An Intro to Tang Economics
An economy of a nation is one of the most important aspects of that nation. It governs how the country can provide its citizens with services, such as power, water and food, and protection, such as a military or law enforcement. In the Tang dynasty, the economy had prospered with reforms and policy changes. In the early Tang, decreased agricultural production caused a negative effect on their government. However, through strong leadership, many programs were created to establish improvements, in trade, land distribution, and taxation.The Tang dynasty was an extraordinary period of economic development.
Trade In the tang dynasty
Ancient Tang was increasingly affected by the many trade routes such as the Silk Road and sea routes to Ancient India and other locations. According to this map of the silk road you can see that the silk road was extremely extensive and went through many major cities such as Baghdad, Tehran, and Istanbul. When the Tang Dynasty reopened the Four Garrisons of Anxi in 640, it connected Ancient China to the western world. This connection was vital for the economy of the Tang because it allowed them to trade with many civilizations, such as Rome and Persia. These rich societies would spread their wealth in the forms of steel, copper, tin, gold, glass, and other expensive materials.
In addition to the land routes they reestablished, they also explored many maritime routes. In the map below, (dashed line) you can see that the Tang dynasty explored and sailed to many other large cities and civilizations. This trade route spread from Guangzhou, a large trading port at the time of the Tang dynasty, through India and Indonesia, both which contained many spices that were very expensive and important in that era. The route extended into the Persian Gulf and into the Red Sea, ending the Roman city of Alexandria. These parts of the route were very important to the many trading civilizations on the route, such as the Arabians, the Romans, and the Tang Dynasty, because it spread many items that were not common along the silk road, most importantly, spices. By the Tang exploring this route, it allowed them to reap in the wealth of this trade route. The major trade route of that time were one of the main reasons the Tang dynasty grew economically.
Tang Land Redistribution
The Ancient Tang dynasty’s programs to help both the government and the peasants of the time were a contributing factor in the prosperity of the dynasty. During the Mid Tang Dynasty, the government established the equal field system. This system was designed to take control of the land from large landholders such as aristocratical families. They would redistribute the land to the peasants. This allowed the peasants to have wealth and so they could pay more taxes to the government. When they became too old to work, they either transferred it other able-working peasants or to the person’s working children. This allowed for more people to be working on that land, leading to more income for the peasants and thus more taxes for the government. This contributed to the government because giving it more taxes would help with other campaigns such as reclaiming the silk road. Also, this land redistribution help the peasants because it allowed them become richer and happier.
SO what?
Throughout Ancient China, the Tang Dynasty is known for its economic stability, as we have seen above, is truly extraordinary. In this dynasty, it brought ancient china to a point where it could have a lot of growth, which most likely one of the reasons that it is one of the world’s fastest growing economy. Today, they trade more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in January 2014, which lead back from experience they mastered in the days of the silk road. This country was only able to get where it is today with the help of all of the dynasties, but economically, the Tang Dynasty was in the lead.
Bibliography
Images
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Silk Road. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.silkroutes.net/Images2/MapSilkRoadRoutesTurkeyChina_small1.JPG>.
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Land Redistribution. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://chineseposters.net/images/d25-190.jpg>.
Sheperd, William R. "The Historical Atlas." Medieval Commerce. N.p.: n.p., 1926. N. pag. Print.
Silk Road. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.silkroutes.net/Images2/MapSilkRoadRoutesTurkeyChina_small1.JPG>.
Works Cited
"The Chinese Tang Dynasty Economy & Economic Structures." Totally History Tang Dynasty Economy Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://totallyhistory.com/tang-dynasty-economy/>.
Ebrey, Patricia Buckley, Anne Walthall, and James B. Palais. East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print.
Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3035200090/tang-dynasty-618-907.html>.
Gale, Thomson. "Social Class and Economy Research Article." BookRags. BookRags, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://www.bookrags.com/history/imperial-china-social-class-and-economy/sub16.html#gsc.tab=0>.
"MINISTRY OF COMMERCE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA." Brief Statistics on China's Import & Export in January 2014 -. MOFCOM, 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://english.mofcom.gov.cn/article/statistic/BriefStatistics/201403/20140300509421.shtml>.
Sanz, Gonzalez F. "Mining and Minerals Trade on the Silk Road to the Ancient Literary Sources: 2 BC to 10 AD Centuries." Academia.edu. Academia, 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. <http://www.academia.edu/955437/Mining_and_minerals_trade_on_the_Silk_Road_to_the_ancient_literary_sources_2_BC_to_10_AD_Centuries>.
"Subscribe to Free Email Newsletter." Guangzhou. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://www1.chinaculture.org/created/2005-09/16/content_73015_2.htm>.
Sukhoparova, Irina. "Charm Offensive: The Way China Influences the World." RT Op-Edge. RT, 4 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. <http://rt.com/op-edge/growing-chinese-soft-power-638/>.
Twitchett, Denis, and Michael Loewe. The Cambridge History of China. V.1: The Ch'in and Han Empires, 221 B.C. - A.D. 220. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1986. Print.