The Historical and Contemporary Importance of Rice in China, Essay Example

Introduction

Rice was first cultivated in China over 10000 years ago in the delta of the Yangtze River and it became one of the most significant agricultural products in the region. Over the millennia rice has remained one of China’s staple crops, and its production has in many ways supported and sustained the development and survival of China for thousands of years. As early Chinese agriculture became more proficient it made it possible for people to become more sedentary and to remain in the regions where food was being grown (Wang, Ding, Shu & Chen, 2010). The move from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles provided the necessary conditions for other aspects of cultural and social development, like the creation of pottery, sophisticated agricultural tools, and permanent homes and other structures. As the Chinese people became more proficient at growing rice, the techniques used in the early rice-growing regions were transplanted to other parts of the country, and new and improved agricultural processes were also developed. The spread of rice production and other agricultural advancements became a fundamental part of the growth and expansion of Chinese culture, and today rice remains closely associated with the Chinese economy, society, and culture.

The Role of Agriculture in Early Chinese History

The large-scale production of rice in China has existed for so long that its development is associated with major climate shifts in Earth’s geological history. After the most recent glaciations over 10,000 years ago, a warming trend in China and other parts of the world led to an abundance of plant growth, especially near bodies of water such as the Yellow River and Yangtze River (Wang et al, 2010). Researchers break early Chinese history into several distinct phases, including the nature-dominated phase and the human-affected phase (Shu et al, 2010). In the nature-dominated phase, Neolithic humans foraged for plants, fruits, and grains and ate whatever animals could be trapped or hunted. In this period it was necessary for these early humans to remain on the move in search of new sources of food. Even with the development of the capacity to control fire, Neolithic humans in China were forced to remain as foragers and hunter-gatherers. As the climate warmed, however, the explosive growth of vegetation also supported the population growth of many animals, and the Neolithic humans were able to slowly adapt to a semi-sedentary lifestyle (Shu et al, 2010).

Historians and researchers have found that human settlers living along the deltas of these two rivers took advantage of the abundant plant life growing in each region, and would eventually learn to cultivate some specific plants and grains (Wang et al, 2010).  One of the predominant grains growing in the Yellow River delta region was millet, while rice was more commonly found in the deltas and marshlands along the Yangtze River to the south. The Neolithic site at Hemdu, near the mouth of the Yangtze River, is believed by many historians to be the area where rice was first cultivated (Wang et al, 2010). The ability to cultivate rice, rather than to rely on naturally-occurring supplies of the grain, made it possible for the people living in the Hemdu region to develop a thriving and vibrant culture, a trend which would later be repeated in other parts of China as rice cultivation and other agricultural techniques were improved and transplanted to other areas (Marks, 2012).

10,000 years ago, however, the earliest rice cultivation was still highly dependent on the climate and geography of the region. The marshes and deltas along the Yangtze River were ideally suited for the growth of rice, and they did in fact support the naturally-occurring growth of this grain long before humans began to purposely cultivate it. The nature-dominated phase began to give way to the human-affected phase, as the Neolithic populations in the region added agriculture, pottery making, and other skills to their ability to harness fire. Archaeological explorations of the region show that some of the Yangtze Delta cultures engaged in deforestation, clearing trees to make room for settlements and using the wood for building dwellings, making tools, and as fuel for fires (Shu et al, 2010). Other skills included the early domestication of pigs and goats, brickmaking, jade carving, fishing, and canoe building (Shu et al, 2010). It was in this atmosphere of cultural growth that rice cultivation took hold.

The transition from the Paleolithic lifestyle to the Neolithic lifestyle is considered evidence of how significant it was that these early humans developed the capacity for cultivating rice. While humans relied on foraging, hunting, and gathering they tended to live in caves and other naturally-occurring shelters rather than building permanent or semi-permanent dwellings. As they began to develop the ability to grow crops of rice it became necessary to remain in one place, or to at least stay close enough to tend to and harvest crops. The earliest humans to cultivate rice likely continued to live in caves and other such dwellings, though once rice agriculture really took hold, these early farmers began to develop the means to build huts and other structures (Wang et al, 2010). In other words, it was the capacity to grow rice crops that led to the other social advances of the Neolithic age, which involved the move from migrant societies to sedentary societies.  This trend would be among the most significant shifts in the entire course of human history, and would lead to the development of modern human civilizations.

Rice and the Rise of Chinese Civilization

Just as the ability to cultivate rice provided the basis for the earliest sedentary cultures in China, the development of more sophisticated techniques that could be transplanted and adapted to other regions and geographical conditions allowed Chinese culture to flourish and spread. It should be noted that there was no specific “Chinese culture” or set of cultures 10,000 years ago, so a discussion about the significance of rice to Chinese culture must first be viewed in terms of its significance to the development of early human culture. With that in mind, however, it is appropriate to view the development of agricultural techniques as the basis for the later development of the characteristics and traits that are now considered to be a part of historical and contemporary Chinese culture.

One of the most notable characteristics of the development of China in the centuries after rice was first cultivated was the process of deforestation (Marks, 2012). In the Paleolithic period and into the Neolithic period much of the landmass that is now known as China was covered with dense forests. In order to make room for agriculture, millions of acres of trees had to be cleared away. This deforestation also made room for other aspects of agriculture and sedentary life, including the building of dwellings and fenced areas for raising domesticated animals. Along with these advances came one of the most important technological developments in Chinese history: the invention of sophisticated irrigation techniques. The earliest use of rice as a staple food took place in and around the regions where it grew in the wild, meaning the marshes and deltas of the Yangtze River and other waterways. Even as Neolithic humans in these regions learned to grow rice, they continued to make use of the natural features of these areas to provide the necessary conditions for growing rice. It was not until humans learned to use irrigation and other techniques to make other areas suitable for growing rice that agriculture could begin to spread away from the edges of the Yangtze.

Over the course of several thousand years the new capacities that arose out of the development of agriculture made it possible for the human population in China to expand greatly and to cover more and more of the land mass of the region. The major cultural advances, such as agriculture, pottery making, the domestication of animals, and the ability to cut down forests and use wood for making tools and building homes all contributed to the growth of the human population. For thousands of years these basic trends and cultural traits remained relatively unchanged as people spread across the land mass of China, though the growth of villages and towns also slowly began to take shape. In nearly every region that was inhabited by humans in this era, rice was a staple crop. Millet and other grains were also significant agricultural products, but it was rice that was one of the most important sources of food. Its abundance and availability supported the growing population of human beings, while the growing population continued to grow more and more rice in a self-perpetuating cycle.

When agriculture first developed in what is now known as China, humans lived in small populations, often just of a few dozen or more (Marks, 2012). This trend continued for several thousand years, as the growing human population lived in small, even isolated pockets. Small villages would grow rice and other foods to feed themselves, and would have little contact with people on other villages or other early human communities. This began to change sometime between 4000 BCE and 2000 BCE, in a process known as “the formation of a Chinese Interaction Sphere” (Marks, 2012). The term “interaction sphere” is used to describe the changes that took place as these small, isolated populations grew too large to remain isolated, and these different groups began to have much more contact with other groups than ever before. It was during this time that “Chinese history began to play out” (Marks, 2012) as these cultural attributes of these smaller groups began to merge into a larger cultural and historical identity. Over the course of 5000 to 7000 years, the birth of agriculture along the Yangtze River had made it possible for small human populations to survive and grow, and to eventually develop the traits and attributes of modern human culture.

According to much of the research into this period of Chinese history, the growth of the human population in the region was greatest to the East and the North of the earliest Neolithic settlements (Marks, 2012). A combination of suitable geography and climate, along with an abundance of natural food, drove this growth. Within a few thousand years BCE the region now known as Beijing was populated by towns and cities, with the outlying regions remaining committed to agriculture and rural lifestyles. The explosive growth of agriculture, along with the traits of modern human culture –wealth, trade, art, literature, and the like- were all common aspects of life for tens of thousands of people by this time.  The tiny, simple grain that Neolithic humans had learned to grow for themselves had, in a very real sense, served as the foundation for the massive growth of one of the world’s earliest and greatest civilizations.

It would be impossible to offer a detailed or thorough history of China from 2000 BCE to the present in a discussion of this scope, though it may be helpful to consider the ways that the development and spread of agriculture underpinned the birth of Chinese culture and gave rise to a massive human population. The sophisticated tools and techniques that allowed the Chinese to bend nature to their will eventually led to the developments of the Bronze age, and more sophisticated tools, works of art, weapons, and other creations. In the several centuries BCE, the Chinese culture truly began to flourish, and the “hundred schools of thought” movement saw an explosion of interest in serious philosophical concerns. The writings of Confucius, the philosophies of Taoism and other philosophical structures, and a variety of complex and sophisticated political and legal systems were all developed in these centuries.

The Han Dynasty was a particularly notable era of Chinese history. Concepts of Legalism and other sophisticated ideas were being developed and implemented into Chinese society while many other parts of the world were still living in pre-Bronze Age conditions.  Confucianism was codified into a central position in the culture, and the political leadership implemented the first “centralized state” in China (Gernet, 1982). As Chinese culture and society grew more complex and sophisticated in this period, it was not longer so completely dependent on or centered on agriculture as once had been, but rice continued to serve as one of the country’s most important staple foods. Rice could even be used as a form of currency; tax collectors devised systems that allowed taxes to be paid in silver or in equivalent values of rice, silk, or other goods (Morton, 1995).

During the Song Dynasty approximately a thousand years later, agriculture played a notable role in the political success of the government.  During a period from 1021-1086 known as the Wang An Shi reform, the government provided low-interest loans and even free land to some farmers and peasants as a means of ensuring that they survived between harvests and were able to contribute to the total output of rice and other grains (Chai, 2011). For thousands of years of growth and development, Chinese leaders of all levels recognized the importance of agriculture, and implemented policies to encourage and support it (Chai, 2011). Over the next 1000 years Chinese culture and society would continue to evolve, adapt, and change in countless ways, but rice would remain one of the country’s most important sources of food.

Contemporary China and the “Iron Rice Bowl”

By the 18^th and 19^th centuries the dynastic eras of Chinese rule were starting to come to an end. Much had changed in the two millennia since the Han Dynasty, when China was among the most advanced countries on Earth. Over the centuries, much of the rest of the world had caught up to China, and in some ways surpassed it, in terms of technological achievements, cultural developments, and overall involvement in and engagement with the rest of the world. The internal and external social, economic and political tensions in China would, by the middle of the 20^th century, lead to sweeping changes and all-out revolution. Despite the scope and scale of these changes, however, rice continued to play an important role in Chinese society.

Although the process of industrialization was beginning to reshape the Chinese economic and political systems in the late 19^th and early 20^th century, the nation remained largely agricultural, with over 80% of the population living in rural areas (Leppman, 2005). When the Communist revolution took place in 1949 the nation was still largely agricultural. The centralized-planning approach that was initially taken by the government was intended to engage more Chinese in industrial sectors, and the symbol of the “iron rice bowl” was used to represent the idea that the government would provide job security and the necessities of life for all Chinese citizens (Hughes, 2002). This also required advances in production and output in the agricultural sector, though most of the government’s targets were not met.  By 1957 the government announced plans for “The Great Leap Forward,” which was intended to turn away from centralization and towards a communal approach to agriculture. This was a dismal failure, and many millions died in the ensuing famine (Hughes, 2002).

At this point in Chinese history, rice was both a symbol and a rare necessity. It was imperative that the government implement reforms that would end further starvation and would provide some political and economic stability. This created tension between the ideal of the iron rice bowl and the push for economic reforms that would allow more freedom and autonomy on an economic level. The reforms which began in 19078 began to push China towards an economic system that involved a mix of public and private enterprises, and over the last several decades this trend has been the dominant force driving China’s political system and economic activities (Chai, 2011).

“China’s Changing Rice Bowl”

In the book “Changing Rice Bowl: Economic Development and Diet in China,” author Elizabeth Leppman (2005) explores the ways that China has changed in the last several decades, particularly in terms of the period after the last great famine. While governments throughout China’s history have played active roles in the country’s agricultural development and output, the contemporary Chinese government is more deeply involved than at any other period of Chinese history. The government makes determinations about production, output, and other factors of the agricultural sector, though rice and other grains remain important staples in the diets of most Chinese.  At the same time, however, many Chinese people have access to a variety of foods that are relatively new to the Chinese diet. The influence of external dietary trends is apparent in the explosive growth of Western-style fast food and other restaurants in China’s urban centers. Health issues related to obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease, were once rare in China, but are becoming increasingly common (Leppman, 2005). Rice remains China’s most important food source, but it is threatened by the changes of the modern world.

References

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