A Study on the Abandoned Villages in the Red River Delta in the 18th and Early 19th Century

This paper discusses the relationship between the peasant drain and the pattern of landow ership in the Red River Delta during the Iater L6 and the early Nguy6n dynasties 1 Cac Trn T g Danh Bi Lam a geograph - ical report compiled in the 19th century was analyzed to determine the distribution of abandoned villages which were found to be concen trated in tlle central areas and northeast high - Iands of Northern Vietnam This suggests that the major cause of the frequent peasant emigra tions in the 18th century was severe draught which darnaged fifth month ricefields in the swamp areas and tenth month ricefields in the llighland areas Clearly the occurre lce arld inten sity of the peasant drain was geographically variable depending on ocal environmental coll ditions 2 Through regu1ations intended to counter the peasant drain in the L period the centra1 go ernment tried to encourage the peasants remaining in tlle viIlages to bring abandoned agricu tural lands back under cultivation In this way the government hoped to prevent the loss of and revenue The land rQIIs compiled in he early 19th century for some of the villages in Nam Dinh province situated in typica back - swamp areas on small natural levees and on sand banks shows that ost of the fifth -ment l rice - fields were taken over by peasants who settled on the natural Ievees It is concluded that the local variation in environmental condit ons and the Le governrnent policy resulted ill the transfer of landownership to outsiders in the traditionally closed villages especia1 y to relatively welI -to do peasants living in better environments who accu ulated the poorquality rice fields abandoned through the peasant drain