Shang Yang

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Shāng Yāng (商鞅; Wade-Giles: Kung-sun Yang) (d. 338 BC) was an important statesman of Qin in the Warring States Period of ancient China. With the support of Duke Xiao of Qin, Shang Yang enacted numerous reforms (in accordance with his legalist philosophy recorded in The Book of Lord Shang) in the state of Qin that changed Qin from a peripheral, backwards state into a militarily powerful and strongly centralized state, changing the administration by emphasizing meritocracy and devolving power from the nobility.

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[edit] Reforms

Before Shang Yang's arrival in 361 BC, Qin was a backwards state. The vast majority of his reforms were taken from policies instituted elsewhere; however, Shang Yang's reforms were more thorough and extreme than those of other states. Under Shang Yang's tenure, Qin quickly caught up with and surpassed the reforms of other states.

After Duke Xiao of Qin, posthumously Qin Xiaogong, ascended to the Qin throne, Shang Yang left his lowly position in Wei (to whose ruling family he had been born, but had to obtain a high position in[1]) to become the chief adviser in Qin, at Duke Xiao's behest. There his changes to the state's legal system (which built upon Li Kui's Book of Law or Fajing, 法經) propelled the Qin to prosperity. His policies built the foundation that enabled Qin to conquer all of China, uniting the country for the first time and ushering in the Qin dynasty.

He is credited by Han Feizi with the creation of two theories;

  1. Ding Fa (定法; fixing the standards)
  2. Yi Min (一民; treating the people as one)

[edit] Legalist approach

Shang Yang believed in the rule of law and considered loyalty to the state to be above that of the family.

Shang Yang introduced two sets of changes to the Qin state. The first, in 356 BC, were as concludes:

  1. Li Kui's Book of Law was implemented, with the important addition of a rule providing punishment equal to that of the perpetrator for those aware of a crime but failing to inform the government; codified reforms into enforceable laws.
  2. Stripped the nobility of land right and assigned land to soldiers based upon military success. The army was also separated into twenty military ranks, based upon battlefield success.
  3. As manpower was short in Qin, Shang Yang encouraged the cultivation of unsettled lands and wastelands, and favoured agriculture over commerce
  4. Shang Yang burnt Confucian books in an effort to curb the philosophy's influence.

Shang Yang introduced his second set of changes in 350 BC, which included a new, standardised system of land allocation and reforms to taxation.

[edit] Domestic policies

Shang Yang introduced land reforms, privatized land, rewarded farmers who exceeded harvest quotas, enslaved farmers who failed to meet quotas, and used enslaved citizens as rewards for those who met government policies.

As manpower was short in Qin relative to the other states at the time, Shang Yang enacted policies to increase its manpower. As Qin peasants were recruited into the military, he encouraged active immigration of peasants from other states into Qin as a replacement workforce; this policy simultaneously increased the manpower of Qin and weakened the manpower of Qin's rivals. Shang Yang made laws forcing citizens to marry at a young age and passed tax laws to encourage raising multiple children. He also enacted policies to free convicts who worked in opening wastelands for agriculture.

Shang Yang abolished primogeniture and created a double tax on households that had more than one son living in the household, to break up large clans into nuclear families.

Shang Yang moved the capital to reduce the influence of nobles on the administration.

[edit] Diplomatic intrigue

During Shang Yang's tenure, the state of Wei was a highly powerful neighboring state. During a battle during the 340 BC invasion of Wei, Shang Yang feigned interest in a peace treaty, met with the commander of the Wei army and captured him. Without their leader, the Wei army easily lost to the army of Qin and lost territory.

[edit] Shang Yang's death

Deeply despised by the Qin nobility, Shang Yang could not survive Qin Xiaogong's death. The next ruler, King Huiwen, ordered the execution of Shang Yang and his family, on grounds of rebellion; Shang had previously humiliated the new Duke "by causing him to be punished for an offense as though he were an ordinary citizen."[2] Shang Yang went into hiding and tried to stay at a hotel. Ironically, the hotel owner refused because it was against Shang Yang's laws to admit a guest without proper identification. Shang Yang is said to have been executed by being fastened to four chariots and pulled apart. Despite his death, King Huiwen kept the reforms enacted by Shang Yang.

[edit] Historiography

Confucian scholars were highly opposed to Shang Yang's legalist approach.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ pg 79 of Classical China
  2. ^ pg 80 of Classical China, ed. William H. McNeill and Jean W. Sedlar, Oxford University Press, 1970. LCCN: 68-8409

[edit] External links

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