Socio-economic Forms

The social economy in the Lahu areas had remained stagnant for a long time. Before 1949, it fell into two categories: -- Feudal landlord economy, which was prevalent among the Lahus in Lancang County as well as among those in Shuangjiang, Lincang, Jinggu, Zhenyuan, Yuanjiang and Mojiang counties, who accounted for one half of the total Lahu population in these areas. Compared with the other Lahu areas, economic development in these areas was faster. As a result of the influence by the Hans, a feudal landlord economy was formed between the 1880s and 1920s. The Lahus used the same farm tools as the Hans, but due to their relatively backward farming technique, yields were low.

Handicrafts included ironwork, weaving and bamboo handiwork, but few of the products were sold on the market. In agriculture, land ownership was rather concentrated. Besides Han landlords, there were a few Lahu landlords. Land rent came to 50 per cent of the crop yield. Han landlords and merchants exploited the Lahu peasants through usurious interest.

-- Dai chieftain-dominated feudal manorial economy having remnants of primitive communes, which was prevalent in southwestern Lancang, Menglian, Gengma, Ximeng, Cangyuan and Xishuangbanna, where another half of the Lahu population lived. The Lahus led a poor life and their production was backward under the rule of Dai chieftains and the exploitation by Han landlords and merchants.

One of the ways in which the Dai chieftains ruled and exploited the Lahu peasants was through establishing the tribute-paying system. This made the peasants subordinate to them. Dai lords also reduced Lahu peasants to the status of serfs who were required to do such jobs for the chieftains as husking grain and clearing night soil and manure. Remnants of the primitive communal system included mutual aid in production, common ownership of land and matriarchal clan system.

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