economy song dynasty centuries song dynasty china experienced sustained growth capita income population structural change economy increased pace technological innovation print improved seeds rice commercial crops gunpowder water powered mechanical use coal source fuel variety industries improved techniques iron steel production pound locks technological innovations transformed economy north china main fuel source iron shifted wood coal song dynasty notable increase commercial contacts global markets merchants engaged overseas trade investments trading vessels trade reached ports far away period witnessed development world printed paper money circulated massive scale combined unified tax system efficient trade routes road canal meant development truly nationwide market regional promoted economic efficiency increased productivity central government treasury went military taxes imposed rising commercial base encouraged monetary economy conservatives debated role government economy emperor government took responsibility economy generally fewer claims earlier government continue enforce certain manufactured items market goods boost revenues secure resources vital empire security tea salt chemical components gunpowder changes china global leader leading historians early modern economy centuries western_europe breakthrough economic gains lost succeeding dynasty agriculture massive expansion song dynasty government encouraged people reclaim barren lands cultivation opened new lands paid taxes granted permanent possession new land policy cultivated land song dynasty estimated reached peak number million surpassed later irrigation land greatly fostered period prominent statesman economist issued law decree irrigation encouraged expansion irrigation system china irrigation projects completed million public private land major irrigation projects included northern china artificial land valley result policy crop production china agricultural yields tan unit pounds kilograms grain song dynasty compared tan early han tan late economic development china song dynasty marked improvements farm tools seeds song inherited innovations described dynasty text classic documents song improved curved iron invented special steel design specifically iron stronger steel blade shorter thicker particularly effective cutting roots wetlands valley tool designed facilitate called horse invented song wood wood song farms bamboo water wheels harness flow energy rivers raise water irrigation farmland water wheel diameter bamboo tubes perimeter farmers stage wheels lift water height high yield seeds korean yellow indian green middle_east introduced china period greatly enhancing variety farm produce song farmers emphasized importance night soil understood night soil transform barren fertile farmland wrote book agriculture common saying farmland exhausted years right frequently new soil cure night soil land fertile economic crops cotton introduced central china cotton flowers collected pits removed beaten loose bamboo bows drawn cloth called cotton great variety cloth great width dyed brilliant colors pieces pieces curtain widely planted independent farms flourished region farmers living farmland instead grew trees bred harvest silk appeared china period song dynasty valley famous cultivated song writer described great detail method cane sugar flour classic sugar book sugar technology china tea plantation song dynasty times size dynasty according survey tea plantations spread counties north park plantation imperial tea plantation produced varieties tribute tea imperial court tip tender tea leaves picked processed pressed tea dragon pattern known dragon tea growth cities high value vegetable farms sprung suburbs southern china average farm land supported man north man vegetable farm supported men flower flourished favorite rich powerful ninety varieties cultivated persia cultivated organization investment trade song dynasty merchant class sophisticated respected organized earlier periods china accumulated wealth scholar officials administered affairs government organizational skills state song merchants set partnerships joint stock companies separation owners shareholders managers large cities merchants organized according type product sold periodically set prices arranged sales shop owners government goods assessed taxes dealt guild heads large government run industries large privately owned enterprises dominated market system urban china song period small private businesses large suburbs rural areas economic boom period large black market china song period actually enhanced conquered northern china established dynasty example annual black market smuggling thousand cattle successful small pottery shops owned local families oil presses wine making shops small local paper making businesses etc room small economic success inn keeper petty drug seller cloth trader rural families sold large agricultural surplus market afford buy tea oil wine funds establish secondary means production generating wealth necessary agricultural farming families produce wine paper goods sold farmers specialized raising produce silk farmers grew order ensure prosperity rural areas technical applications public works projects improved agricultural techniques essential vast irrigation system china furnished mass producing standardized square chain pumps lift water lower planes higher irrigation planes clothing robes worn wealthy elite worn poor late song period cotton clothes use shipment materials goods aided 10th century innovation canal pound lock china song scientist statesman wrote building pound lock gates presumably freed use working laborers canal year amounting saving strings cash annually wrote old method hauling boats limited size cargo tan rice vessel roughly pound locks introduced boats carrying tan roughly wrote time government boats carry cargo weights tan private boats hold bags weighing tan total foreign trade sea trade abroad hindu world islamic world east african world brought merchants great fortune massive indigenous trade grand canal tributaries lakes canal systems commercial gains overseas trade large song period bolstered economy heavily connected canal lake river traffic acted long string large market centers sale cash crops produced interior high demand china foreign luxury goods coming facilitated growth chinese maritime trade abroad song period mining industry industry song period increased production maritime trade given importance province population growth began increase dramatically song capital large canal connected waterways directly modern center foreign imported goods shipped rest country despite installation fire stations large fire fighting force fires continued threaten city businesses stored supplies providing rented space merchants surplus goods safe city fires rich families palace large warehouses built near northeast walls warehouses surrounded channels water sides heavily guarded hired night generated means employment skilled sailors ship crews found opportunities employment families capital purchase boats invest commercial trading abroad foreigners merchants abroad impact economy china example muslims went song china trade dominated import export industry cases officials economic regulations chinese maritime merchants risk involved long overseas ventures foreign trade posts far away egypt order reduce risk losing money instead gaining maritime trade missions abroad song era investors usually divided investment ships ship investors observer thought invest overseas trade leading outflow copper cash wrote people coast intimate terms merchants engage overseas trade fellow personal acquaintances merchants money ships purchase return foreign goods invest strings cash regularly profits percent author wrote organization maritime practices government standards vessels merchants sailing crews book stated according government regulations concerning ships larger ones carry men smaller ones men board important merchants chosen leader gang deputy leader gang business manager superintendent merchant shipping gives unofficially sealed red certificate permitting use light bamboo company necessary die sea property government ship pilots acquainted configuration coasts night steer stars day time sun dark weather look south pointing needle magnetic compass use line feet long hook end let samples mud sea appearance smell determine whereabouts foreign travelers china remarks economic strength country later muslim traveler wrote travel experiences places world including china eastern describing lavish chinese ships holding life chinese ship crews captains wrote inhabitants china numerous ships send agents foreign places world found people richer chinese salaries income wealthy typically able educate sons highest degree small groups prominent families given local county gain national spotlight having sons travel far educated appointed ministers state downward social mobility issue matter divided inheritance suggesting ways increase family property wrote late 12th century obtained office decent salaries convert gold silver instead watch values grow investment instance strings worth gold silver money buy productive property year gain strings years regained strings divided family interest invested business years interest equal capital strings rest interest divided doubled years minister finance opinion understanding velocity circulation stated utility money derives circulation loan making village households coins cash stored household individual century sum remains coins circulated business transactions individual households enjoy utility coins utility cash circulation continues stop utility cash considerable scholarship concentrated researching level living standards song dynasty recent study economic historian estimated average income lower class laborers song dynasty day times estimated level day high level economies capita consumption grain silk respectively estimated day bolts year respectively industry steel iron industries accompanying widespread printing paper money beginnings term early chinese industrial revolution example historian estimated capita iron output rose china producing weight iron year historian questions method estimate figures song tax receipts process huge driven massive amounts production process leading wide range northern china end 11th century chinese discovered replace role acres forested land northern china spared steel iron industry switch resources iron steel period mass produce nails ships musical chains suspension bridges buddhist statues routine items indigenous mass market iron necessary manufacturing component production processes salt copper newly constructed canals linked major iron steel production centers capital city main market extended trade outside world greatly expanded high level chinese maritime activity abroad period written petitions central government regional administrators historical scholars piece evidence appropriate size scope chinese iron industry song era famed magistrate wrote iron industry today eastern province iron households overseen government wrote households acting iron having adequate government support supplies skilled iron households hired local labor complaint throne government laws private hindered profits industry government finally plea lifted ban private result increase profit lower prices iron production tonnes iron produced annually increasing tonnes produced annually revival mining industry iron managed supplied government independent operated owned rich families acting governor famous song poet statesman wrote industrial administered region iron run different local families employing work force people ore produce iron gunpowder production song period great deal organized labor bureaucracy involved extraction resources provinces china production chinese called liquid extracted purposes creation gunpowder iron converting ore coal type head send historical text song history song compiled stated major producer song sub provincial administrative region modern southern appointed region managed industrial processing sale created distributed years roughly tons recorded song government held strict commercial monopoly production houses government workshops sold products private dealers black market subject penalties government authorities point song government issued people living forbidden sell foreigners products containing act song government displayed fears grave potential gunpowder weapons developed territorial enemies close proximity song capital largest producer gunpowder period enhanced instead natural enhanced potassium chinese able shift use gunpowder use explosive early artillery large manufacturing plants song dynasty purpose making fire weapons employing use gunpowder fire fire arrows engaged war official wrote city manufacturing thousand strong iron bomb shells month thousand bombs time main storage gunpowder weapons located accidentally caught fire produced massive explosion commerce arrangement allowing competitive industry flourish regions setting opposite strict government regulated production trade exclusive iron manufacturing beginning song government supported competitive silk mills workshops eastern provinces capital city time government established strict legal prohibition merchant trade privately produced silk prohibition dealt economic blow caused small rebellion subdued known independent industries producing timber cultivated reforms chancellor sparked heated debate ministers court industries manufacturing processing distributing tea salt wine state monopoly tea prime source revenue state purchase horses song army cavalry forces restrictions private manufacture trade salt criticized famous poem opposing politically charged faction court gained advantage lost favor reforms continually abandoned reinstated despite political quarrel main source revenue continued come state managed indirect taxes private great profits pursued merchants luxury item trades specialized regional production example silk producers southern province especially known producing song emperor high court officials capital copper resources receipts deposit root development goes earlier dynasty government outlawed use bolts silk currency increased use copper money year output copper currency driven rate billion coins year billion compared million coins annually prosperous period million coins annually han dynasty expansion economy unprecedented china output currency earlier year million coins year song government collected silver taxes 9th century era merchants avoiding weight bulk copper coins transaction led trading receipts deposit shops goods money left previously merchants deposit copper currency stores wealthy families prominent receive receipts number nearby towns persons 10th century early song government began issuing receipts deposit restricted mainly salt industry trade china official regional paper printed money traced year output copper currency expanded immensely copper mines shut years average copper mines found previous dynasty case reversed sharp decline mined copper deposits copper cash abundant late 11th century chancellor tax labor government takeover agricultural finance loans meant people find additional cash driving price copper money scarce matters worse large amounts government issued copper currency exited country international trade dynasty western actively pursued exchange iron coins song copper coins evidenced decree song government cautious outflow iron currency ordered iron tin process chance melt currency iron weapons government attempted prohibit use copper currency border regions song issued copper coin common japanese southeast asian economies song government turn types material currency order ease demand government mint including issuing iron paper year percentage issued currency copper dropped significantly government attempt copper currency world paper money central government soon observed economic advantages printing paper money issuing monopoly right deposit shops issuance certificates deposit early 12th century issued single year amounted annual rate million strings cash coins central government officially stepped produced state issued paper money printing point song government large amounts paper tribute recorded year modern send sheets paper seven different varieties capital year emperor song decided paper taken tribute causing detrimental effects creating heavy people region government needed masses paper product exchange certificates state new issuing paper money printing paper money song court established government run factories cities size workforce employed paper money factories large recorded factory employed thousand workers day government issues paper money nationwide standards currency point issues limited regional zones empire valid use designated temporary limit year time geographic limitation changed years late southern song government finally produced nationwide standard currency paper money widespread circulation backed gold silver range varying values string cash later use enforcement paper currency method undertaken government response copper coins subsequent issue paper money southern song contemporary dynasty north caught trend issued paper money dig printing plate found dated year produced notes measured size worth strings cash coins issued paper money bore serial number number series warning label rewarded strings cash urban employment businesses cities multitude places work choose strictly profession paternal line historians fortunate wide variety written sources describing minute details location businesses cities example avenues temple historian quotes source temple avenue found shops specializing cloth caps pointed tails belts books caps flowers vegetarian tea meal family south temple manager alley workers live alley north small alley particularly large number southern restaurants inside alley similarly pleasure district near temple west quotes source dreams addition household gates shops line sides new gate street military brigades columns imperial guard situated facing pairs approximately approach gate confined open spaces area numbering tens thousands knows real number single place gates tea stages food drink normally small business households marketplace simply purchase prepared food drink food stores cook home northern food style dried meat items southern food acknowledged finest night markets close watch reopen fifth west points rarely time eat home chose eat variety places restaurants temples food stalls restaurant businesses new restaurants regional cooking targeted customers merchants officials came regions china cuisine styles drastically different commonly served capital pleasure district mentioned stunts games theatrical stage performances singing girl houses located food stalls business virtually night west makes direct connection success theatre industry food industry cities theatres pleasure districts entertain audiences thousand drawing huge crowds nearby businesses enormous potential customer base food traders eagles hawks precious paintings shops selling bolts silk cloth jewelry jade horn gold silver hair ornaments caps foreign trade song dynasty actively promoted overseas trade countries carried overseas trade song ceylon borneo java india egypt baghdad iraq dynasty sicily morocco korea japan ivory horns coral turtle shell rose imported arabs medicine java cotton cloth cotton silver copper quick silver korea promote overseas trade maximize government profits control imported goods government established maritime trade established second city followed shanghai initially subordinate official later separate agency supervisor roles included taxation imported goods tax rate varied song dynasty high reign emperor tax rate imports lowered tax goods kind money government purchase sale imported goods imported goods overseas merchants sold government private sales prohibited penalty violation depended quantity goods involved highest penalty face forced labor later rule relaxed somewhat purchased portion finest quality goods example horn low quality goods allowed traded market purchase rate applied tax goods paid money according market price according government accessed fare value short funds paid time causing huge losses profits overseas merchants volume incoming ships dropped issue foreign trade permits local merchants
Economy of the Song dynasty