Land in Themiclesia

Land policy in Themiclesia has historically been accorded primacy, since the economy was predominantly agrarian. Political consequences and historical experience placed imperatives on the maintenance of a stable and sustainable land policy that supported a sedentary populus and created sufficient surplus for commerce and the governing apparatus attached to them.

Broadly speaking, land distribution was tackled both in isolation and as a tethered element to social stratification, sumptuary allowances, and population movement control. Both agricultural and housing land was subject to policy restrictions. During most periods in history, the state provided a "floor" to land holding for free commoners and a "ceiling" for the privileged, though in enforcement loopholes surfaced regularly, and government was not consistently able to prevent severe land aggregation, an acknowledged evil in the characterization of traditional philosophy.

Tsjonh Dynasty

The Tsjonh (晉, some scholars romanize as S'njons for historical accuracy) first imposed land holding restrictions in 290 after agglomeration of land in Menghe created powerful landlords that usurped political power from local magistrates, which contributed to the chaos that spread there in the subsequent decades. Under the prime minister Grjwang Ghlu (王導), the Law of Registered Farmland (占田法, tjam-den-pjap) was enacted, establishing a limit of land ownership, for agriculture and housing separately, for each class in society. The system was highly reminiscent of early land policies in Menghe, which is not surprising as Grjwang's family, a scholarly one, had only recently immigrated from Menghe to avoid the spreading disorder.

Recipient		Rural Farmland	Urban Farmland	Urban housing land	Tenants
Court rank	1	10,000	1,000	2,880	50
	2	5,000	800	1,440	30
	3	3,000	600	720	20
	4	2,500	400	360	15
	5	2,000	400	180	15
	6	2,000	400	180	15
	7	1,500	300	90	10
	8	1,500	300	90	10
	9	1,000	200	90	5
Menials		200		6
Primary payer	60		4
	Intermediate payer		70		4
	Non-payer		50		4
	Infantile, senile, criminals		50

Farmland

Grjwang's stipulations divided land allotment into three headings—rural farmland, urban farmland, and housing land. In respect of the interest of the aristocratic, bureaucratic gentry, Grjwang provided ample room for the gentry to own and administer property; even a low-ranking official of the ninth rank was permitted 1,000 Themiclesian acres of rural farmland, this rose to 3,000 acres for the high-ranking officials and secretaries of state. Allotments up to 10,000 acres were legislated but in practice never reached, since the primary limiting factor in managing such a large estate was the availability of tenants, for which there is much more modest cap. Rural farmland was expected to be claimed in the longer term and remain in one place, most often the official's place of birth. They also received "urban farmland" (菜田) as a more accessible source of food and income; when they were transferred elsewhere, they had to return their urban land and take another piece close to their next posting.

Commoners, who were not expected to move regularly, were allowed to claim up to 100 acres per capita and 50 acres for those in minority and senility. They were not expected to contribute to production, hence the smaller allotment. In the 4th century, criminal were often punished by a higher tax rate in lieu of fines due to scarcity of currency; the government halved their allotments and exacted higher taxes. Grjwang meant for his system to operate in conjunction with a tri-annual land survey, which would collect land assigned to the deceased and re-distribute them to those newly born. In terms of land location, the more common policy was to land larger claims first, since they could be grouped together in a more orderly fashion and leaving fewer fragments of unused land behind. Land up to 1,000 acres could be registered anywhere vacant according to the holder's preferences; land over this limit were granted by the government in undeveloped areas. These larger estates, owned by absentee landlords, tended to develop into self-sufficient estates detached from the broader economy.

Housing land

Housing land is assessed in terms of the dedicated unit "plot" (基, kjo, approx. 1,998 m²), which is slighly smaller than four acres (2,072 m²). Despite its name, this land was not only for to situate a house, but also to keep animals, workshops, and grow non-staples. In rural areas providing housing land was rarely problematic, but in the capital city, where a large number of highly-entitled officials lived, it proved less practical. Almost all of the land within the walled area and immediately beyond was occupied by housing land held by magnates, which, according to contemporary accounts, was often forested and harboured wild animals. This hampered commerce greatly, since travelling across the city could take hours.

Relation to household registration

Main article: Domestic Register (Themiclesia)

Household registration in Themiclesia noted all individuals in a household. In principle, everyone in a household was eligible to receive land according to their (expected) ability to produce. Males aged 20 and 50 were allotted the most, followed by females in the same age range, then all persons four years over and under that range, then finally all other persons. Infants under two were excepted, since around half of all infants died before they reached their first birthday; after attaining to that age, they were entitled to receive land allotment (which would of course be tilled by their parents or older siblings.)

Influence

Grjwang's policies would come to serve as a prototype for a successful land policy