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Wage Gaps in Ancient China: A Long Look

ChinaSaturday, January 25, 2025
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Ever wondered how wage gaps changed over time in ancient China? Let's dive into the story from the Han Dynasty in 202 BCE to the Qing Dynasty in 1912 CE. We'll use historical records of government salaries, prices, and farm productivity to see how much officials and peasants earned. By comparing these earnings, we can measure wage inequality. When we look at the difference between officials and peasants, we see an interesting pattern. It's like an upside-down U shape. Before the Tang Dynasty, the gap widened. After that, it started to shrink. Within the official class, the gap between top and bottom earners steadily decreased over time. Why did this happen? We think it's a mix of technology, institutions, politics, and society. Technology played a big role in making the gap bigger at first. But political tensions between emperors and bureaucrats helped to narrow it later on.
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