The Tang dynasty was very prosperous in the history of China, during which the ancient Chinese individuals created a great civilization with their own hard - work and intelligence, and great achievements were made in the field of economy, politics, culture and tact, ranking itself " the Top Four Civilizations in the World History " so.
1. Currency
The Tang rulers fast drew out the pecuniary policy meeting the foundation of the Tang Empire, demolishing Wuzhu Coins issued by the Han dynasty ( 206 - 220 ) and issuing the gold & silver Kai - Yuan - Tong - Bao coins. At the same time, the tradition that the silk fabrics could circulate in the market was inherited by the Tang rulers ( 618 - 907 ), so the coins and silk could both circulate in the market whence, of which the coins mainly referred to copper cashes, and the silk fabrics included silk, satins and poplins.
Inhabitants
It was estimated that the number of households had reached 3, 800, 000 by the end of 650 and 6, 150, 000 by the end of 705, with a total population of 52, 880, 488 by the end of 754 ( one year before the Anshi Rebellion ). The household registration and management were rather confused in the late period of the Tang dynasty owing to the consecutive wars. It ' s widely considered by the modern scholars that the population peak appeared in 13th year ( 754 ) and 14th year ( 755 ) of Emperor Xuanzong ' s reign with a total population of 800, 000, 000, not including peasants who lost their lands, soldiers, monks, Taoists, slaves and maids.
2. Tax Revenue
The Semiannual Tax System was carried out in the middle period of the Tang dynasty with the tax revenue of 108, 908, 000 taels of silver in 780, including the salt profit of 2, 780, 000 taels of silver, which reduced to 9, 250, 000 taels of silver in 853. With the Tang rulers ' oppression upon the salt merchants, the national - spread uprising led by Huang Chao broke out.
3. Agriculture
The new progress was made in farming tools during the Tang dynasty, including two - wheel beam ploughs, water mills and scoop waterwheels. Over 160 large water conservancy projects were carried out in the early Tang dynasty, of which the famous ones included Yuliang Cannel, Jiangyan Lake and Jinghu Lake, and agricultural land covered an area of 8, 500, 000 hectares in the Tianbao Period of Emperor Xuanzong ' s reign, contributing a lot to increasing agricultural production. The agricultural production in the South China was greatly improved in the late Tang dynasty owing to a large number of population moving southward and the water conservancy projects built in South China.
4. Handicraft
The handicraft industry was divided into the state - run workshops and the private - run ones in the Tang dynasty, and the former was under control of the Ministry of Industry, from which the products only served for the royal families and officials. The main handicraft industry in the early Tang dynasty included textile industry, porcelain industry, mining and metallurgical industry, while the shipping - making industry and the papermaking industry were very prosperous later.
