The Administration of the Iron Industry in Eleventh-Century China

Abstract

Robert Hartwell's research in the early 1960's into the iron industry of Song China (960-1279) showed, using a variety of evidence, that the applications of iron expanded greatly in the early Song. He then calculated from tax data the annual iron production of China in the 11th century. This article argues that, while Hartwell's qualitative conclusions hold, his specific calculation of annual production is flawed: no reliable calculation is possible based on presently available sources. Les recherches de Robert Hartwell au début des années 1960 sur l'industrie du fer en Chine à l'époque Song (960-1279) ont montré, en exploitant un large éventail de faits évidents, que les demandes en fer ont fort augmenté dans la première période de l'époque Song. Il avait alors calculé, d'après les données tirées des registres d'imposition, la production annuelle de ce minerai en Chine au XIème siècle. Cet article relève que, si les conclusions qualitatives de Hartwell paraissent correctes, son évaluation de la production annuelle s'avère infondée: aucun calcul fiable ne peut être effectué en exploitant les données actuellement disponibles.

Technology and Manufacturing in China before the Industrial Revolution and Glimpses of the Future

“…4, Part 2, p. 23). Both the government and the private sector built smelters for the iron industry (Wagner ). Together they produced 100,000 tons of iron every year (Ebrey et al.…”

“…88-94, Needham 1986a). Both the government and the private sector built smelters for the iron industry (Wagner 2001). Together they produced 100,000 tons of iron every year (Ebrey et al 2006, p. 158) for use in military and consumer products.…”

Velocity of Money and Economic Development in Medieval China: The case of Northern Song

“…This finding inspired other studies that explore the growth and development in Song China: Kelly (), for example, claims that “China changed from a simple subsistence economy to a level of commercial and industrial development not matched elsewhere until the end of the eighteenth century”. However, this view is not without controversy, as other scholars rebutted the findings with opposing evidence that measured Song's technology advancement in various sectors—see, for example, Yoshida () and Wagner () on iron and steel, and Li (, ) and Myers () on agriculture. The larger research question is whether China's pre‐modern economy reached its peak in Song and started to decline afterwards.…”

Economic restructuring and demographic growth: demystifying growth and development in Northern Song China, 960–1127

“…Hartwell, ‘Chinese iron and coal industries’; idem, Iron and early industrialism ; idem, ‘Markets’; idem, ‘Demographic, political and social transformation’. Also see Wagner, ‘Administration of the iron industry’, p. 176; idem, Science , pp. 280, 300; Qi, Songdai , vol.…”

“…On industry, see Hartwell, Iron and early industrialism ; Wagner, ‘Administration of the iron industry’. On commerce, see Shiba, Commerce ; Elvin, Pattern , pt.…”