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Archaeological Research on the Origin of Contracts

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The History of the Contractual Thoughts in Ancient China

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Abstract

The history of Chinese ancient contract can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (B.C. 1045–771), and scholars in related fields have already made plenty of fundamental researches from the perspective of the origin, evolution and the name of contract. In this chapter, the previous researches will be used for references, and based on the sources of contract concept, this chapter attempts to explore the motivation, historical premise, function, and types of contract, so as to sketch out the general lineament.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Hu and Song [1].

  2. 2.

    Zhai [2].

  3. 3.

    Ping [3].

  4. 4.

    Zhao [4].

  5. 5.

    Ulpianus, Ad Edictum, a commentary on the Edict, in Ding Mei translated version of Sandro Schipani, Obligatio, Obligatio in Agreement, 1992, pp. 72, 74; origination version D.Z. 14, 1.2, D.50, 12, 3, Pr.

  6. 6.

    Zheng [5].

  7. 7.

    Ulpianus, Ad Edictum, A commentary on the Edict, in Ding Mei translated version of Sandro Schipani, Obligatio, Obligatio in Agreement, 1992, D45.1.75.10, and D2.14.1.3.

  8. 8.

    Yang [6].

  9. 9.

    Kong and Hu [7].

  10. 10.

    Huang [8].

  11. 11.

    Li [9].

    *Translator’s annotation: Quanfu: a division of wealth reserves; Diguan: the official position to administrate the financial business.

  12. 12.

    Cultural Relics, Vol. 6 of 1974, graphic demonstration 2.

  13. 13.

    On Peonies of Luoyang (Ancient Chinese lyric).

  14. 14.

    Cai Xiang, Charting of Litchi.

  15. 15.

    See Footnote 7, pp. 57–58.

  16. 16.

    Yang [10].

  17. 17.

    Tong [11].

  18. 18.

    George and Liu [12].

  19. 19.

    Thomas [13], pp. 99,100, 102.

  20. 20.

    See Footnote 19, pp. 487–488.

  21. 21.

    Zhang [14].

  22. 22.

    See Footnote 7, pp. 6, 7, D.44.7.52.4, and D.44.7.2.9-10.

  23. 23.

    ibid, pp. 8, 9, D.50.16.19, and D.2.14.13.

  24. 24.

    ibid, p. 12, D.47.2Pr, and D.44.7.3.1.

  25. 25.

    Luo Zhenyu, Historical Events in Artemisia ≪ 蒿里遗珍 ≫ , Original text: 建宁四年(171年)九月戊午朔廿八日乙酉, 左骏厩官大奴孙成从洛阳男子张伯始买所名有广德亭部冢百田一町, 贾钱万五千, 钱即日毕。田东比张长卿, 南比许仲异, 西尽大道, 北比张伯始。根生土著毛物, 皆属孙成。… 田东西南北以大石为界。时旁人樊永、张义、孙龙、异姓、樊元祖皆知券约, 沽酒各半.

  26. 26.

    Luo Zhenyu, Analysis on Real Estate Instrument.

  27. 27.

    See Footnote 7, p. 61, D.19.4.1.2.

  28. 28.

    See Footnote 7, p. 59, D.18.1.1Pr.

  29. 29.

    Sun [15].

  30. 30.

    Zhuang [16].

  31. 31.

    Corbin [17].

  32. 32.

    Huang [18].

    **Translator’s annotation: began in 356 B.C., Shang Yang made a series of reforms targeting from the title of land, the rewarding of war-time credit, the new political system in his time, to the most influential topic—the restrain of commercial and encouragement of agriculture, in order to maintain the governance of the authority.

  33. 33.

    Zhang [19].

  34. 34.

    Zhao [20].

  35. 35.

    Yang [21].

  36. 36.

    Zhao [22].

  37. 37.

    Wu [23].

  38. 38.

    Zhao [24].

  39. 39.

    Yang [25].

  40. 40.

    He’s Family Regulations of Hexi County, Southern Sea, 1929.

  41. 41.

    George [26].

  42. 42.

    Walsh [27].

  43. 43.

    Emile [28].

  44. 44.

    Thomas [13], pp. 108–109.

  45. 45.

    Su [29].

  46. 46.

    Adam [30].

  47. 47.

    Edgar [31].

  48. 48.

    See Furson [32].

  49. 49.

    Bernard [33].

  50. 50.

    Zhang [34].

  51. 51.

    Address on Traditional Market and Market Economy, China Economy History Research, 1994, Vol. 4.

  52. 52.

    Wei [35].

  53. 53.

    Rites of Zhou, Di Guan, Judiciary II, Sishi.

  54. 54.

    ibid, Yi Ren.

  55. 55.

    Li [36].

  56. 56.

    Pan [37].

  57. 57.

    Ye [38].

    ***Translator’s annotation: 32–92 B.C., a well-known Chinese historian in Han Dynasty.

  58. 58.

    Max [39].

  59. 59.

    Chen [40].

  60. 60.

    See Footnote 32.

  61. 61.

    Thomas [41], pp. 100–102.

  62. 62.

    Yang [42].

  63. 63.

    Thomas [41], p. 13, see Footnote 2.

  64. 64.

    Zhou Qufei, Ling Wai Culture, Vol. 10, Wooden Contract.

  65. 65.

    The Travels of Marco Polo, Vol. 2, Jinzhou County.

  66. 66.

    Yuan Mei, Zi Bu Yu, Vols. 1–2, Bamboo Slip.

  67. 67.

    Hugh [43].

  68. 68.

    Hiroaki [44].

  69. 69.

    Law Reports of Southern Song Dynasty, Southwest Institution of Political Science and Law published, 1985, pp.79, 81, 102, 116.

  70. 70.

    ibid, p. 50.

  71. 71.

    Rites of Zhou, Shishi, Zhaoshi.

  72. 72.

    Rites of Zhou, Dali, original text: 凡邦国都鄙及万民之有约剂者藏焉,以贰六官,六官之所登.

  73. 73.

    Kong and Hu [45].

    ****Translator’s annotation: Mo means ink, this punishment was to tattoo the criminal’s face or forehead.

  74. 74.

    Zhang [46].

  75. 75.

    Files of Dunhuang (1st Edition).1961. Zhonghua Book Company, p. 376.

  76. 76.

    Zheng [47].

  77. 77.

    The Regulations of Administrating Zhejiang, vol. 1, quoted in Yang Guozhen’s The Report on the Contracts and Deeds in Ming and Qing Dynasty, People’s Press. 1988.

  78. 78.

    The Research Report on Civil Customs, 2000, edited by the former Judicial Department of Nanjing Government of the Republic of China, proof read by Hu Xusheng, Xia Xinhua, Li Jiaofa, China University of Political Science and Law Press, p. 383.

  79. 79.

    Jing De Collection, Vol. 1, Purchase and Transaction of Tea.

  80. 80.

    Guo Bocang, Records of Fujian Province, Vol. 1.

  81. 81.

    Justinian [48].

  82. 82.

    Gauis, Edicts of Magistrates, part X, D.18.1.35Pr.

  83. 83.

    Provisions in Tang Dynasty, quoted in The Criminal Theory Collection of Song Dynasty, Vol. 26.

  84. 84.

    Legal Provisions in Tang Dynasty: Government Administration, Vol. 6.

  85. 85.

    Luo Zhenyu, Dedicating form Ministers in Tiancong Year, p. 7.

  86. 86.

    Wei [49, 50].

  87. 87.

    ibid, pp. 443–445.

  88. 88.

    Collection of Industrial and Commercial History of Suzhou in Ming and Qing Dynasty, Jiangsu People’s Press, 1981, p. 327.

  89. 89.

    Zhou [51].

  90. 90.

    Kong and Hu [52].

  91. 91.

    Brief Historical Collection in Song Dynasty, Vol. 61, pp. 65–66.

  92. 92.

    ibid, p. 26.

  93. 93.

    Zhuang [53].

    *****Translator’s notes: a man married to a woman and became a member of her clan, it may sound normal nowadays, yet in ancient China, and most scenarios were opposite: a woman married to a man and became a member of his clan. So when a man became a clan member of his wife, it meant that he would be no longer a member of his own family, in Chinese, the phrase is called “Ru Zhui”.

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    Yunsheng Liu

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Liu, Y. (2020). Archaeological Research on the Origin of Contracts. In: The History of the Contractual Thoughts in Ancient China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5768-2_2

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