Throughout the ages, wealth has been seen as a representation of gold and silver. The value of gold and silver was not lost due to the change of dynasties, so ancient societies used gold and silver as currency for commercial transactions.
The purchasing power of gold and silver changes with the times. By calculating how many catties of rice can be purchased in different years, and then converting it into modern RMB, we can intuitively feel the changes in its purchasing power.
This not only reflects the development of the ancient economy, but also reminds us that the value of wealth is not only in quantity, but also in the purchasing power of the time. Let's follow the context of history, through the tunnel of time, and explore one or two ** bits and pieces.
Before we look at it, it is necessary to understand the origin and development of money. China is one of the first users of currency in the world, with a history of 5,000 years.
In the long process of development, the form of money in ancient China has undergone five major changes. The original currency was the shells of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Archaeological discoveries show that as early as the late Neolithic Age, our ancestors had used perforated shells as a medium of exchange.
Although the shells were limited in number, they were easy to preserve and transport, making them an early currency in circulation.
In ancient China, with the development of handicrafts and commerce, the demand for shells as exchange currency surged, and merchants in various vassal states began to mint copper coins that imitated the shape of shells to facilitate transactions, which was an important shift from natural to artificial currency in China.
However, during the Warring States period, the copper coins minted in various countries were chaotic, resulting in a situation of "duplicate coins", and the same currency had different shapes and weights in different countries, causing many inconveniences to commercial activities.
After Qin Shi Huang unified the six countries, he implemented the unification of currency and implemented a unified round square hole and half a tael of coins throughout the country, which played a role in promoting the development of commerce and the formation of a unified market.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the country unified the coinage, which promoted regional economic development. The emergence of gold and silver coins in the Tang Dynasty heralded the decline of copper coins, and the invention of paper money in the Song Dynasty opened a new chapter in China's monetary history.
Every monetary revolution has led to a boom in the commodity economy. The monetary civilization of ancient China was the earliest monetary economy in the world, which accumulated rich wealth for the agricultural society and promoted the progress of science and technology and culture.
Copper coins were the only currency in China during the Qin and Han dynasties, but with the development of commerce, a large number of copper coins could no longer meet the demand for ease. As a result, ** was introduced into China as a currency, gradually replacing copper coins as the main currency.
Compared with copper coins, it is lighter and easier to save, and is more suitable for large transactions. In addition, as a ***, its value is stable and not easy to depreciate, so it is more suitable as a tool for value storage and trading.
According to historical records, the first country to use ** was the Qi State during the Warring States Period, and Qi produced the most silver, so they first used ** to polish tools and make luxury goods.
By the Qin and Han dynasties, ** had gradually circulated as currency.
In the Western Han Dynasty, ** has become an important form of monetary assets. Due to the long-term use of troops during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a large loss of copper coins was lost. In order to make up for the fiscal revenue, ** began to issue ** currency, which further promoted the promotion of ** currency.
By the Tang and Song dynasties, ** had become the main form of currency on the market, and the use of silver ingots became more and more widespread. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, ** officially replaced copper coins and became the country's legal standard currency.
* The use of money reflects the rapid development of the commodity economy in ancient times, and also opens up the economic exchanges between various regions, creating many cities with prosperous financial industries. It can be said that without the use of **, the ancient economy is unimaginable.
*As an ancient currency, its purchasing power has changed with the times. By consulting historical records, we calculated how many catties of rice could be exchanged for one tael in different dynasties.
According to the "Old Tang Dynasty Book, Food and Goods Chronicle", during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, one or two ** could be exchanged for 1,000 copper coins. At that time, a bucket of rice was worth five Wen, so one or two ** could be exchanged for two hundred buckets of rice.
A bucket of rice weighs about twelve and a half catties, so one or two ** can buy two thousand five hundred catties of rice. According to the current market price of rice at two yuan per catty, one tael ** is about 5,000 yuan.
From this point of view, during the Tang Dynasty, the purchasing power of one or two ** was considerable, which was enough to cover the living expenses of ordinary people for a year. With such a one or two, life is not difficult.
According to records at the time, one or two ** could be used to buy a horse, a fat cow, or rent a house to live in for a year. By using ** as a currency, the development of the city's economy has been greatly promoted. "
*As an important investment tool, it can not only buy land for rental income, but also provide financial support for the handicraft industry. The social and economic development of the Tang Dynasty is inseparable from the promotion and use of the first class, which not only strengthens the national economic ties, but also makes the wealth of the countryside flow to the city and promotes the development of the urban economy.
One or two ** was considered a considerable fortune at the time.
In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, war and extravagance led to a large outflow, and one or two ** depreciated significantly compared with the Tang Dynasty, and the purchasing power was greatly reduced.
During the Wenrenguan period of the Northern Song Dynasty, one or two ** can only be exchanged for 2,000 copper coins, which is half of the Tang Dynasty, and the price of rice has also reached 30 Wen per bucket, and one or two ** can only buy 67 buckets of rice, about 840 catties, according to the current unit price of rice, one or two ** is only equivalent to 2,100 yuan, which is only a quarter of the purchasing power of the Tang Dynasty.
In the early days of the Northern Song Dynasty, inflation was serious, and the purchasing power of one or two ** shrank extremely quickly, which was mainly due to the frequent use of troops leading to a large outflow of **, and the limited amount of mining, the ** amount was insufficient, according to the basic laws of economics, which would inevitably lead to a soaring price.
In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, the average loss method led to a sharp rise in inflation, and the wealth in the hands of the people had to be levied 10% every year to **, which virtually increased the amount of money in circulation, but under the condition that the amount of money remained unchanged, the increase in the amount of money directly led to serious inflation, the purchasing power of ** declined rapidly, and the lives of ordinary people felt unprecedented difficulties.
According to records at the time, two taels of ** could buy a lean cow or two sheep, and daily necessities such as rice and cloth ** soared. However, the ** fortune was far from keeping up with the rate of inflation, and many Confucians wrote letters asking for reform, but to no avail.
Some ordinary people also complained about the high prices in the letter, saying that as farmers, a year's harvest is only enough to sustain them for a few months, and heavy taxes and inflation make life difficult.
However, no effective regulatory measures have been taken, resulting in increasing suffering among the people.
Time flies, and the middle of the Ming Dynasty has arrived. At that time, one or two **, compared with the Tang and Song dynasties, was only a fraction of the value. Li Shizhen's "Drinking and Eating" of the Ming Dynasty recorded that the price of high-quality rice on the market at that time was equivalent to two taels per stone.
And one stone weighs about ninety-four catties, which means that one or two ** can buy one hundred and eighty-eight catties of rice. According to today's rice**, 188 catties of rice is equivalent to about 760 yuan.
And the purchasing power of one or two ** is not as good as before, only about one-tenth of that of the Tang Dynasty. With the development of commerce, the outflow intensified, which, combined with inflation in the Ming Dynasty, led to a significant decline in purchasing power.
During this period, due to the large number of exports from the Americas, the volume of the Chinese market increased greatly. According to the laws of the economy, the increase in the amount of ** will inevitably lead to the decline of **.
At the same time, a large number of low-quality copper coins are also circulated among the people, which further exacerbates inflation.
At that time, the Nanjing area was famous for its abundance of agricultural and handicraft products, but the production was relatively small. As a result, a large number of **through commodities** flowed to Jiangnan, while other regions had to import grain through Jiangnan, resulting in a serious outflow.
Many scholars have written to ask for a ban on the outflow, but no effective measures have been taken. In some places, there is even a phenomenon of market closure, and local governments are often in arrears.
This has led to many people being forced to trade with other items, which has triggered severe inflation. According to the accounts of some foreign missionaries, they also suffered from inflation while they were engaged in missionary activities in China.
The purchasing power of one or two ** is much lower than that of foreign countries, and it is difficult for them to make ends meet. Inflation has made life extremely difficult for them during their time in China.
During the Qing Dynasty, the purchasing power of one or two ** had fallen to an all-time low. According to the historical records of the Qianlong period, one or two ** can buy about 140 catties of rice.
According to the current unit price of rice, one tael ** can only be converted into two or three hundred yuan. That is, its purchasing power can no longer be compared with that of ancient times, and is only equal to the daily wage income of an ordinary worker.
During this period, due to the large inflow of ** from the Americas, the Chinese market reached an all-time high. According to the principles of economics, when the amount of a currency increases substantially, it will.
At the same time, frequent wars have severely affected agricultural production and reduced food production, which in turn has led to food prices**. And the surge in *** has led to its **substantial**.
The combination of these factors has led to an all-time low in purchasing power. On the other hand, after the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Western countries accelerated their aggression against China. They imported a large number of Chinese tea, silk and other commodities in exchange for a large number of ** imported into China.
This has further led to a decrease in the purchasing power of **.
* The decline in purchasing power has had a huge impact on people's lives. Due to frequent outbreaks of food shortages, it is difficult for people to obtain enough food.
In the late Qing Dynasty, one or two ** could only buy dozens of catties of rice, not even enough for a meal, which made people's lives fall into extreme difficulties, and even became the fuse of the revolution.