China's ancient economic form

China's ancient economic forms included agriculture, handicrafts and commerce.

The agriculture in ancient China was mainly a small-scale peasant economy. Small-scale peasant economy appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period. The reasons are: the progress of production tools, especially the use of iron farm tools and the use of Niu Geng technology; Progress in agricultural technology; The emergence of private land.

Handicraft owners in ancient China were mainly private handicrafts. Private handicrafts appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. With the improvement of productivity and the change of production relations, private industry and commerce rose rapidly, and industry and commerce began to be called the "four people" of the country together with scholars and farmers.

The ancient commerce in China mainly refers to private enterprises. Private businessmen appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. With the improvement of productivity, the progress of production technology and the emergence of private land, private businessmen have gradually formed and become the main body of businessmen.

Their respective characteristics:

Characteristics of small-scale peasant economy:

1. Take the family as the basic unit of production and life, and cultivate intensively.

2. The combination of agriculture and cottage industry.

3. The products produced are used for self-consumption or tax payment, which is a self-sufficient natural economy.

Characteristics of private handicraft industry:

On the one hand, since the Tang and Song Dynasties, the commodity economy has developed vigorously, and a large number of products from private handicrafts have entered the market;

On the other hand, by the middle and late Ming Dynasty, there were more and more large-scale manual workshops or workshops employing many workers, which gave birth to the employment labor relationship of "contribution of technicians, contribution of technicians" and "value of work".

Characteristics of business development:

Sui and Tang dynasties: the silk road was extremely prosperous on the sea and on the road;

Paper money appeared in the Song and Yuan Dynasties and must develop rapidly.

Ming and Qing dynasties: specialized industrial and commercial towns and big business gangs appeared; Monetary economy is extremely prosperous.