Far below the Mandarins/literati came the 90\% of the population who lived by agriculture, from poor tenant farmers to rich landlords.Zhihong Shi, Agricultural Development in Qing China (Brill, 2017). Pp 425-434. Many were very poor tenants or day laborers, others especially in the southern provinces were better off and more secure by owning their land. Confucians praised agriculturalists as honest men who provided the nation's food. Famines and floods were serious risks. To forestall local rebellions the Qing government established an elaborate system to protect against famines and other disasters such as epidemics. It was built around a granary system that store grain. It minimize famine distress by distributing free or low-cost grain . However the system was largely destroyed during the Taiping rebellion of the 1850s, putting this large element of population at risk to flooding, droughts, pestilence, and other causes of famines . The introduction of sweet potatoes sharply reduced the excess hunger and reduced the propensity to revolt.Ruixue Jia, "Weather shocks, sweet potatoes and peasant revolts in historical China." Economic Journal 124.575 (2014): 92-118 online.Pierre-Etienne Will and R. Bin Wong, Nourish the people: The state civilian granary system in China, 1650–1850 (University of Michigan Press, 2020).Kathryn Jean, Edgerton-Tarpley, "From 'Nourish the People' to 'Sacrifice for the Nation': Changing Responses to Disaster in Late Imperial and Modern China." Journal of Asian Studies (2014): 447-469. online
Far below the Mandarins/literati came the 90\% of the population who lived by agriculture, from poor tenant farmers to rich landlords.Zhihong Shi, Agricultural Development in Qing China (Brill, 2017). Pp 425-434. Many were very poor tenants or day laborers, others especially in the southern provinces were better off and more secure by owning their land. Confucians praised agriculturalists as honest men who provided the nation's food. Famines and floods were serious risks. To forestall local rebellions the Qing government established an elaborate system to protect against famines and other disasters such as epidemics. It was built around a granary system , distributing free or subsidized grain during distress. This system was largely destroyed during the Taiping rebellion of the 1850s, leaving the population vulnerable . The introduction of sweet potatoes reduced excess hunger and reduced the propensity to revolt.Ruixue Jia, "Weather shocks, sweet potatoes and peasant revolts in historical China." Economic Journal 124.575 (2014): 92-118 online.Pierre-Etienne Will and R. Bin Wong, Nourish the people: The state civilian granary system in China, 1650–1850 (University of Michigan Press, 2020).Kathryn Jean, Edgerton-Tarpley, "From 'Nourish the People' to 'Sacrifice for the Nation': Changing Responses to Disaster in Late Imperial and Modern China." Journal of Asian Studies (2014): 447-469. online
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