Everyone knows that the Song Dynasty was often bullied by others, and the value of force was actually not too crotch in the Chinese feudal dynasty, but because civilian command often won less and lost more. There have also been more famous battles, such as the Tan Yuan Alliance, but what is puzzling is that the Song Dynasty War will lose some money to the other side no matter whether it is won or lost. For example, the "Tanyuan Alliance" Song Dynasty was the victorious side, but once lost 300,000 taels (about 60 million yuan) of silver to the Liao State, and paid tribute every year. Maybe it's because the emperor of the Song Dynasty is less bloody, likes to dance and ink, and everything that can be done with money is not a thing, we are not bad money, why not exchange money for peace? One can't help but wonder what the fiscal revenue of the Song Dynasty was:
Song Dynasty Economic Prosperity Figure 1
According to records, the Song Dynasty's fiscal revenue reached 160 million guanwen (1 guanwen = 1000 wen, 1 wen = 0.3 yuan) at its peak, equivalent to 48 billion yuan. Even the Southern Song Dynasty, which is only half of the country, reached 100 million guanwen (30 billion yuan), what level is this?
At the height of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had a fiscal revenue of 35 million guanwen (10.5 billion yuan) a year, and the Song Dynasty was 2.86-4.6 times their revenue;
In 1840, the Qing government's fiscal revenue was 45 million taels of silver (one tael of silver = 200 yuan) and 9 billion yuan, which was only equivalent to 1/3 of the Southern Song Dynasty;
In 1840, Britain's fiscal revenue was 300 million taels of silver, RMB 60 billion, which was 1.25-2 times that of the Song Dynasty;
When New China was first founded, the national fiscal revenue was 31 billion yuan, basically the same as that of the Southern Song Dynasty. The fiscal revenue of the Song Dynasty for more than 1,000 years has some levels, which has to be amazing! It deserves to be called the ceiling of the feudal dynasty economy.
Song Dynasty Economic Prosperity Figure II
Of course, the above is a macro comparison, let's look at the income of officials and traders in the Song Dynasty:
The prime minister of the Song Dynasty, with a monthly salary of 300 yuan, equivalent to a monthly salary of 90,000 yuan / month, a salary of more than one million a year! This was still without welfare fees, land rent, and other income from the emperor's rewards.
In the Song Dynasty, a county magistrate's monthly salary was about 40 guan/month. Equivalent to 12,000 yuan / month, although not high but not low, this is only the salary part.
Song Dynasty Economic Prosperity Figure III
In the early years of the Song Qingyuan Dynasty, Lu Sigong of Raozhou was a small trader selling pig and sheep blood soup in Raozhou, earning about 200 wen (about 60 yuan per day) a day. There were also two small traders in Wuzhong, who lived by selling live yellow eels, earning about 300 wen (about 90 yuan / day) a day, while the average consumption of the middle class in the Song Dynasty at that time was 50 wen / day (about 15 yuan / day).
For example, Wu Da Lang and his wife in "Water Margin" live in a two-story small building, Pan Jinlian goes to see Ximen Qing every day when she has nothing to do, it can be regarded as food and clothing, petty bourgeois life, a day's living expenses: rations + clothes 40 wen (12 yuan), meat and vegetable snacks 60 wen (18 yuan), façade rent 15 wen (4.5 yuan), a total of 115 wen (34.5 yuan). Ordinary people live a simple life, and it is estimated that it is about 10 yuan / person a day.
Song Dynasty Economic Prosperity Figure IV
Everyone knows that the status of traders in feudal society is very low, and their income is of this level, not to mention the people of their level. Therefore, throughout the feudal dynasty, the common people of the Song Dynasty must have no problem with food, clothing and warmth, and life is definitely very rich, that is, since the Song Dynasty, we have become three meals a day.
Song Dynasty Economic Prosperity Figure 5