Wang Anshi implements new policies (A.D. 1068 - 1085)

During the Song Dynasty, Emperor Shenzong (r. 1067-1085) allowed the official Wang Anshi to radically reform the economic and political system. These reforms were called the New Policies. In these reforms, Wang Anshi attempted to change the way land was assessed when levying taxes so that the count would be more accurate. He also developed new ways to collect and then transport these taxes back to the government. Wang Anshi wanted to shift the tax burden from the shoulders of peasants, as well as make advancements in the agriculture, all in order to increase the standard of living for all subjects.

Wang Anshi perhaps tried to change too much too quickly. His new reforms limited the privileges of the elite, creating for himself many opponents. Some high-placed officials, such as Sima Guang and Su Dongpo, denounced his plans. They took the traditional past as their model and called Wang’s reforms “un-Confucian” in an attempt to undermine his authority. Wang Anshi’s ideas were ahead of his time, and could be considered an early form of capitalism; certainly, they were radical in comparison to those of the staunch traditionalists.

Being left to accomplish these new reforms without help, Wang Anshi reformed the civil service exam and developed local militias to aid the overextended government. This only further angered opposing officials, so Wang Anshi replaced them with new people through his control of the examination system. When these ousted officials returned after Emperor Shenzong (Wang Anshi’s main supporter) died, they ousted Wang Anshi in a similar fashion. (Lydia Jung)

William Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, eds., Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999).

Patricia B. Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996).

Last Modified: November 30, 2004