Economy of the Han dynasty
The population of the Han Empire, recorded in the tax census of 2 AD, was 57. 6 million people in 12,366,470 households. The use of a standardized, nationwide currency during the Qin dynasty facilitated long-distance trade between cities. The first coin minted in 186 BC was a bronze coins weighing 5.7g, and issued by Empress Lü Zhihi.
About Economy of the Han dynasty in brief
The Han economy was defined by significant population growth, increasing urbanization, unprecedented growth of industry and trade. The Silk Road facilitated the establishment of trade and tributary exchanges with foreign countries across Eurasia. The Han government continually strove to provide economic aid to poor farmers, who had to compete with powerful and influential nobles, landowners, and merchants. Increasing government intervention in the private economy during the late 2nd century BC severely weakened the commercial merchant class. The use of a standardized, nationwide currency during the Qin dynasty facilitated long-distance trade between cities. The population of the Han Empire, recorded in the tax census of 2 AD, was 57. 6 million people in 12,366,470 households. During the early Western Han period, Emperor Gaozu of Han closed government mints of coin mints in favor of private currency produced by the private sector. The change to the lighter coin currency caused widespread inflation, so in 175 BC Emperor Wen lifted the ban on private minting. In 186 BC She issued a bronze coin weighing 5 7g, but issued another, weighing 1.5g, but issued one weighing 5g in 182 BC. The first coin minted in 186 BC was a bronze coins weighing 5.7g, and issued by Empress Lü Zhihi as grand empress. In 175 BC, Empress Zhi Zhi’s widow issued a coin weighing exactly 2g, which was the first time a government minted coin weighed less than 2g. In 182 BC, Emperor Wu’s government even nationalized the iron and salt industries; however, these government monopolies were abolished during Eastern Han.
The wealthy landlords eventually dominated commercial activities as well, maintaining control over the rural peasants—upon whom the government relied for tax revenues, military manpower, and public works labor. In the early Han period,. rural peasant farmers were largely self-sufficient, but they began to rely heavily upon commercial exchanges with the wealthy landowners of large agricultural estates. Many peasants subsequently fell into debt and were forced to become either hired laborers or rent-paying tenants of the land-owning classes. The development of private commerce, new trade routes, handicraft industries, and a money economy led to the growth of new urban centers. These centers were markedly different from the older cities, which had merely served as power bases for the nobility. The imperial capitals of both Western Han and Eastern Han were among the largest cities in the world at the time, in both population and area. The total urban area of Eastern-Han Luoyang—including the extensions outside the walls—was 24. 5 km2. The government workshops manufactured furnishings for the palaces of the emperor and produced goods for the common people. The government oversaw the construction of roads and bridges, which facilitated official government business and encouraged commercial growth. The majority of commoners who populated the cities lived in extended urban and suburban areas outside the city walls and gatehouses. In early Han, the majority of the commoners lived inextended urban and suburbs.
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This page is based on the article Economy of the Han dynasty published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 02, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
