When it comes to the causes of the global population decline, we cannot avoid the dual effects of natural and man-made disasters. Before Liu Bang founded the Western Han Dynasty, the country was mired in decades-long turmoil, and the continuous war caused a large number of young and middle-aged soldiers to fall, and every family suffered the pain of separation, and the old and weak women and children became the main force of the family. During this period, the population declined sharply and there was a depression.
The size of the population is undoubtedly one of the signs of a country's prosperity. Faced with the demographic dilemma at the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang was well aware of the importance of increasing the population. To this end, he racked his brains and finally issued a major order. It was this decision that led to the rapid rise of the country's population, and he succeeded in solving a difficult problem.
So, what exactly is this compelling policy? That is, girls who have reached the age of 15 must pay taxes if they are not married. Initially, the policy was only for women. So, how much is this tax? It's only 120 yuan, but it's equivalent to a young man's ration for a season.
Women in ancient times were very different from women today in that they could not earn a living on their own and had to rely on their fathers or husbands for protection. If you are still unmarried as you get older, your family will have to pay this tax on your behalf. And this tax is not paid once, but every year until the marriage.
In the devastation of the post-war period, every family was burdened with a heavy burden. Taxes are like dark clouds that weigh down, leaving countless families breathless. In order to alleviate this pressure, many families can't wait to push their daughters into the palace of marriage, and have no time to choose a lover. These girls, like butterflies flying blindly, hurriedly searched for shelter, and many of them were mistakenly married to frivolous people, causing their innocent hearts to suffer untold suffering.
Out of desperation, many daughters of poor families chose to be concubines in anxiety. In their eagerness to find a home, they are willing to be subservient. However, such a choice also brings with it more dilemmas. The financial constraints of the man's family made concubinage a luxury, and frequent greetings to the old were commonplace. Those neglected concubines, like autumn leaves, may be abandoned at any time, lonely and helpless.
In this difficult era, every daughter carries the hope and helplessness of the family. Their fate drifts like fallen leaves in the wind, and there is no choice. And those youth and dreams that were let down down also turned into a sigh in this historical catastrophe.
Liu Bang drove the crane to the west, and the crown prince Liu Ying inherited the unification, and the policy was strengthened. At this time, not only did the unmarried woman have to pay taxes, but also the unmarried men had to pay the tax. What's even more astonishing is that the tax amount has skyrocketed several times, starting at 600 yuan, and increasing with age. Such a burden is beyond the reach of ordinary families. Therefore, many girls are not yet minors, and their families are already married. It is precisely because of the vigorous implementation of this policy in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty that the country's population has sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. In just a few decades, the population of the Western Han Dynasty increased several times, and the country's military power was well stocked. However, with the changes of the times and the rapid increase in the population of the Western Han Dynasty, this policy has become outdated and has gradually been eliminated by history.
Liu Bang