Chapter 1946, Wealth Increase and Accumulation in Agricultural Society
There is a manor a hundred miles away from Anning City in Ningguo. Liu Yang, the left prime minister of Ningguo, is accompanying Liu Da to inspect various parts of the manor.
"Although we in Ningguo cannot compare with the Ming Dynasty, the manor economy is also developing very well. There are countless large and small manors in Ningguo, mainly growing sugar cane, cotton, tea, spices and other cash crops. The one in front of us
The manor mainly grows sugar cane."
Liu Yangzheng was the left prime minister of Ningguo. He was very busy with many things to do. He had no time to accompany others around the manor. But the Liu Da in front of him was not an ordinary person. To be precise, his father was not an ordinary person. He was the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty's cabinet.
The chief minister of the Ming Dynasty's cabinet was equivalent to the prime minister in ancient times and the head of the civil service. His position was similar to his own in the Ning State. Of course, the Ning State could not compare with the Ming Dynasty.
There seems to be no comparison between me and Liu Jin. The other person is the chief minister of the cabinet who was born in the imperial examination. When he was in the Ming Dynasty, he could not even pass the exam, let alone the number one scholar.
However, this is not the main reason why he came to accompany Liu Da in person. Liu Jin is Liu Jin and Liu Da is Liu Da. Being able to meet him once is considered as giving Liu Jin face.
The reason why I wanted to come with him for a visit was because I heard Liu Da said he was going to South Africa this time.
Naturally, everyone is very clear about the situation in the South African colony. Liu Da's trip to the South African colony was obviously arranged by Liu Jin to prepare for taking over the South African colony in the future.
This also means that the young man in front of him will control the huge colony of South Africa in the future and can determine extremely huge interests and relationships. It will be beneficial and harmless to Ningguo to have a good relationship with him now.
Liu Da looked at the huge manor in front of him. The manor covers a very large area, with tens of thousands of acres of land. The owner of the land belongs to a Ming Dynasty person. Almost every Ming Dynasty person who immigrated to Ningguo can get a piece of land.
A large area of land, plus a certain number of slaves.
Slowly, its land became larger and larger, and gradually formed the manor economy and plantation economy that are now spread throughout Ningguo. The owners of manors or plantations are basically Ming people or some slaves who have made meritorious services.
Native Tianzhu indigenous people.
In the country of Ning where the caste system is implemented, the people of Ming Dynasty are the highest caste and are the people of God. As for the people of other castes, they all serve the people of God.
Brahmins and Kshatriyas are responsible for helping with management, while Vaishyas and Shudras are free farmers, handicraftsmen and the like. As for the untouchables and slaves, they farm for the people of God. The only existence of labor is the hard work of this life.
You have to work hard and endure hardships before you can be reborn as a high caste in your next life.
Under such propaganda and religious spirit, Ningguo's rule has always been very stable. In addition, Ningguo also knows some methods of winning over people's hearts and how to govern the country, so Ningguo has always been governed well.
In the manor in front of you, hundreds of slaves, low castes, and untouchables are working continuously in the fields. The sun is blazing above your head, making your scalp crack.
However, they worked without any regrets, and their figures were everywhere in the dense sugar cane forest.
The very interesting thing is that these people are obviously doing farm work and dirty work, but they are divided into several lineups. The lower-caste Shudras and Vaishyas are one group, and they only belong to the same caste as themselves.
Work together.
Slaves and slaves are also a group, and they gather together in an area to work. The untouchables are the least favored, they are the largest in number, and their work is the most tiring.
What's more important is that these untouchables don't even have a chance to come into contact with the Ming people. When they see the Ming people, they have to stay away and kneel down to avoid stepping on the shadow of the noble Ming people. In that case, they may be beaten to death.
Under an uncle not far away, several Ming people gathered together, drinking herbal tea while looking at the working slaves, untouchables and low-caste people.
They are accompanied by a group of Brahmins and Kshatriyas who are carefully serving them. Their identities are housekeepers, servants, and servants. They are responsible for serving the Ming people, conveying the orders of the Ming people, etc.
Soon, these people noticed Liu Yangzheng, Liu Da and the others. The owner of the manor, Zheng Xianyi, also came over in a hurry with his people.
Because he had noticed the official uniforms worn by Liu Yangzheng and the people around him, and he knew that they were officials at a glance.
"Zheng Xianyi has met all of you!"
Zheng Xianyi came to Liu Yangzheng, Liu Da and others and saluted respectfully.
"You came just in time. I have something to ask you here."
Liu Yangzheng nodded and motioned for Zheng Xianyi to come closer and speak. As for his housekeeper, servants and the like, they could not pass and were blocked by Liu Yangzheng's bodyguards.
"Excuse me, sir~"
Zheng Xianyi said quickly and respectfully.
"How big is your manor and how many people are there?"
"How much sucrose can be produced in a year?"
Liu Da looked at Zheng Xianyi and asked.
Zheng Xianyi first looked at Liu Da and saw that although Liu Da was not wearing official uniform, he was standing at the core position, walking with Liu Yangzheng beside him. This status was obviously unusual.
"My estate covers an area of more than 50,000 acres. Currently, there are 1,500 slaves and untouchables. In addition, during busy farming times, I will also hire some low-caste people to do work."
"In terms of output, about 500 million jins of sugar cane can be produced in a year. In addition, one season of rice can be planted every year, with an output of about 15 million jins."
"I don't boil cane sugar myself. Sugar cane is mainly sold to nearby cane sugar factories. 500 million kilograms of sugar cane can be sold for about 20,000 taels of silver. The rice grown is mainly used for slaves and untouchables to eat, and there is not much left over.
No matter how much it is, it can’t be sold for much money, so it is also used to raise pigs, chickens, ducks, etc., and occasionally improve the food for the untouchables and slaves.”
Zheng Xianyi thought about it and truthfully told the income situation of his manor.
Because it is on the Tianzhu continent, there is sufficient light and heat and abundant precipitation. Therefore, rice can be grown three times a year. But now the food cannot be sold at a high price, so basically one season of rice is planted, and then sugar cane or sugar cane is planted.
It's cotton, spices and the like.
They mainly grow cash crops, supplemented by food crops. The cash crops are used to sell money, and the food crops are mainly used to feed the large number of slaves and untouchables under their command.
Slaves and untouchables were the private property of the manor owner. Slaves were purchased or allocated by Ningguo. As for the untouchables, they were originally farmed on this land for the high-caste Brahman Kshatriyas.
But after the Ming people came, the land was taken back to Ningguo, and then distributed to the Ming people who immigrated. Naturally, these untouchables became the private property of the new owners of the land and worked for the manor owners.
Of course, the manor owner also shoulders the responsibility of feeding the slaves and untouchables, not only to feed them, but also to support their families, but the families of these slaves and untouchables also need to work for the manor owner.
"More than 1,500 people produce about 20,000 taels of silver a year, so each person only earns more than 10 taels of silver a year."
"It takes more than 1,500 people to cultivate 50,000 acres of land. This efficiency is too low."
After Liu Da listened, he also silently calculated.
On the way here, he visited plantations in Ryukyu and Nanyang. There are no slaves in Ryukyu plantations. Since manpower is expensive, they either use a lot of machinery for farming or reduce the planting of sugar cane.
Although there are a large number of slaves in Nanyang, the number of slaves is far less than that in Tianzhu, so we can also see a lot of mechanized planting.
In addition, Liu Da has also been to the Liaodong region and witnessed first-hand the efficiency of mechanized agriculture in the Liaodong region. The agriculture that uses a large number of cultivators, seeders, and harvesters is frighteningly efficient.
Thousands of acres of land can be easily cultivated, harvested, etc. by just two people. There is no need for so many people like the manor in front of you.
However, it seems that the manor owner is still very satisfied with his current life.
After all, you don't need to work hard, just sit and eat and drink for a year, and these slaves and untouchables will create wealth for themselves.
More than 20,000 taels of silver a year is a very considerable income. You must know that workers in the Beijing-Tianjin area of the Ming Dynasty earn less than 100 taels of silver a year.
How could he be dissatisfied with his current life?
But soon Liu Da discovered a problem.
That is this model, and there are actually big problems with the growth of the economy and wealth.
First of all, the growth of economy and wealth is very slow. Relying on land to develop agriculture, such a huge piece of land and a labor force of more than 1,500 people can only produce an output value of 20,000 taels of silver a year.
But if it is in the Beijing-Tianjin area, a random workshop employing dozens of people can produce tens of thousands of taels of silver a year, and only a little land is needed.
In addition, there is also a big problem in the distribution of wealth. The wealth is concentrated in the hands of the manor owner. As for the slaves, untouchables and their families, the wealth they can receive is very small. They are only assigned some food for use.
Just survive.
Under such a distribution method, social wealth is highly concentrated, and consumption power cannot be released. It seems that wealth is constantly accumulating and growing, but overall, the growth rate of this wealth is extremely slow.
This was also the situation that the Ming Dynasty faced in the past. Land and wealth were highly concentrated in the hands of a small number of landlords and gentry. The land owned by farmers and tenants had very little wealth.
As land continues to be annexed, this contradiction begins to emerge. Once a famine occurs, wars will inevitably break out and people will not be able to make a living.
This is also the case in Ningguo now.
"No wonder my father said that agriculture can only maintain food and clothing. To truly become rich, we must rely on industry. The difference in production efficiency is really huge!"
Liu Da quickly came to the conclusion that in the future, South Africa should focus on developing industry, and there would be no future in agriculture.
