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At the end of the Ming Dynasty, peasant armies raged and brought devastating damage to many places. In particular, it is famous for the burning of Fengyang, Li Zicheng's flooding of Kaifeng, and the slaughter of the city by Zhang Xianzhong of the Great Western Army. However, among the leaders of the peasant army in these impressions, there was an unusual person who not only destroyed, but also carried out currency reform in the vast territory of Yunnan, becoming a special case in the peasant army in the late Ming Dynasty.
Zhang Xianzhong's subordinates had a righteous son named Sun Kewang. Sun Kewang was not a military general who wielded only swords and guns, and his currency reform in Yunnan became a pivotal moment in Yunnan's history. His decisions not only changed Yunnan's economic structure, but also injected new vitality into Yunnan's political landscape at the end of the Ming Dynasty. However, his glorious moment was matched by internal strife and the end of the traitor's identity, and Sun Ke was expected to be a complex figure in the history of the late Ming Dynasty.
The life of Sun Kewang
Sun Kewang, a native of Shaanxi, joined Zhang Xianzhong's peasant army, became his righteous son, and was also the brainchild of Zhang Xianzhong's clique. When Zhang Xianzhong declared Emperor Chengdu, Sun Kewang was made chief minister and controlled the civil and military affairs of the Great West. However, the invasion of the Qing army broke this relatively stable situation, and Zhang Xianzhong was killed in battle.
In 1647, the remnants of the Great Western Army, led by Sun Kewang and another righteous son, Li Dingguo, withdrew from Sichuan and entered Yunnan, where Sun Kewang proclaimed himself king and established the Yongli regime in Yunnan. By this time, Yunnan's economic situation was already quite grim, and Sun's monetary reform became a key move to consolidate the regime.
Monetary reform and implications
The Yunnan region has long used sea shells as currency. Sun is expected to take resolute steps, banning the use of shells as a medium of exchange, and even sentencing those who violate the order. The purpose of this policy was to promote the circulation of copper coins to meet the needs of commercial activities. In Yunnan, people's trading habits have always been "silver for large numbers, shells for small numbers". Under Sun Kewang's rule, this situation changed.
Sun Ke Wang's monetary reform was introduced, introducing silver money, a new monetary system linked to silver and copper money. He set up a clearly defined ratio of silver so that silver became the main currency, and copper coins became auxiliary coins of silver for small transactions. This move has greatly promoted the development of Yunnan's economy.
The impact of this currency reform extends far beyond Yunnan, where it played a key role in Yunnan's unique history in the late Ming Dynasty. However, Sun Kewang's ambitions were too great, and he had no ambitions to betray the Yongli regime or seek to become emperor. He worked hard to coerce the Son of Heaven to order the princes and defend the orthodoxy of the Ming Dynasty. However, after a series of defeats, he turned his face and betrayed the Yongli regime and led the Qing army to invade Yunnan, ending his glorious moment.
Sun Ke's hopeful ending
Sun's policies were far-reaching, and the monetary system he pioneered was passed on throughout Yunnan's history, even by the Qing dynasty. This shows that his contribution to economic reform outweighs his negligence. However, his ambition and complexity are also unforgettable. His ambitions led to internal strife and eventually betrayal of the Yongli regime, leading to the fall of Yunnan.
Soon after, Sun Kewang's status gradually declined, and he eventually became a traitor. He lost interest in the Qing dynasty, and Sun was expected to die in 1658. This peasant-turned-leader, despite his past mistakes, his currency reform has left an important legacy in Yunnan's history. Gu Cheng, an expert on Ming history, believes that Sun Ke's achievements far outweigh his mistakes. His reforms laid the foundation for Yunnan's economy, enabling Yunnan to resist the Qing invasion in the late Ming Dynasty, creating a special history.
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