ABSTRACT
The Nien Rebellion was a result of the decline of the Ch'ing government, a product of the cruel exploitation of the feudal system. Like the rest of the country, northern Anhwei on the eve of the Nien uprising had a few landlords who occupied a great deal of land, seizing and exploiting the fruits of the peasants' labor. Among the autumn crops, the most important were legumes. Since soybeans were flood-resistant and lentils drought-resistant, most fields were planted with these legumes. Because the land in counties had a sand base, the soil was not fertile. Frequent floods and drought also kept agricultural productivity very low. The Ch'ing government monopolized the salt trade, implementing a system of commercial salt zones as one important means of exploitation. The empire was divided into eleven salt districts. Certain types of salt could be sold only in certain approved zones.
