Chapter 12 Section 1 Background of Currency Development in Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was a prosperous and culturally developed feudal dynasty in the Middle Ages of China. In 618 AD, Li Yuan raised troops in Taiyuan, swept Guanluo, replaced the Sui Dynasty, established Yuan Wude, and the Tang Dynasty began.In view of the more than 20 years of war and destruction at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the lessons learned from the end of the Sui Dynasty, the beginning of the Tang Dynasty began to resume production and ease conflicts.When Chang'an was captured, the tyranny of the Sui Dynasty was abolished with 12 articles of civil law.In the seventh year of Wude (AD 624), the land equalization system was implemented, and taxes were appropriately reduced.Tang Taizong Li Shimin even adopted some policies and measures beneficial to the people, such as light taxation, rewarding farmers, building righteous warehouses to prepare for shortages, and using the increase or decrease of household registration as the attendance standard for officials, etc., which accelerated the development of production and continued to increase the population.Emperor Gaozong continued to implement the policy of recuperation and recuperation. In the later period and before and after Empress Wu came to power, there were struggles for royal power and position, and the political situation was turbulent.Xuanzong reversed the chaotic situation in the early stage and imitated the measures of Zhenguan. The society and economy flourished, and it was called "the rule of Kaiyuan" in history.The Tang Dynasty has maintained a prosperous situation for more than 100 years.During this period, the social economy developed in an all-round way, and the handicraft industry, government-run commerce, palace markets, mansion shops, foreign trade, international exchanges, post stations, etc. all flourished unprecedentedly. Handicrafts and commerce developed unprecedentedly.Chang'an, which has become the political, economic, and cultural center of the country, is even more prosperous than ever before, where thousands of merchants gather.Cui Rong once described the grand occasion of the Central Plains at that time: "Bypassing Bahan, referring to Minyue in front, seven lakes and ten villages, three rivers and five lakes, controlling and diverting Heluo, including Huaihai, Hongge giant ships, thousands of ships, trading back and forth, ignorant "Dan Yongri" was really popular for a while.There are many other commercial cities, such as Guangzhou with a city shipping department.In the later period of Emperor Xuanzong, social conflicts intensified. During the Anshi Rebellion (755-763 AD), the people died innumerably, hundreds of miles of Zhongzhou were desolate, and most of the counties were in ruins.Since then, the internal contradictions of the ruling upper class have been out of control, followed by the "three evils": the separatist rule of the feudal town, the dictatorship of the eunuchs, and the strife among cronies.Therefore, the continuous wars every year caused the economy in the north to decline or decline, and the economic center of gravity shifted to the south.In the following generations of Emperor Suzong, due to the sharp drop in fiscal revenue and the sharp increase in military and administrative expenditures, various sources of financial resources were opened up, and Wu Qi, Liu Yan, Yang Yan and others were successively appointed to manage financial affairs, such as improving water transportation, rectifying the salt law, and so on.During the Emperor Dezong's reign, the rent adjustment was abolished and the two-tax law was implemented. Although the law was good, it ignored the promise of no tax increase, and the gains and losses were mixed.In the late Tang Dynasty, the disaster of the three evils became more intense, and the finances fell into a desperate situation, coupled with excessive search and collection, which aroused the magnificent Huangchao Peasant Army Uprising and destroyed the rule of the Tang Dynasty.The currency, currency system, and monetary policy measures of the Tang Dynasty also experienced ups and downs under the above-mentioned historical background. They experienced currency stability in the early Tang Dynasty, inflation and deflation in the early middle Tang Dynasty, and inflation again in the late Tang Dynasty. The pros and cons are mixed. , enough for reference.