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| How Agriculture Shaped “China” —The Economic Foundation for the Formation of the Central Plains |
| Sun Qingwei |
| (School of Cultural Heritage， Northwest University， Xi'an 710127) |
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Abstract During the formation and early development of Chinese civilization， agriculture was a critical factor influencing its rise and fall. Around 10,000 years ago， cultivated rice emerged in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Evidence of cultivated millet grains was discovered at several sites in the Central Plains and North China regions. Accordingly， primitive villages (settlements with concentrated population) came into existence， and early rituals started to take shape. During the Peiligang period (around 8,500—7,000 years ago)， agricultural production and livestock husbandry began to develop， giving rise to significant population growth， larger settlements， more complex structures， and the emergence of power distribution within settlements. During the Yangshao period (around 7,000—5,000 years ago)， agriculture developed further， facilitating the accumulation of wealth， population， and power. Around 5,300 years ago， numerous “early states” emerged， represented by large-scale settlements， ushering in the prosperous phase of civilization known as the “Myriad States under Heaven” .With the advent of the Longshan period (around 4,300—3,800 years ago)， agricultural production in the Central Plains became increasingly specialized， institutionalized， and state-integrated， laying a solid economic foundation for the emergence of the Central Plains as the center. This process shaped the “unity in diversity” framework of the Chinese civilization， marked by the birth of “China”.
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Received: 11 October 2025
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2025, Vol. 64 
