A Study On The Trade Of Tea Horses Between Han And Tibet In Northern Song Dynasty

Tea-horse trade originated in Tang Dynasty and flourished in Song Dynasty.During the Northern Song Dynasty,the development of tea-horse trade in Han and Tibet was divided into two stages before and after the seven years of Xining(1074): before the seventh year of Xining(1074),the tea-horse trade in Han and Tibet gradually increased,but the tea did not become the main material of the horses,the tea-horse trade was mainly in the stage of money and silk horses,and the tea-horse trade in Han and Tibet was mostly based on market trade and tributary trade.After the seventh year of Xining(1074),the Song Dynasty implemented the policy of expanding tea consumption by horse.Tea became the main material of the city horse,and Tea-horse trade became a system.The tea-horse trade developed rapidly and prospered.The tea-horse trade,which was dominated by market trade,has become the main form of economic exchange between the Han and the Tibet.There are four main reasons for the prosperity of tea-horse trade in Northern Song Dynasty,Han and Tibet.Firstly,the natural geographical conditions of Tubo determine that Tubo abounds in horses and does not produce tea,but needs tea.The spread of tea drinking custom in Northern Song Dynasty further stimulated the demand of Tubo for tea.Secondly,the great development of tea production in the Northern Song Dynasty,especially in Sichuan,laid a material foundation for the trade of tea horses between Han and Tibet.Thirdly,the Northern Song Dynasty had poor supervision of animal husbandry and strong demand for foreign horses.Finally,the special political and military alliance between Song Dynasty and Tubo is the political condition for the development of Tea-Horse trade.