb "If Su Lake is ripe, the world is sufficient" vividly reflects the important position of production in the Taihu Basin area in the country. In addition, the promotion of cotton planting, the improvement of cotton textile technology, the progress of shipbuilding technology and the commodity economy The development of China and the prosperity of overseas trade are beyond the reach of the north. This shows that the southern economy has surpassed the north and has achieved an unshakable economic center of gravity. As for the opening of water and sea transportation in the Yuan Dynasty, the germination of Chinese capitalism also first emerged in The Jiangnan region further illustrates this unshakable economic center of gravity.

(3) Characteristics of the southward shift of the economic center of gravity

The southward shift of the economic center of gravity in ancient my country has three obvious characteristics:

① Northern people migrated south in large numbers, bringing with them advanced production technology and experience, reflecting the highest level of productivity at that time;

② The trend of southward migration often occurs when the country is divided or in war.

③The southward shift of the political center has a certain impact on the southward shift of the economic center.

(4) Reasons for the southward shift of the economic center of gravity

① There were more wars in the north, while the south was relatively peaceful and stable;

② A large number of northern farmers moved southward, bringing advanced production technology and supplementing the labor force in Jiangnan;

③Jiangnan rule In order to develop strength, they pay more attention to economic development;

④The working people of the north and the south worked hard together to develop the south of the Yangtze River;

⑤The production conditions and natural environment in the south are relatively superior.

(5) The pattern of the southward shift of the economic center of gravity:

From north to south, from the Yellow River Basin to the Yangtze River Basin and the Jiangnan area; and gradually from the inland to the coast.

Geography: The reason for the shift in economic focus can also be understood from a geographical perspective: climate influence. Before the Song Dynasty, food was mainly dryland crops such as wheat and millet. The suitable environment for the growth of these crops was the temperate continental climate in the north. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Urban rice was introduced and became the main crop in the Southern Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the yield increased and the area expanded. Rice is not suitable for planting in the temperate continental climate, but is suitable for planting in the subtropical monsoon climate zone in the south of the Yangtze River, where light and heat conditions are good, and rainfall During the same period of hot weather, water resources are abundant and water conservancy projects are well developed.

Jiangnan is mostly dominated by plains and hilly areas, with deep soil layers that are easy to cultivate and operate. Economic crops such as tea trees, sugar cane, and citrus are especially suitable for growing in Jiangnan. Planting.

Severe water and soil erosion occurs in the north, natural resources are destroyed, and the environment deteriorates, which affects agricultural production. This situation is mainly caused by man-made burning of forests and indiscriminate reclamation of wasteland. As a result, water and soil erosion, land The area has decreased.

Transportation and foreign trade have also promoted the development of Jiangnan.

Politics: The southward shift of the economic center of gravity is the development of a dialectical relationship between the local natural environment and the productivity of the entire society. The inevitable result.

Enlightenment from the phenomenon of the southward shift of the ancient economic center of gravity: political stability is a necessary condition for economic development; the importance that rulers attach to economic development is an important factor in its economic development; timely introduction and application The use of the most advanced science and technology in economic construction is an important guarantee for promoting rapid economic development.

Based on the above reasons and the understanding of relevant current affairs, in the current process of development of the western region of our country, the development and protection of ecological balance are the most important Based on the principle of dialectical unity, we should take the correct path of sustainable development.

The current western development is not to shift the economic center of gravity westward, but to narrow the gap between the eastern and western regions and take the road of common prosperity. This major measure embodies the basic principle of unity and prosperity for all ethnic groups.