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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
In Chinese history, the Qing Dynasty was known for its great national power and long-lasting rule. However, what is puzzling is that despite the Qing Dynasty's centuries of war, the treasury is still full.
This seemingly contradictory phenomenon has aroused people's curiosity and thinking. What was so special about the Qing Dynasty's fiscal system? What allowed them to maintain financial stability in the midst of successive wars? Perhaps there is a unique way of governing the country that is worthy of our in-depth exploration and learning.
Let's walk into the corridor of history, unveil the mystery of Qing Dynasty's finances, and see if the wisdom and experience can bring some enlightenment and reference to contemporary society.
A new dynasty under the baptism of blood and fire
In 1644, the peasant army led by Li Zicheng captured Beijing, and the Ming dynasty collapsed. At this time, the Manchurian tribes, which were once regarded as "foreign troubles" by the Ming Dynasty, took the opportunity to enter the Central Plains and established the Qing Dynasty.
For the nascent dynasty, the first task was undoubtedly to consolidate its dominance. However, this did not happen overnight. The new court faced not only sustained resistance from the Southern Ming regime, but also the threat of peasant rebels such as Zhang Xianzhong.
In order to completely consolidate its position, the Qing army had to repeatedly engage in decades-long desperate struggles against these forces. In the midst of this protracted civil war, what was the financial situation of the Qing court?
It is not difficult to imagine that such frequent military operations would undoubtedly place a heavy burden on the treasury. However, the reality was unexpected, and even in the midst of war, the Qing Dynasty's treasury remained sufficient. What kind of unique strategy is this?
Shrewd operations in the midst of war
For the newly established Qing dynasty, the first task to gain a foothold in these turbulent times was undoubtedly to resolve the threat from the Southern Ming and peasant rebels as quickly as possible. Thus, from the early days of the entry into the customs, the Qing army launched a series of military operations aimed at eliminating these hostile forces.
Among them, the most important is that in 1644, Dolgon sent Wu Sangui and others to encircle and suppress Li Zicheng's peasant army. After a bitter battle, Li Zicheng was finally completely wiped out in Hubei. This battle not only allowed the Qing army to remove a major hidden danger, but also allowed the Qing court to win a considerable voice in politics.
But at the same time, the war also put a lot of burden on the treasury of the Qing court. After all, just to deal with Li Zicheng's peasant army, the Qing army spent a lot of military funds and materials. At the same time, the threat from the Nanming regime has always existed. It was not until the eighteenth year of Shunzhi that the Southern Ming Dynasty came to an end in the death of Emperor Yongli.
During this period, the Qing court also had to deal with challenges from the "three feudatories" forces. The core figure of this force is Wu Sangui, who has made great contributions. Wu Sangui, a highly decorated general, eventually evolved into a separatist power, plunging the Qing court into a civil war that lasted eight years.
As a result, in just 100 years, the Qing Dynasty has experienced several protracted and magnificent wars. These frequent military conflicts undoubtedly put a heavy burden on the treasury, but the Qing Dynasty kept the treasury sufficient during these wars. What kind of "secrets" are hidden in this?
A unique strategy to win money in wars
The key to studying the reasons why the Qing Dynasty maintained an adequate treasury during the Hundred Years' War lies in the unique wisdom of the Qing Dynasty in war management and financial use.
First of all, the Qing Dynasty adopted a unique strategy of "fighting to win money" in war. Unlike previous dynasties, the Qing Dynasty did not blindly view war as an expense, but as a means of profit.
Taking the Nanming regime as an example, as a newly established dynasty, the first thing the Qing army faced after entering the Central Plains was the continuous threat from the Nanming. In order to completely solve this hidden danger, the Qing court had to send a large number of elite troops south. But at the same time, the Qing army also succeeded in acquiring a large amount of booty and land in the war.
These spoils of war included not only vast wealth, but also vast territory. For a new dynasty that is just rising, these are undoubtedly great wealth and resources.
For the Qing army, war could not only gain benefits, but also further consolidate its dominance. Even the suppression of the rebellion of the three feudatories, which was a costly civil war, ended up with huge spoils from which the Qing dynasty reaped the spoils. This is enough to show that the Qing Dynasty did have a unique set of strategies in war management.
Unlike the reactive response of the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty saw it more as an opportunity to seek profit when faced with war. This proactive stance not only reduced the impact of the war on the treasury, but also allowed the Qing Dynasty to obtain rich spoils from it. This is undoubtedly a unique and ingenious line of thought for combat.
The fundamental policy to stabilize the people's hearts
In addition to adopting a unique strategy in war planning, the Qing Dynasty also made great efforts to maintain social stability. For the Qing court, the treasury could only be sustainably sufficient if the people lived well.
This was fully reflected in the Kangxi Emperor's period. As the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Kangxi knew that only by ensuring the living standards of the people could social stability be truly achieved. Therefore, he made up his mind to vigorously develop agriculture and stabilize the people's minds.
During the Kangxi period, the Qing court vigorously promoted many new crops, such as sweet potatoes and corn. These new crops have not only greatly increased agricultural yields, but also improved people's lives to a certain extent. At the same time, Kangxi also personally presided over the control of the Yellow River and the Grand Canal, creating a more livable living environment for the people.
These measures not only relieved the survival pressure of the people, but also greatly enhanced their sense of identity with the Qing Dynasty. In an environment where the common people lived in affluence, the Qing court was able to easily obtain more tax revenues from it.
On this basis, the Qing Dynasty also made a series of adjustments to the tax system. The previous "one whip law" has been streamlined into a more reasonable system of "apportionment into the mu", which has greatly reduced the tax burden of the people. On this basis, Emperor Yongzheng continued to promote the further optimization of taxation.
Through these measures, the Qing Dynasty not only won the trust and support of the people, but also ensured the stability of the domestic society. In an environment of affluence for the common people, the Qing court was naturally able to obtain more tax revenues from it, which undoubtedly provided important support for the adequacy of the national treasury.
It can be said that the Qing Dynasty's unique wisdom in dealing with people's livelihood issues laid a solid foundation for it to maintain a sufficient treasury during the war. This concept of putting the lives of the people first is the key to the Qing Dynasty's ability to survive the smoke of a hundred years of gunfire.
The law of favor and frugal spending
In addition to the above two key factors, some characteristics of the Qing Dynasty's financial management also provided a guarantee for the adequacy of its treasury.
First of all, the Qing emperors were very frugal when it came to personal expenses. Since the beginning of Shunzhi, the Qing court has focused on controlling the extravagant spending of the court. Not only was the number of court ladies and eunuchs drastically reduced, but even the emperor's own standard of living was much lower than that of the previous dynasty.
This frugal style continued until the three generations of emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. Even in the glorious "Kangqian Prosperous Era", the Qing court's expenditure control was still strict. This pragmatic and frugal approach undoubtedly greatly reduced the expenditure of the royal family and provided a guarantee for the adequacy of the treasury.
Second, the Qing Dynasty also showed a relatively streamlined feature in the bureaucratic system. The number of bureaucrats in the Qing court was much smaller than in the previous dynasties. Even when it was necessary to send large armies, the Qing Dynasty never blindly expanded the bureaucracy. Instead, they prefer to maintain a lean and efficient bureaucracy.
In this way, the Qing Dynasty's expenditure on official salaries was naturally greatly reduced. In contrast to the Ming Dynasty's bureaucratic and reward-oriented style, the Qing Dynasty's frugality in this regard undoubtedly added to the health of the treasury.
It can be said that the Qing Dynasty's frugality at all levels, such as military spending, people's livelihood, and bureaucracy, provided reliable support for the adequacy of its treasury. This shows from the side that the wisdom of the Qing Dynasty in ruling and management is far more than the above two points.
Build the foundation of a century-old prosperous world
To sum up, the Qing Dynasty was able to maintain a sufficient treasury during the century-long war, mainly due to its unique wisdom in war management, people's livelihood economy, and fiscal frugality.
First of all, the Qing Dynasty adopted a unique strategy of "fighting to win money" in war. They do not see war as a burden, but as an opportunity for profit. Through warfare, the Qing army was not only able to eliminate the threat, but also obtained a large amount of booty and territory, which provided strong support for the sufficiency of the national treasury.
Second, the Qing Dynasty put a lot of effort into maintaining social stability. They vigorously developed agriculture and carried out a series of tax adjustments, which successfully won the support of the people. This not only relieved the pressure on people's livelihood, but also brought stable tax revenue to the Qing court. This laid a solid foundation for the Qing Dynasty's treasury to be sufficient.
Finally, the Qing emperors showed a high degree of frugality in their personal expenses and in the management of the bureaucracy. This pragmatic and frugal approach greatly reduced the Qing court's expenditures and further strengthened the adequacy of the state treasury.
It can be said that it was these unique policy measures that achieved the miracle of the Qing Dynasty maintaining a sufficient treasury in the midst of a hundred years of war. And all this has also laid a solid foundation for the future "prosperous era of Kangqian". In this context, the Qing Dynasty was finally able to overcome many difficulties and achieve a century of glory.
The Qing Dynasty's secret to keeping its treasury full in the midst of a hundred years of war has become an unforgettable legend in history. These wisdoms not only impress us with this dynasty, but also make us truly feel that only by truly standing on the stand of the people can we finally win a lasting and stable ruling position. Perhaps this is the fundamental way for the Qing Dynasty to achieve a century of prosperity.
"The clouds of war in a hundred years are shrouded, and the Qing Dynasty was able to maintain the fullness of the treasury in the midst of war, which is really amazing. What kind of wisdom did they rely on to create such a legend? When this new dynasty, which was once regarded as an "external trouble", finally achieved the glorious 'prosperous era of Kangqian', how can we not be impressed?
epilogue
After reading this amazing historical legend, I believe everyone can't help but be moved. Isn't it a classic that the Qing Dynasty maintained an adequate treasury in the Hundred Years' War and achieved a glorious "prosperous Kangqian era"?
Their wisdom in war management, people's livelihood development, and financial frugality make us look at this dynasty with admiration. Perhaps this is the root of the Qing Dynasty's ultimate success – putting the needs of the people first.
Only in this way can we truly win a lasting and solid dominance. This history tells us that only by truly standing on the side of the people can we create an immortal legend.