We talked about the 7 articles in the "Wine Series" before,
finally! finally!
Without further ado, let’s get to the point right away – how was the situation of wine during the Ming and Qing Dynasties? How was it treated?
The cupbearers of the Ming and Qing Dynasties: timely prohibitions and light taxes
In the Chinese historical system that absorbed the research results on peasant wars and concession policies, the Ming Dynasty was described as a period that abolished the bad governance of the previous dynasty and restored order and people's livelihood. In the era of innovation, perhaps this theory can be logically self-consistent, but it is not enough to change the fact that the Ming Dynasty inherited many legacies of the Yuan Dynasty. Although many historians of the Ming Dynasty claim to have "restored China" and "won the most upright country," most of the political and economic legacies of the Yuan Dynasty directly affected the early Ming Dynasty and even beyond.
"The occupational household registration system, national service, enfeoffment system, government-run handicrafts, marginalization tendency of Confucian scholars, and the enslavement of monarchs and ministers, etc. were slightly different between the Yuan Dynasty and the Middle Tang and Song Dynasties, which had a profound and heavy influence on the early Ming Dynasty. The military household system, the household service law of "assigning households to serve as errands", the government handicraft and craftsman registration system, the paper money system, the contrast between the north and the south in political economy, the three-division system in provinces, and the enfeoffment of clans, The shadows of the Yuan system or the Northern system can be seen in the execution of meritorious officials and scholar-bureaucrats, which were all inherited by the rulers of the Ming Dynasty with slight modifications. "
Li Zhi'an "Clues of Historical Development in the Two Southern and Northern Dynasties and Medieval Times"
Although the Ming Dynasty inherited many political legacies of the Yuan Dynasty, the cupbearers of the Ming Dynasty were different from those of the Yuan Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty reversed the policy of the Song and Yuan Dynasties and implemented a wine tax. Although alcohol prohibition was also implemented, generally speaking, it was an important era in which the prohibition was timely and the tax was relatively light. The prohibition and tax did not greatly damage the wine making, but instead significantly promoted the development of the wine industry.
Before the Ming Dynasty, the cupbearer once had a change of "prohibition of alcohol - taxation - prohibition of alcohol".
For example, in the 18th year of Emperor Yuan Shun's reign, Zhu Yuanzhang after capturing part of the land in the south of the Yangtze River, in order to attract people's support, he opened the granary of the local government office to provide relief to the poor in Jining and Yue areas, and announced a ban on alcohol. Treat alcohol prohibition as an important means of anti-Yuan struggle, just like poverty relief.
In Xin Mao, Marshal Wang Yucheng of Xiongfengyi led Huining soldiers to Changhua County. He won Yuan's guard general Wanhu Benma, and joined forces with Marshal Sun Maoxian to destroy Niyao Village. It is the month of the month, and a warehouse is sent to help the poor people in Ningyue. A ban on alcohol was ordered. " Ming Taizu Real Records"
Later Chen Youliang separatized Wuxia (that is, the Soochow region under Sun Wu's rule). In order to compete with it, Zhu Yuanzhang began to collect wine and vinegar taxes in the 20th year of Zhizheng, that is, 1360. to increase military spending.
In February of the next year of Wu Xia (generally referring to the Soochow area)
, a letter was requested from Zhongzhong to levy a tax on wine and vinegar. "History of the Ming Dynasty· Food and Huo Zhi"
1363, Zhu Yuanzhang defeated Chen Youliang's troops at Poyang Lake. Chen Youliang also died from an arrow while breaking through. After getting rid of his serious troubles, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict to ban alcohol in 1366. The edict said: Because of military expenses, too much money was collected from ordinary people, and he still felt a little uncomfortable, so he still banned bars!
Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's portrait
I started my business in Jiangzuo for twelve years. The expenses of the military and state were collected from the people and took too much. I felt very sorry for it. Because the people were making wine and wasting rice and wheat, they banned alcohol this spring. The price of wheat is slightly flat, which is quite beneficial to the people. However, it is necessary to prevent its source from being blocked, and farmers should not plant glutinous rice this year. The source of making wine with plugs is to make the grain abundant and affordable, so that our people can be fed and enjoy their lives. This is the reality of the common people supporting the people. "Continued Literature Comprehensive Examination"
Taxing wine is to maintain the political power, and banning alcohol is also to maintain the political power. Zhu Yuanzhang banned or taxed according to actual needs, which to a certain extent helped him conquer the world. If the small people can benefit from it, it will also It's an extra bit of luck. In short, before unifying the world, Zhu Yuanzhang basically implemented a policy of alternating bans and restrictions on wine, but it did not form a fixed policy. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the prohibition on alcohol was gradually relaxed, and in the 18th year of Hongwu , "taxed wine" was customized.
If there are items such as cloth, silk, rice, grain, etc. in wine, vinegar and various color classes, gold and silver coins will be collected at a discount. " Ming Dynasty Huidian " Volume 35 Course 4·Business Tax
In the end of the Ming Dynasty, although there were later encounters A ban on alcohol was also announced during times of famine and famine, but generally speaking, the Ming Dynasty mainly implemented a policy of taxing alcohol.In the Ming Dynasty, not only wine but also koji was taxed. However, the tax rate for wine tax and koji tax was "Thirty tax to one", so the taxes were not very high.
Other fish, tea, wine, vinegar, alum, saltpeter, lead powder, black tin, pink tin, gypsum, commercial tax, kiln tax and other various colors, all receive gold and silver coins at a discount. (Hongwu) In the 23rd year of the decree, all the banknotes that should be collected are collected and stored by the Chief Secretary. He also ordered all tax bureaus and bureaus to collect commercial taxes at a rate of 1/30, and no more should be collected. "Da Ming Huidian" Volume 35 Course 4·Commercial Tax
After the Qing Dynasty took over the Central Plains, the wine tax was not too heavy. As a foreign race at that time, the Manchus learned many lessons from the bad governance of the Yuan Dynasty. Starting from Huairou, they basically inherited the wine administration of the Ming Dynasty.
A strong bowl of wine goes down the throat: the development and popularization of soju
Although dynasties have changed, fortunately, the transition of administration and the succession of dynasties are neither rooted in the underlying structure of Chinese people's lives nor have long-term effects on the underlying structure, whether it is Scholars who agree with the theory of changes in the Song and Yuan Dynasties or those in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties cannot ignore Mr. Li Bozhong's conclusion from the perspective of economic history that " China's economy had a consistent development trend from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty". Therefore, the social economy of the Ming and Qing dynasties continued to accumulate and develop on the basis of inheriting the development of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. It only took on different forms and characteristics due to differences in the superstructure.
In summary, the same is true for the production and development of wine. Moreover, the wine administration in the Ming and Qing dynasties was harmonious, so on the basis of the previous generation, the production and sales of wine developed greatly in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This trend can also be seen in the types of wine.
In the "Liuqing Rizhao" written by Tian Yiheng, a cultural celebrity in the Ming Dynasty, many wines in the Ming Dynasty were recorded. According to taste, they can be divided into sweet wine, fragrant sober wine, spirits, steamed wine, raw wine, bitter wine, and drunken wine. , light wine, sour wine, etc.; From the color of the wine, it can be divided into red wine, yellow wine, green wine, green wine, clear wine, white wine, cloudy wine, purple wine, black wine and so on. The types and quality of wine have increased and improved compared to the previous generation.
Let’s have a drink together
However, the most prominent highlight of the development of alcohol in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was the spread and popularity of shochu.
Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty listed the "Compendium of Shaojiu" separately in "Compendium of Materia Medica" , which recorded:
Soju, not an ancient method, was created since the Yuan Dynasty. The method uses strong wine and grains to steam in a steamer. When the air is boiling, use a container to collect Dettol, and any sour wine can be steamed and burned. Recently, glutinous rice, japonica rice, broomcorn millet, socks, or barley are steamed, mixed with koji and brewed in a vat for seven days, then steamed in a steamer. The rice is as clear as water and has a strong flavor, which can be covered with wine dew.
Xie Zhaozhi was a Jinshi during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. He recorded the name and taste of shochu, which was popular in Beijing at that time, in "Wuzazu·wubusan". He said that shochu was ferocious, like a disembodied knife and axe. Like a sharp weapon.
"The burning knives of the capital are the pure cotton of the officials. However, the monks are fierce in nature and do not use bladeless axes."
In the south, the method of distilling wine has become popular among the lower class people. "Shen's Agricultural Book" records the method of making shochu from yellow distiller's grains.
Yellow wine
In the Qing Dynasty, the number of famous shochu began to increase. At that time, northerners drank more sorghum wine, and the best ones were Hebei Lianggezhuang, Shenyang Niuzhuang, and Shanxi Fenjiu. The situation in the south was slightly different. The northern wine was too strong, and rice wine was popular in the south, especially in Shaoxing. The daughter is famous for her beauty.
Shaoxing famous wine: Nerhong
The northerners must drink sorghum, and the best ones come from Lianggezhuang in Zhili, Niuzhuang in Fengtian, and Fenhe in Shanxi. "Qingyi Lei Chao·Food and Drink"
Today, Shaoxing wine is popular all over the country, and it can be said to be the authentic wine. "The Wanderings Continue"
Where does soju come from?
In the previous article of the wine series, we mentioned that there were records of wine in the Tang and Song Dynasties.Especially in the Song Dynasty, due to the government-run wine industry, the taste of wine was very perfunctory. There have always been "poems are poor, don't write about sorrow like the sea, wine is poor, it is difficult to dream home" ( Zhu Bian "Chun Yin"), "It's cold. It is difficult to become drunk with too little wine, and it is easy to lose one's soul when the ground is far away and the building is high " (Yang Huizhi's "Cold Food to the Minister Zheng Qi") Sentence, Su Shi later advised everyone: " Don't dislike the wine as it is thin, red and pink, it will eventually win in the mud." ("Nine Days in the Yellow House") - Forget it, don't be picky, although the wine is weak. Just like the water, the girls who accompany the wine are also... average-looking, ahem, but they are much easier and happier than being a farmer! It made sense, so everyone just drank it. But in the Yuan Dynasty, things took a turn for the better. A very strong wine called "Hachiki" came from the Arabian region.
Come, come, it comes with the aroma of wine
According to the records of Ye Ziqi's " Cao Muzi ", it is said that this kind of wine called "Hachji" is very strong, but as clear as water Same. This method of making liquor was only available in the Yuan Dynasty and did not exist before the Yuan Dynasty. And people at that time could already distinguish the real "Haji" from the inferior ones mixed with water. According to Ye Ziqi's records, if you go to the snow-covered areas in the mountains in August, if it is the real "Haji" "Bi" does not freeze. This extremely cold liquid that does not freeze is the essence of wine. After drinking it, people will sweat all over their bodies and die.
"French wine is made from the semen of shochu, and it is called 'Haci Ji'. The wine is very strong, and it is as clear as water, covering the wine dew. Every year, wine is made on the road of Jining, etc., and in August it goes to the Dahang Mountains , to identify the authenticity. The genuine one is not ice-cold, and the fake one is filled with ice and has a solid abdomen. The rest are all ice, but this one is not iced. If you drink it, it will cause death. If you drink it for two or three years, it will be very poisonous. This is the law of the Yuan Dynasty. Yes. "
Soju that is as transparent as water
The word haqiji comes from the Arabic "araq", which is also translated as aqiji, galaji, etc., which means shochu. Its nature is "sweet and spicy, very hot, and very poisonous. It mainly relieves cold and hard accumulation and removes cold". Whether shochu was founded in the Yuan Dynasty is a controversial issue in historical circles. The current conclusion is that the production method of shochu appeared no later than the Yuan Dynasty. But one thing is certain, in the Yuan Dynasty, the technology of making wine has been recorded among the people. Xu Youren said: "In the 12th century, water and fire were used to extract the dew, and the hair on the right side was strong and green, which could not be washed away by the autumn air. It can be done even if it is drunk. The method came out of the Western Regions, from Shang Fang to the noble family, and now the sweat is all over the world. Translated "A Qi Ji Yun", can be used as very strong evidence.
Shochu first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty and gained development and popularity in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The popularity of shochu during the Ming and Qing Dynasties was not only the natural development and spread of technology, but also related to the climate at that time.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, we were roughly in the Little Ice Age, and the climate in the north was relatively cold. In order to resist the cold climate in the north, shochu is popular all over the country, among which shochu is the most popular in the five provinces of Zhili (now Hebei Province), Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi and Shanxi.
In the five northern provinces, pot-shaking establishments were opened in many places, and wine was the industry. "Ci Fu Tong Zhi"
The popularity of Shaojiu is no greater than that in the five provinces of Hebei... There are many Shaojiu shops, with more than a hundred in each county. "Records of Qianlong" Volume 42
The Northeast region was regarded as the place where the Manchus flourished in the Qing Dynasty. In order to prevent the Manchus in the Northeast from being assimilated by the Han, since the early Qing Dynasty, the Qing government had restricted Han people from settling in the Northeast, and also restricted the activities of Han people in the Northeast. However, non-governmental exchanges cannot be stopped with a ban, and as the climate changes, it becomes colder as you go north. Soju is also becoming increasingly popular in Northeast China and other places.
At the junction of Shengjingkou and Outer Mongolia, there are many mainlanders who export hotpots. " Qing Shi Lu "
Later, the shochu produced by Niuzhuang in Shenyang became a good product in the world.
This concludes the article introducing the wine series. Thank you readers for your support. The author does not have enough time, study time, and writing skills. I only briefly describe the customs and culture of wine in the past dynasties. There are still many deficiencies and superficialities. Please bear with me and give me your advice.
Note: Zhu Kezhen mentioned in "Chinese Meteorological History" that several of the largest periods of social unrest in Chinese history were basically consistent with the four Little Ice Ages that occurred during them. The four Little Ice Ages are: the late Shang and early Zhou dynasties, the late Han and Three Kingdoms, the late Tang and Five Dynasties, and the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The result is roughly the same: a sharp drop in temperature within a few decades caused drought in the north and a massive reduction in food production, followed by long-term famine and decades of social unrest and war.
References:
"Research on Chinese Wine Economy and Wine Culture from a Historical and Geographic Perspective" by Ma Xiangjin
"Wine, Wine Vessels and Traditional Culture - Research on Ancient Chinese Wine Culture" by Huang Yixi
"Yuan Dynasty Wine Customs, Wine Industry and "Butler" by Yang Yinmin
"Looking at the Economic History of Jiangnan from Multiple Perspectives (1250-1850)" by Li Bozhong
"A Preliminary Study of Social Changes in the Yuan Dynasty and the Early Ming Dynasty" by Li Zhian
"Clues of Historical Development in the Two Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Middle Ages" by Li Zhian
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