As the first volume of a two-volume set, this book systematically examines the process of rural reconstruction in China over the course of the twentieth century, taking into account politics, labour and resources, administration, and institutional integration.

The nationalisation of rural China was a two-way and changing process. This volume attempts to clarify that state penetration of the countryside and the transformation of the rural population consolidated modern state governance by first providing an overview of the fundamental concepts necessary for understanding nationalisation, rural integration and the peasantry. Second, analysis of the unified allocation of land, products and labour resources and how they fundamentally integrated rural society into the state system is carried out. Third, the volume also explores the rural reforms that emerged in the late 1970s and their impact on the social development of rural China. Lastly, the process by which modern China implemented policies to organise a decentralised rural society and to strengthen the political trust of peasants is analysed.

The book will be essential reading for scholars and students in Chinese Studies, Political Science, Rural Studies, and those who are interested in the rural reconstruction of China in general.