Measures to promote commercial development in Song and Yuan Dynasties

The rulers of the Song Dynasty practiced an enlightened policy. Song Dynasty was the only feudal dynasty in history that encouraged commerce.

The commercial environment in Song Dynasty was relatively relaxed, and the policy of emphasizing agriculture and restraining business was relatively weakened. During the Song Dynasty, the variety of commodities increased rapidly, and the earliest paper money "Jiaozi" appeared in the world. Business tax revenue has become an important source of government revenue.

First of all, the variety and quantity of commodities have greatly increased.

Second, the number of cities has increased and the area has expanded.

Third, the original market system was completely broken. As mentioned above, the boundary between the square and the city began to be broken at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and it was completely broken in the Northern Song Dynasty. Business pervades the workshop area, and there are shops everywhere. Convenient for business and residents' life. With the opening of urban space, urban time is also open, regardless of morning and evening, there are morning markets, Japanese markets, night markets and so on.

Fourth, there are various types of fairs in cities, such as regular temple fairs, professional fairs and seasonal fairs.

Fifth, business-related businesses have developed greatly, such as house shops, warehouses, cabinets, shops, high-quality warehouses and convenient currency services.

Sixth, inter-ethnic trade is developed. Although there was a war between Song Liao and Xixia, there was a mutual market in peacetime. There are also mutual market transactions with other minority regimes. As for foreign trade, the overseas trade in the Northern Song Dynasty was quite developed. Some important ports along the southeast coast, such as Guangzhou, Quanzhou and Mingzhou, have become famous international ports, where the government has set up a municipal shipping company to manage them.

Seventh, the physical currency withdrew and the metal currency became the common currency. The Northern Song Dynasty established the currency system of year number, that is, the currency was named after the year number, which lasted until the Qing Dynasty. Besides copper and iron, gold and silver have also become important legal tender. In addition, the most noteworthy currency in the Northern Song Dynasty was the appearance of paper money, which was called "Jiaozi" at that time.

Eighth, there are many vendors; The line organization is more rigorous; The great development of catering industry; Other convenient service industries, such as tile casinos, car rental, medical care, bathhouses and so on, are too numerous to mention.

Ninth, with the expansion of commercial capital space, a small number of people get rich first.

In Yuan Dynasty, the transportation was developed and the country was unified unprecedentedly. In Yuan Dynasty, commerce flourished and most of them became international commercial metropolises.

At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Mongols proposed to kill all the Han people and turn all the land of the Han people into pastures. On the contrary, various measures have been taken to develop agriculture, industry and commerce. Of course, this minority regime also has many unique features:

First, the transportation industry is unprecedentedly developed. The post office system is developed; Inland navigation development; Maritime transportation is developed, first from Shanghai to Tianjin, and then from Suzhou Liujiagang to Tianjin.

Second, cities and urban commerce have developed greatly, especially in coastal cities.

Third, overseas trade is developed.

Fourth, human trafficking is developed. This is caused by the remnants of Mongolian slavery.

Fifth, Mongolian aristocrats, bureaucrats, semu people and big monks dominate private business. This is caused by the ethnic discrimination policy of the Yuan Dynasty.