Wang Anshi ( wh. 王安石 , Wáng Ānshí / Wang An-shih; Wang Jiefu, nicknamed Banshan, Jinggun title; 1021 - May 21, 1086 ) - Chinese statesman, reformer, economist, novelist and poet, author of the “new policy” (blueprint, 新法) - reform programs of the fiscal administration, which caused a split among the Sung intellectuals. The reforms were partly carried out thanks to the support of the emperor Shen-tsung ; Among the supporters of Wan was also the largest scientist Shen Ko . However, a significant part of the intellectual elite and the bureaucratic apparatus saw in them a threat to the existence of the empire. Among the opponents of Wang were such prominent figures as Sima Guang , Su Shi, and Ouyang Xu .
| Wang Anshi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date of Birth | 1021 |
| Place of Birth | |
| Date of death | May 21, 1086 |
| Place of death | |
| A country | |
| Scientific field | economy |
Content
Biography
Extremely gifted from birth, received a good education at an early age, just as early he managed to form his political views and ideals. Before coming of age, he accompanied his father on many trips around China , where he became acquainted with the concerns and needs of ordinary people. After successfully passing the exams, he served for about 10 years as governor-general in various provinces of China. In 1069 he was appointed first minister. Taking advantage of the power of the new provision, ensures the implementation of the law, which limits the arbitrariness of large landowners . Due to this, it is possible to mitigate the destructive consequences of the economic crisis in agriculture .
Under pressure from Empress Dowager Gao (Gao Tai Hou, 1032–1093), a supportive conservative faction, her son, Emperor Shen-tsung (on the throne 1067–1085) twice removed Van Anshi from the court (1074 and 1076) and deprived him of his first post the minister Wang Anshi spent the last years of his life in his manor in the mountains on the outskirts of Jiangnin (the current city of Nanjing), devoting himself to poetic creativity and conversations with Buddhist monks. In 1085, he learned about the coming to power of his political opponent, the head of the conservative grouping Sym Guan (1018-1086), and the mental illness, which had tormented him for many years, worsened from his emotional experiences. For more than a year he was bedridden, and in 1086 he died at the age of 65.
The personality of the reformer received a sharply negative assessment in traditional Chinese historiography (in particular, he was responsible for the fall of the Song dynasty), and his works (often politically opportunistic) were not published during his lifetime. Nevertheless, Wang Anshi, most of all in the history of Chinese literature, famous for his prose, is known as one of the “eight great authors of the [epochs] of Tan and Song” [2] .
Conflict of
The controversy surrounding Van Anshi’s reforms was essentially a clash between two types of worldviews. The concept of the nature of disagreements gives a public (before the emperor) dispute in 1067 between Van Anshi and Sima Guan, written down last. A petition of two prefects who do not dare to accept gifts in honor of the ceremony of sacrifice is discussed:
Syma : The country is in dire financial straits and is suffering from all kinds of disasters. Unnecessary expenses should be reduced. High officials close to the throne should set an example in this. Therefore, the request to reject the gifts should be granted.
Van : Our country is rich in resources. The gifts presented to officials are meager in value. If you stop the talent for reasons of economy, it will not enrich the country, but will only damage the prestige of the government. In the old days when Chang Gunn refused the award, his contemporaries considered that the reason for this was his confidence that his request would remain unanswered. With the two current officials who refuse awards, the same case. And the current deficit in the treasury is not at all catastrophic.
Sima : Chun Gun refused fasting out of humility. Is he much better than those who hold on to their posts out of greed? Our country has a shortage in the treasury since the reign of Zhen-tszun (997-1022). In recent years, the situation is particularly tense. How do you manage to argue the opposite?
Van : The deficit in the treasury is because the government did not find a good financial specialist.
Syma : Financial experts do nothing but impose heavy taxes that annoy people and suck their wealth. As a result, the common people go bankrupt and become refugees or bandits. Where is the benefit for the state?
Van : Such actions just do not characterize the expert. A financial expert is able to collect more than enough funds into the treasury - without taxing ordinary people with heavy taxes.
Sima : It was these words that San Hongyang used to deceive Emperor W. Sima Qian wrote them down only to show the emperor’s naivety. The number of things produced by heaven and earth is limited. And they belong to either the people or the government. The wealth that San Hunyang gathered into the treasury was taken from ordinary people. Where would they come from? If everything was as he had said, why did there have been so many uprisings that the troops had to suppress by the end of the reign of W-di? Is it because poverty has forced people to banditry? How could you take his words for true?
The letter sent to Vanu Sima Guan in 1070, the 27th day of the 2nd month is also very indicative: in it, in particular, Sima admits that he “does not believe in the slander dispelled by the enemies of Van”; However, the main content of the letter becomes a criticism of its financial policy, with a call to listen to the discontent of the people. Among other things, Syma appeals to Confucius, who asserted that "a noble husband speaks of morality, and only low people speak of profit."
In his reply, Wang appeals for example to Pan Gen (盤庚, Pán Gēng), the monarch of the Shan dynasty, who transferred the capital of the state to Yin - despite the protests of officials and the people. According to Van, this was done not in an authoritarian way, but after a proper discussion at court.
Russian translations
- Wang Anshi. [Poems] // Poetry of the Song Age. M., 1959, pp. 103-115; Classical poetry of India, China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan. M., 1977, p. 338-340;
- Literature of the East in the Middle Ages: Texts / Ed. N. M. Sazanova. M., 1996, p. 367-369;
- Cloudy abode. Poetry of the Song era (10th — 13th centuries). SPb., 2000, p. 47-53;
- Sadness and joy. Twelve poets of the Song era. Per. with whale. / Comp. E. Serebryakov and G. B. Yaroslavtsev. M., 2000;
- Wang Anshi. Discourse on ritual and music. Translation and commentary by A. B. Kalkayeva. // Man and spiritual culture of the East. Almanac. M., 2003. P.143-154
Literature
- Ivanov A. I. Van-An-Shi and his reforms // Publication of the Faculty of Oriental Languages ISPBU. Number 29. - St. Petersburg, 1909.
- Korobova A. N. Books and destinies: the creative legacy of the medieval Chinese writer Van Anshi (1021-1086) // Man and Culture of the East: studies and translations. - M., RAS IFES, 2014. P. 18-46.
- Z. Lapina. Political struggle in medieval China (40-70s of the XI century). M., 1970.
- Serebryakov, Ye.A. The poetic works of Van Anshi (1021-1086) in the genre of chi // UL LSU. 1980, № 403, vol. 23: Oriental Studies, 7.
Notes
- ↑ China Biographical Database
- ↑ Korobova A.N. Books and destinies: the creative heritage of the medieval Chinese writer Van Anshi (1021–1086) / Man and the Culture of the East: Studies and Translations –2012 / comp. and rep. ed. V. B. Vinogrodskaya. - Moscow: IFES RAS, 2014. - 368 p. ISBN 978-5-8381-0275-1 P. 18-46. IFES RAS (2014).