How rich was the Southern Song Dynasty? The prime minister's annual salary reached 2 million
Did you know that there was a dynasty in Chinese history that was so prosperous that even modern people were amazed. That is the Southern Song Dynasty.
The Southern Song Dynasty was an important stage in China's history, and its economy and culture reached an unprecedented height. So, how rich was the Southern Song Dynasty?
First, let's look at the monetary system of the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, the Southern Song Dynasty implemented a system of gold and silver circulation, and strictly controlled and managed the value of gold and silver. This made the currency transactions of the Southern Song Dynasty very stable, and also promoted the development of the commodity economy.
Let's take a look at the fiscal revenue of the Southern Song Dynasty government. According to historical records, the total annual income of the Southern Song Dynasty exceeded 300 million taels of silver. That's the equivalent of billions of dollars today! And not all of that money is used to pay for state spending, but a large part of it is used to support projects such as agricultural production and urban construction.
Of course, the most surprising thing is the annual salary of the prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. According to statistics, the prime minister's annual salary at that time was as high as 2 million taels of silver! This figure was very staggering for the society at that time. Even now, such an annual salary is astronomical!
There were many reasons why the Southern Song Dynasty had such a high accumulation of wealth? First of all, during the Southern Song Dynasty, agricultural productivity was greatly improved, and grain production increased significantly, which also provided a large source of tax revenue for the state. Secondly, the development of the Maritime Silk Road in the Southern Song Dynasty also brought huge wealth to the country. In addition, the handicraft industry in the Southern Song Dynasty was also very developed, especially the porcelain manufacturing industry, which created the world-famous "Song porcelain".
In general, the Southern Song Dynasty was a vibrant era, with a rich material life and a splendid culture and art. Although many years have passed since that era, the history of the Southern Song Dynasty is still worth studying and studying. After all, it is a history full of wisdom and courage, and it is one of the precious spiritual legacies of the Chinese nation.