Sixteen Lectures on Chinese Fiscal History

The Sixteen Lectures on the History of Chinese Finance does not focus on piling up traditional historical sources, nor does it follow a simple framework of time and place. Instead, it uses theories from the political economy of public finance to reinterpret financial history from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the present day. Through the lens of finance, it reveals the patterns behind the development of the Chinese state. By weaving together the evolution of financial thought and the practice of financial institutions, it uncovers how the Chinese have used fiscal tools to govern their country over thousands of years, as well as the difficult path of its transition to modernity.