Experience, Techniques And Power: Operation Of Land Reform In Jinzhong New Area

Land reform is considered to be an effort and exploration made by the CPC towards the modernization of Chinese society. It is an essential revolutionary step for the Chinese to transform from a semi-feudal and semi-colonial society to a modern society. From 1920s to 1950s, the CPC had put forward different appropriate guidelines, policies in different historical period and endeavor to bring them into practice, among which, the "New Region Land Reform" was of considerable importance during the CPC Land Reform Movement from 1927. It indicated a new starting point for the construction of political power and development of economy, and it was also the last process for the CPC to solve the issue relating to land in China under the name of "land Reform". This was a stage of land reform in which a majority of people were involved, the mobilization scope was most extensive, the policy was comparatively integrated, and the operation process was relatively stable. Nevertheless, China is a large country where the territorial features of the rural society were extremely prominent. Due to the differentiated historical conditions and social forms, the process of the land reform in each region varied. By means of in-depth research into the land reform in different times and different regions, a three-dimensional picture and full meaning of the land reform activity can be fully shown, and it can also objectively witness the difficulties and intricacy in the process of Chinese revolution and construction as well as the efforts made towards it by the CPC.Land reform in Jinzhong New Area was one of the land revolution led by the CPC under the specific historical times and in accordance with the specific social patterns in Jinzhong. It was a typical example of the land reform in New Areas which experienced lots of ups and downs. As a matter of fact, it could be regarded as an epitome of Chinese revolution and construction. This dissertation focuses on the experimental village in the land reform, uses a viewpoint of experience, technique and power, and bases the historical evidential analysis and individual research on the historical archives, newspaper documentations, and local records. By using the theory and methodology of sociology, anthropology, political science, and psychology, the paper is to take a historical look into the process of how the state and social relationship gradually merged and what difficulties such merger experienced. By doing this, the purpose is to illustrate the social pictures and features of the time, consequently disclosing the complexity of the land reform, and the Chinese revolution.This dissertation started by analyzing the social patterns of Jinzhong New Area before land reform and make a historical study and experimental analysis of the different aspects relating to the land reform in Jinzhong New Area, including but not limited to shaping and development of land reform policy, social mobilization of rural people, power structure of rural land reform, class division and wealth reallocation in the land reform, cadres group in the land reform. Before the land reform, the social patterns in Jinzhong New Area presented a picture of more complexity due to the fight of different political forces. After the liberation, the CPC started to implement the land reform in this region. The policy then made a reference to the experience of the land reform in old regions and other new areas, and was gradually developed and improved during the implementation. On the other hand, the typical social patterns in Jinzhong New Area were fully considered. Of course, the implementation had not been smooth. The obstacles came from the existing ideological status and behavior out of the old living experience. The CPC then had to utilize the previous experience in mobilizing people and technique while at the same time more efficient technical means needed to be sought to meet the purpose of mobilization target. Based on the mobilization of the people, the CPC also drew experience, applied different organizing techniques to organize "poor peasant organization" and "peasant association" to strengthen power permeation in the countryside.This also had experienced a lot of difficulties. With regard to the land reform, the core was the class division and wealth reallocation. Either had a referential standard and policy formulated by the CPC. But in practice, historically accumulated living experience and realistic demand made the rural people utilize all kinds of technical means against the land reform, which produced a large gap between the reality and the CPC's expectation. In order to achieve the goal, the CPC constantly mobilized its power executor, that is, the cadres of the land reform, and these cadres were trained with technical means and theoretical education so that their own qualities and administrative capabilities can be improved. The purpose was to overcome the limits caused by the cadres' quantity and quality with an expectation that they could play a key role in the power structure. However, these cadres who were in an intermediate position between the state and society were regularly limited by their individual technique or policy mechanism and were in a dilemma. Therefore, the land reform in Jinzhong New Area was not at all even. This dissertation will present such a view of experience, technique and power that the difficulties and complexity can be fully illustrated.Currently, the solution of China's rural problems and other social problems is well inter-connected with the state, people and doers of the policy. Difficulties or obstacles are certain to be met. Though history is not repeating itself, the experience from the history can provide us with many useful references and hints. This dissertation is of course useful for the analysis and thinking of the current and realistic issues.