Five Different Economic Policiesof Western Han Dynasty

• Main Authors: Qi-Wen Lan, 藍啟文
• Other Authors: Yen-Liang Chen
• Format: Others
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/73962018372248619966

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 歷史學系 === 104 === For the purpose of research, the financial policies in Western Han Dynasty are divided into five periods, Emperor Gaozu to Empress Lü Zhi , Emperor Wen to Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu, Emperor Zhao to Emperor Ping, and （Xin Dynasty） Emperor Wang Mang. We can find that the emperors in the first three periods comparatively took permissive dominions and had less restrains over their people. And the result was that people—especially in the period of Emperor Wen to Emperor Jing—led a stable and prosperous life. When in the periods of Emperor Wu and Emperor Wang, the managements of the government were growing much plentier. These managements were roughly included as the follwing—the monopoly on salt-iron wares, the control of price, hiring oppressive officials, levying a strict tax, etc. Although these managements successfully helped transfer the wealth to the government, they also had an difficult influence on people's lives, even causing a fall-down on the society. In the research, the methods of inspection are composed of the following ten financial measures—tax rates, currency quality, monopoly system, property right, government expenditure, cruel torture and strict tax, alteration of system, official integrity, liberal or restraining managements on the natural resources, entire status of society. Synthetically compared, the status of economic goverance in the period of Emperor Wen to Emperor Jing was ranked as the best, the period of Emperor Zhao to Emperor Ping the second, the period of Emperor Gaozu to Empress Lü Zhi the third, the period of Emperor Wu the fourth, and the period of Emperor Wang Mang the last. Wholly viewing the financial policies in Western Han Dynasty, we are convinced that the economic rules—the less control lead to the richer people, the more control lead to the poorer people, the stronger control lead to the collapse of the society—are unbreakingly rigid.