Rethinking on Wang Anshi’s Reform from Economics Perspective

Abstract

The economic reform initiated by Wang Anshi in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) was a well-known reform movement in Chinese history, and it had a significant influence on the succeeding government. As Wang Anshi's economic reform involved many fields and penetrated into the fabric of society, there have been numerous studies on the subject in the academic field. These studies cover the fields of economics, sociology, and psychology, and provide insights into the impact of Wang Anshi's reform on the society of the Northern Song Dynasty and modern society from different academic perspectives. Therefore, this article attempts to further analyze the reasons for the failure of Wang Anshi's reform on the basis of its content and to discuss the author's thoughts and understanding of Wang Anshi's reform from the perspective of economics. The successes, failures, and lessons learned from Wang Anshi's reform provide a tremendous reference value for modern economic and management measures.