After the upheaval of the An Lushan Rebellion during the Tang dynasty, and the chaotic Five Dynasties period that followed the Tang, the system of serfdom had disintegrated, and tenant-farmers were free to choose their own landlords.
歷經唐中葉安史之亂到五代十國的長時間混亂，附屬於土地的農奴制度崩解，宋代的佃農是自由的，可以自己選擇向誰租地來耕種，在社會制度或生活文明上，宋代顯然十分人性。