TWO ESSAYS ON THE CH'ING ECONOMY OF HSIN-AN
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The study of perpetual tenancy systems has long constituted an important, if overlooked, avenue of research into the diversity of economic life which characterized pre-revolutionary rural China.13 Though the institution of perpetual lease was widespread, the degree to which it dominated the agricultural sector—as well as the particular form it took—varied considerably over short distances. In a communication to the Colonial Secretary's Office in January 1904, an officer of the Land Court complained of difficulties facing administrators attempting to codify the land tenure system:
Chinese law does not, so far as I can ascertain, contain any mention of perpetual lease and I am informed that the custom of leasing land perpetually is local in the New Territories and does not prevail a short distance from our borders.14
The variant of perpetual tenancy found in 19th-century Hsin-An closely corresponded to the ti-ku (地骨)/ti-p'i (地皮) system found in Ch'ung-An Hsien (崇安縣) of Northern Fukien. Hsu Tien-t’ai, in his "Study of the Tenancy Systems of Fukien” (福建租佃制之研究), groups this system with the t'ien-ku (田骨)/t'ien p'i (田皮) category of perpetual tenancy (永佃制). His description follows:
Concerning t'ien k'u (lit: "field's bones") and t'ien p'i (lit: "field's skin"), or k'u t'ien (骨田) and p'i tien (皮田), this system is found in several counties throughout the province, the names changing slightly from place to place. The value of the "bones" belongs to the landlord, and the value of the "skin" belongs to the tenant; both sides can freely sell their respective rights. While the landlord ("bones-master") can freely sell his title, he can, in no way, affect the rights of the tenant to the "skin-value." Moreover, the responsibility of paying the land-tax resides, as usual, with the landlord. When the tenant sells his title, even if disputes arise, there is no way for the landlord to interfere. Indeed, even the government finds it difficult to intervene.15
One of the earliest British accounts of perpetual lease in Hsin-An is to be found in Lockhart's "Memorandum on Land" appended to his Report on the New Territory at Hong Kong (1900):
The relation between landlord and tenant is often a complicated one, chiefly owing to the system of perpetual lease. Under such leases the landlords have practically renounced all rights to the
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TWO ESSAYS ON THE CH'ING ECONOMY OF HSIN-AN
59
The study of prepetual tenancy systems has long constituted an important, if overlooked, avenue of research into the diversity of economic life which characterized pre-revolutionary rural China.13 Though the institution of perpetual lease was widespread, the degree to which it dominated the agricultural sector-as well as the particular form it took— varied considerably over short distances. In a communication to the Colonial Secretary's Office in January 1904, an officer of the Land Court complained of difficulties facing administrators attempting to codify the land tenure system:
Chinese law does not, so far as I can ascertain, contain any mention of perpetual lease and I am informed that the custom of leasing land perpetually is local in the New Territories and does not prevail a short distance from our borders.14
The variant of perpetual tenancy found in 19th-century Hsin-An closely corresponded to the ti-ku (£}}-)/ti-p’i (✯✯) system found in Ch'ung-An Hsien (*) of Northern Fukien. Hsu Tien-t’ai, in his "Study of the Tenancy Systems of Fukien” (###£), groups this system with the t'ien-ku (w)/t'ien p'i (w) category of perpetual tenancy (). His description follows:
Concerning t'ien k'u (lit: "field's bones") and t'ien p'i (lit: "field's skin"), or k'u t'ien (†) and p'i tien (✯), this system is found in several counties throughout the province, the names changing slightly from place to place. The value of the "bones" belongs to the landlord, and the value of the "skin" belongs to the tenant; both sides can freely sell their respective rights. While the landlord ("bones-master") can freely sell his title, he can, in no way, affect the rights of the tenant to the "skin-value." Moreover, the responsibility of paying the land- tax, resides, as usual, with the landlord. When the tenant sells his title, even if disputes arise, there is no way for the landlord to interfere. Indeed, even the government finds it difficult to intervene.15
One of the earliest British accounts of perpetual lease in Hsin- An is to be found in Lockhart's "Memorandum on Land" appended to his Report on the New Territory at Hong Kong (1900):
The relation between landlord and tenant is often a complicated one, chiefly owing to the system of perpetual lease. Under such leases the landlords have practically renounced all rights to the
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