Why did China emphasize agriculture and restrain commerce in ancient times?

Reasons for attaching importance to agriculture and restraining business:

Agricultural production is the foundation of the country, and productivity was low at that time.

Qin and Shang Yang advocated the policy of "emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce" during the political reform, and divided people into four categories: scholars, farmers, workers and businessmen. Taxis are the most expensive, followed by agriculture, followed by industry and commerce. This idea was used by dynasties. Feudal dynasties, especially newly established dynasties, emphasized the importance of agriculture and "agriculture-oriented", which was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Since then, rulers of all previous dynasties have inherited the policy of attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce, with the aim of protecting agricultural production and small-scale peasant economy, ensuring the levy and collection of land rent and consolidating feudal rule.

In the final analysis, the adoption of such measures by successive dynasties was determined by their economic base. The economic base of feudal countries is a self-sufficient natural economy, and the main sector of this economy is agriculture. Agriculture was the decisive production department in ancient times, and the situation of agricultural production was directly related to the rise and fall of the country.

Extended data:

In the feudal history of more than 2,000 years, the concept of "agriculture is the foundation of commerce" was the main theme of China's traditional economic thought, and the political policy of "emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce" was the basic strategy of ancient rulers in governing the country. Since the Warring States period, the policy of "rewarding agricultural war" and "restraining business" has been formed. After Qin and Han Dynasties, "emphasizing agriculture and restraining business" and "respecting the foundation and restraining the end" gradually became national policies. Monopoly law in Song and Yuan Dynasties and even "sea ban" in Ming and Qing Dynasties were all manifestations of the policy of emphasizing agriculture and restraining business. The policy of "attaching importance to agriculture and restraining business" and "putting agriculture at the end of business" has deeply restricted and influenced the history of China.

The legal content embodied in the policy of "attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce" in different historical periods in ancient China must be determined by the economic form. When the concept of "agriculture is the foundation of business" is believed by the rulers, the law of restraining business as the embodiment of the will and interests of the ruling class comes into being.

Attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce is the most basic economic guiding ideology of China feudal dynasty, which advocates attaching importance to agriculture, taking agriculture as the foundation and limiting the development of industry and commerce. From Li Kui's political reform and Shang Yang's political reform to the measures taken by Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty to restore economic adjustment in the early Qing Dynasty, the policy of attaching importance to agriculture and restraining business was reflected. "Historical Records of the First Qin Emperor" contains: "The merit of the son of heaven lies in diligence. If you go to agriculture, you will be rich. All over the world, I am determined. "

References:

Emphasizing agriculture and restraining business-Baidu Encyclopedia