The Song dynasty is considered a weak dynasty in Chinese history, especially in the face of foreign invasions and civil unrest. However, in recent years, a set of data has been circulating on the Internet in an attempt to highlight the strength of the Song Dynasty. Let's take a look at the authenticity of this data.
The first is data on the GDP of the Song Dynasty, which is said to account for 80% of the world's total. However, this data lacks historical evidence and may be falsified. In contrast, the data presented by the famous historical economist Angus Maddison is more credible, and in 1000 AD, the Song Dynasty accounted for 22% of the world's GDP7%。Nevertheless, more research is needed to understand the true GDP share of the Song dynasty. The economic prosperity and cultural achievements of the Song dynasty are undeniable, though perhaps not as exaggerated as the legend suggests.
This is followed by data on the Song Dynasty's victory rate in foreign wars, which is claimed to have reached 70%. Although this data is true, it is somewhat deceptive. The Song Dynasty was mostly on the defensive, and most of its victories were defensive battles, with little success. Although the Tang Dynasty's foreign victory rate was not as good as that of the Song Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty maintained the initiative in the war. Therefore, the probability of winning a war needs to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.
There were two reasons for the weakness of the Song Dynasty: first, Zhao Kuangyin usurped the throne and won the country unjustly, which led to the instability of the regime; The second is that the later emperors were mediocre and incompetent, especially Song Huizong, who overtrusted traitorous ministers, which led to the decline of the country. The most regrettable thing is that Song Gaozong showed weakness and treachery in the treatment of Yue Fei and other military generals, which also exacerbated the decline of the Song Dynasty.
History is a mirror, and we should treat it as a courtesy, not blindly believe it, nor can we deny it all. The lessons of the rise and fall of the Song Dynasty tell us that the strength of a country depends not only on the economy and military, but also on the wisdom and courage of the rulers.