Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Lawrence W Reed
“For 4,000 years, from 2070 BC to 1911 AD, one imperial family after another ruled China. … Most Westerners are familiar with the Tudors, Stuarts, and Windsors of England, or the Romanovs of Russia, but few are aware of the names of Chinese dynasties such as the Zhou, Han, or Ming, let alone the notable figures associated with them. In this essay, I acquaint the reader with a man named Wang Anshi 王安石. He lived from 1021 to 1086 AD during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). He passed the highly competitive imperial exam that qualified him for the civil service, and began his career in local administration. After gaining a reputation as knowledgeable in what we now call economics, he was appointed chancellor (akin to prime minister) by Emperor Shenzong in 1070. Almost twelve centuries later, Wang Anshi’s fame rivals that of any of the 18 nondescript emperors of the Song Dynasty.” (06/06/25)