Kleinkinder als Humanressourcen. Zum Reproduktionsmanagement von Zwangsarbeitern in der Qin-Dynastie

Abstract Since the 1980s, the large-scale institutionalized use of forced labor in Qin China has received widespread attention. This article examines the reproductive management of forced laborers during the Qin dynasty, drawing on newly excavated materials from the past five decades. After reviewing previous studies on forced laborers and newly discovered evidence on the family structure of forced laborers, it is possible to identify a central motivation for the Qin state’s reproduction management of forced laborers, namely the hereditary status of convict laborers. The article also provides a contextual interpretation of the evidence presented in the Liye Qin Slips and shows how the state of Qin incorporated the reproduction of convicted laborers, along with the management of the reproduction of livestock, as a criterion into the performance management system of the officials concerned.