The Development in the Pearl River Delta and the Formation and Evolution of Rural Society

要对珠江三角洲地区形成和演变的乡村社会进行真实而稳定的描绘，就必须明确地处乡村社会底层的聚落层面的现实。我的项目讨论了珠江三角洲外的“西北江老三角洲（*******）”，特别是顺德（**）县从19世纪到20世纪初，使用地名和地图资料。结果表明：1)如果将由相邻房屋组成的最小的区域和社会单位定义为聚落，聚落的概念几乎等同于当代中国的自然村，我们可以将房（*）或舍（*）视为聚落或自然村；(2)直到20世纪30年代左右，一个行政村实际上是由一个自然村或一组自然村自发结合而成的，本应由县政府掌握；(3)关于自然村和行政村与其附近耕地的关系，行政村和自然村都有自己的边界和领土；④边界和领土具有不固定和不稳定的特征；（五）开发土地的问题，例如在土地上修筑堤坝的问题，同把土地作为领土来支配的问题密切联系在一起；(6) 1945 - 1949年内战时期的“巴耕”现象表明，在自然村领土内的耕地，即使其他村民也可以拥有所有权，但只有本村村民才拥有经营和耕作的权利。二战后在日本的中国历史研究中，人们普遍认为1949年以前中国农村社会不存在“村社”（*****）。这一观点的重要依据是村庄边界和领土的不存在。然而，我的研究成果要求我们重新审视1949年以前中国农村社会的特征。边界和领土的性质是否随着发展的进展而改变，还有待讨论。少

If we make real and steady image of the rural society which was formed and evolved in the Pearl River Delta, it is indispensable to make clear the realities of settlement level situated at the base of rural society. My project discusses 'the Xi-Beijiang Old Delta (*******)' out of the Pearl River Delta, especially Shunde (**) county from the 19th to the early 20th centuries, using gazetteer and map materials.As a result, it has become clear that : 1) if we define the smallest regional and social unit composed of adjoining houses as a settlement, the notion of settlement is nearly equivalent to that of natural village in contemporary China, we can regard a fang (*) or a she (*) as a settlement or a natural village ; 2) until about 1930s, an administrative village which should be grasped by the county government, was in fact composed of a natural village or a group of natural villages joining together spontaneously ; 3) with regard to the relations between a natural village or an adminis … More trative village and the cultivated land close to it, not only an administrative village but also a natural village had its own boundries and territories ; 4) its boundries and territories were characterized by unfixation and unstability ; 5) the subject of developing land, such as that of building up embankments on it, was closely connected with that of holding sway over it as territory ; 6) the phenomenon of 'bageng (**)' in the civil war from 1945 to 1949 suggests that, at the cultivated land in a natural village's territory, even other villagers could hold the right of ownership, but only the very villagers could hold the right of management and tillage.Among Chinese historical studies in Japan after World War II,it has been nearly a common opinion that there had not been 'village communities (*****)' in Chinese rural society before 1949. And the weghty basis of the opinion is the inexistance of village boundries and territories. The fruit of my project, however, demands to reexamine the charactor of Chinese rural society before 1949. It remains to be discussed whether the charactor of boundries and territories changed with the progress of development. Less