The relation between imperial state and economic expansion in Sung dynasty

Introduction:

The economy of China under the Sung dynasty (960–1279) of China was marked by commercial expansion, financial prosperity, increased international trade-contacts, and a revolution in agricultural productivity. This dynasty had one of the most prosperous and advanced economies in the medieval world. Private finance grew, stimulating the development of a country-wide market network which linked the coastal province with the interior. This phenomena can be linked to the Chinese imperial state variously. This essay will analyze this situation in three parts, political environment, development of markets and technology, population growth and urbanization.

The political environment is beneficial to economy (e.g. in Hsiao-Tsung’s case):

The great economic expansion in sung dynasty was contributed from the stable political environment. In this section the Hsiao-Tsung’s reign will serve as the example case and be analyzed in the following paragraphs. The reason why choose it is that this reign is the most prosperous and tranquil reign in South Sung dynasty, which was depicted as the ‘golden age’ of this dynasty. To start with, generally speaking, the political trend which the political climate became increasingly conservative in its …show more content…
Hsiao-tsung intended to impose a more centralized control on national finance by placing it under the supervision of the chief ministers of state. In addition to emphasizing stricter fiscal control, Hsiao-tsung also sought to reduce expenditures. The unnecessary or excessive expenses in ritual matters were reduced, as well as the military expenditures. During the early years of the Ch’ien-tao period, frugality was the theme of