Examining Wang Anshi’s “New Policies”: The Northern Song Reforms Through the Lens of Xu Zizhi Tongjian

Brief Introduction

The “New Policies,” also known as the “Xining Reforms,” were a series of political, economic, and military reforms led by Prime Minister Wang Anshi during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. Their core objective was to “strengthen the state and enrich the nation.” The reforms aimed to address the chronic poverty and military weakness of the mid-Song period by curbing the land annexation of the powerful, rectifying officialdom, and bolstering the armed forces. As recorded in Xu Zizhi Tongjian (along with Hu Sansheng’s annotations and later continuations), the New Policies were not isolated incidents but the central political thread running through Emperor Shenzong’s reign. Their implementation was fraught with intensified factional strife, executional deviations, and social turmoil, making them a critical key to understanding the Northern Song’s transition from prosperity to decline.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Fiscal Policies (Li Cai):
The Green Sprouts Law (Qingmiao Law)*: The government provided loans to farmers in the summer and autumn harvests (using a reserved Green Sprouts Fund), to be repaid with interest after the harvest. The original intent was to suppress private usury, but in practice, it often turned into compulsory distribution, increasing the burden on grassroots households.
The Exemption from Corvée Law (Mu Yi Law)*: Traditional labor services were replaced by the payment of “exemption money,” which the government used to hire laborers. While this improved administrative efficiency and equalized social burdens, it increased cash outlays for self-cultivating farmers, who also had to pay “assistant service fees,” causing strong dissatisfaction among small and medium landowners.
The Market Regulation Law (Shiyi Law)*: The government established the Market Regulation Bureau to stabilize prices and purchase unsold goods. This aimed to break the monopoly of large merchants, but bureaucratic corruption led to market distortions.

2. Military Strategies (Qiang Bing):
The Mutual Responsibility Law (Baojia Law): This implemented a system where military and civilian duties were combined. Ten households formed one bao (neighborhood unit), and two bao formed one dabao*. Civilians trained in martial arts during peacetime and cooperated in warfare during wartime. The goal was to save on military expenses and strengthen public order, but it disrupted traditional rural social structures and imposed non-agricultural obligations on farmers.
The Commandership Law (Jiangbing Law)*: This reform addressed the flaws of the Song “Garrison Rotation System,” where soldiers had no permanent commander and commanders had no permanent troops. By appointing dedicated generals to lead units long-term, military combat effectiveness was enhanced.

3. Cultivation of Talent (Yu Cai):
* Imperial Examination Reform: The abolition of poetry and Classics memorization exams in favor of selecting candidates based on commentary on classics and policy essays. Additionally, the “Three Schools System” was established, linking official school education directly to selection processes. This directly impacted the advancement pathways of the traditional scholar-official class and became a trigger for factional conflict.

Connections to Content in Xu Zizhi Tongjian

In the narrative flow of Xu Zizhi Tongjian, the implementation of the New Policies is placed at the heart of the political struggles of the Shenzong era. The text details the repeated revivals and abolitions of the reforms after Wang Anshi’s removal from office, particularly amidst the opposition from the Old Party, led by figures such as Sima Guang.

Intensification of Factional Strife: Xu Zizhi Tongjian* reveals how the New Policies evolved from policy disagreements into political purges. During the Shenzong reign, the court split into the “Reformist Party” (New Party) and the “Conservative Party” (Old Party), with each side attacking the other. Records of the demotions of figures like Su Shi and New Party officials during the Yuanfeng era profoundly reflect the side effect of “factional unity and opposition” in the execution of the reforms.
* Records of Livelihoods: By comparing disaster reports and civil uprisings submitted from various regions before and after the reforms, the book records the alienation of the New Policies at the local level. For instance, it notes the social unrest caused by the Mutual Responsibility Law in certain areas and how the Green Sprouts Law became a tool for exploitation during bountiful years, providing objective historical material for later reflection.
Historical Evaluation: Xu Zizhi Tongjian* does not offer simple praise or condemnation. Instead, by showcasing the short-term fiscal improvements against the long-term social fragmentation caused by the reforms, it reminds readers that reform initiatives, if lacking robust bureaucratic oversight mechanisms and grassroots execution capability, easily deviate from their original intentions.

Conclusion

Wang Anshi’s New Policies represent a bold administrative and fiscal experiment in ancient China. In conjunction with the records in Xu Zizhi Tongjian, we see not merely a set of economic policies, but a complex social engineering project involving power structures, social contracts, and official integrity. Its successes and failures remain an important reference for studying the history of institutional development in ancient China.