Research topic: Wang Mang

Wang Mang , 45 BC-AD 23, Chinese Han dynasty regent who usurped the throne and ruled (AD 8-23) as emperor of the Hsin [new] court, carrying out many reforms. Although he portrayed his government as a revival of the idealized state of early Chou times, his reforms were aimed essentially at strengthening the bureaucracy and solving the current financial crisis. To refill the imperial coffers, Wang Mang instituted government monopolies, debased the currency, and introduced agricultural reforms. In his most famous reform he decreed (AD 9) that the large tax-free estates be dissolved and that... Read more