📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a system of heavy and oppressive taxation. '头会' refers to levying taxes per head count, while '箕敛' refers to collecting the grain levies using winnowing baskets. It vividly depicts a government extracting harsh and burdensome taxes from its people.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from two classical texts. In 'Huainanzi' (《淮南子·氾论训》), it appears as '头会箕赋，输于少府,' describing taxes collected by head count and gathered in baskets, then sent to the imperial treasury. Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' (《史记·张耳陈余列传》) records it as '头会箕敛，以供军费,' describing the Qin dynasty's practice of levying head taxes and collecting grain in baskets to fund military campaigns. The phrase thus became a powerful indictment of the Qin's tyrannical taxation that ultimately drove the people to rebellion.
💡 Example Usage
秦朝头会箕敛，百姓苦不堪言。
The Qin dynasty imposed heavy head taxes and grain levies, making life unbearable for the common people.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 头会箕敛
- Pinyin: tóu kuàn jī liǎn
- Literal Translation: head, levy, winnowing basket, gather
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4