The Economy of the Han Dynasty of ancient China reflects a period of
fluctuation between periods of economic prosperity and decline. Major
features of the Han economy were population growth, increasing
urbanization, unprecedented growth of industry and trade and government
experimentation with nationalization. In this era, the levels of
minting and circulation of coin currency grew significantly, forming
the foundation of a stable monetary system. The Silk Road facilitated
the establishment of trade and tributary exchanges with foreign
countries across Eurasia, many of which were previously unknown to the
people of ancient China. The imperial capitals of both Western-Han
(Chang'an), and of Eastern-Han (Luoyang), were among the largest cities
in the world at the time, in both population and area. Here, government
workshops manufactured furnishings for the palaces of the emperor and
produced goods for the common people. The government oversaw the
construction of roads and bridges, which facilitated official
government business and encouraged commercial growth. Under Han rule,
industrialists, wholesalers and merchants—from minor shopkeepers to
wealthy businessmen—could engage in a wide range of enterprises and
trade in the domestic, public, and even military spheres.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Han_Dynasty>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1356:
Hundred Years' War: English forces led by Edward the Black Prince
decisively won the Battle of Poitiers and captured King Jean II of
France.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Poitiers_%281356%29>
1796:
George Washington's Farewell Address was published in many American
newspapers, warning citizens, among others, about the dangers of
political factionalism and to avoid permanent alliances with other
foreign powers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington%27s_Farewell_Address>
1893:
New Zealand became the first country to introduce universal suffrage,
following the women's suffrage movement led by Kate Sheppard.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage_in_New_Zealand>
1944:
Finland and the Soviet Union signed the Moscow Armistice to end the
Continuation War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuation_War>
1985:
An 8.1 ML earthquake struck Mexico City, killing at least nine thousand
people and leaving up to 100,000 homeless.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Mexico_City_earthquake>
1995:
The Manifesto of "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski was published in The
Washington Post and The New York Times, almost three months after it
was submitted.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Kaczynski>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
crocodile tears (n):
(idiomatic) A display of tears that is forced or false
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crocodile_tears>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Basically I'm an optimist. Intellectually I can see man's balance is
about fifty-fifty, and his chances of blowing himself up are about one
to one. I can't see this any way but intellectually. I'm just
emotionally unable to believe that he will do this. This means that I
am by nature an optimist and by intellectual conviction a pessimist, I
suppose.
--William Golding
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Golding>