Research On The Horse Trades In The Of Tang And The Five Dynasties

In Chinese united and multi-ethnic history,there is long-lasting and firm political contacts as well as frequent economic exchange in nations at different regions,this exchange appears to be rich and colorful at different periods,regions and nations,particularly horse trade in period of Tang and Five Dynasties become the peak as result of scope,categories and numbers of horse,horse trade in this period appeared to influential and representative economic exchanges in another form,official horse trade or non-governmental horse trade was very active.Government also attached great importance to development of horse trade,which not only considered horse trade as important political tool,but also improved quality and inventory of horse through buying horse from minorities.The period of Tang and Five Dynasties is peak of China's politics,economy and politics,winning over praises from scholars at home and abroad,there are lots of minorities in In-and-Out ruling regions of Tang dynasty,the economic development of these nations varied greatly as result of history and environment,but these nations had limited development of industry and agriculture so that animal husbandry became the pillar of economy,and also they had strong dependence on Han of farming areas in economy so that they could meet the demands of necessities of life only through trades and wars,therefore opening border trade would become one of political ways for dynasties in Central China,namely opening border trade for winning over people's supports or closing border trade for punishment to contain regime of surrounding nations.Government of Tang dynasty conducted various horse trades with surrounding minorities and exchanged goods mutually,since period of Five Dynasties,the increasingly frequent war required more and more horses,regimes actively purchased lots of horses from surrounding minorities,horse trade not only promotes the progress of civilization of minorities,but also lays great foundation for national unity and economic development.In order to better conduct horse trade,the government of Tang and Five Dynasties remained or set up a set of management institution from the central to local,Taipusi and the Ministry of Revenue in feudal China established in the central,the imperial office for supervising mutual trade in the local,these organs constituted together management system of horse trade in Tang dynasty to better and smoothly carry out orderly horse trade under guarantee,the government also set very detailed management regulations and established supervision institutions comparatively in some regions,strictly limiting departure of some goods,but it still could not stop objective needs of commercial development of goods,there still existed various forms of horse trade,the management measures and systems in Tang dynasty fundamentally was extended to promote normal operation of horse trade in period of Five Dynasties.In order to resolve supply problem of horse,the government of Tang and Five Dynasties attached great importance to development of horse breeding.,such institutions with governmental administrative personnel of overseeing pasture promoted development of officially-operated horse breeding and also protected enthusiasm of non-governmental horse breeding with great efforts,particularly before middle-Tang dynasty,officially-operated horse breeding was very flourishing so that the unprecedented development had been achieved in pasture,it is owning to the thriving horse industry that the early Tang dynasty played active position in horse trade.later on horse-breeding industry undergone the serious hit,the frequent wars in Central China requires more and more horses so that the scale of officially horse businesses was expanded gradually.Especially when the rapid development of horse-breeding industry also injected vigor into non-governmental horse businesses,company of traveling merchants actively transaction activities of livestock such as horse,especially the west-north regions became transaction center of horse at that period.There are various objects of official horse trades with wide scope and extensive forms of horse trades in period of Tang and Five Dynasties,especially the strong north minority,there is common complement and infiltration between official and non-governmental horse trade to promote development of horse trade in period of Tang and Five Dynasties,with development of social economy,such profound changes happened in horse trades at this period to result in transition from silk-horse trade to tea-horse trade,which came not only from living habits of minorities,but also from urgency to seek replacement as payment methods from imbalance between financial troubles about dynasties of Central China and expansion of horse trade,and at the same time,this change brought about profound influence for Central China and minorities so that marked changes happened in economic structures in Central China,after hundreds of years from now,the depth and breadth of tea-horse trade has been enriched gradually with continuous expansion of commercial scope,which brings about active influence to businesses exchanges among minorities,with the raising political and economic position of horse trades,the government manages the horse trades in detail with strict control.This period witnesses the transition happening in horse trade in ancient time,the horse trade was conducted with great initiatives as result of enough supply of horse in early Tang dynasty,later on,the war kept cropping up so as to make horse trade more passive as result of lacking horse,there is strong political complexion in horse trade before middle-Tang dynasty so that horse trade was conducted from the consideration of politics,however,political complexion in horse trade faded away gradually,but which is more inclined to consider economy in period of late Tang and Five Dynasties,horse prices in earlier stage of Tang and Five-age Dynasty was relatively low,while in later stage,price increased continually,which stimulated surrounding ethnic groups to sell horses to the Central Plains.In brief,horse trades in period of Tang and the Five Dynasties plays the important position in history of ancient commercial trade in China and provides important materials guarantee for society,politics,military and economic life at that moment not only to meet the people's needs of livestock as horse in Central China,but also to bring advanced civilization of Central China to surrounding minorities for promoting integration of nations as well as development of agriculture,handicraft industry and businesses in Central China,It can offer historical reference for the implementation of the strategy of"the Belt and Road".