According to the article, there was a strong relationship between the government and business in the Sui-Tang period. Sui-Tang began as a royal residence and seat for the central government. Eastern and Western Markets of the city were planned for the purpose of business that involved several luxury and necessity goods. The diversified urban economy of the city involved a great deal of government-regulated businesses within Eastern and Western markets, and unregulated business outside them. The location of Eastern and Western markets close to the imperial city facilitated business transaction between the markets and the central government. Linked to the Zhuque street, the two markets links the government to the residents of the city symmetrically through business. The two main roles of the Western and Eastern markets were to enhance symmetry of the city and facilitate commerce. There were other markets that facilitated commerce in the city of Sui-Tang Chang’an, but none of them facilitated the symmetry of the city except the Western and Eastern markets.
The Eastern and Western Markets were administered by a chief administrator referred to as the market director, assisted by two assistant directors who served as lieutenants. There was a staff of subordinates (non-ranking functionaries) who included: a managing clerk, three storekeepers, seven scribes, two intendants and a bookkeeper. This administrative system was controlled by the government. Therefore, the government had a direct influence on business in Sui-Tang Chang’an. The central government managed economic and commercial centers of the city. Under the leadership of Sui Wendi, a government office in charge of the market was also formed, and was referred to as Capital Market Administration. It was controlled by the Court of imperial Granaries. The court of the treasury took over the jurisdiction of the markets under the leadership of Yangdi.
The Capital Market Administration set the location of businesses and monitored their business activities. The government also developed measures to ensure consistency in the market, evaluated commodity qualities and regulated their prices. It certified some types of sales, regulated business hours, and maintained law and order in the market. Bazaars were also set up and shop rows were distinctly divided in order to identify each business and enable a good control mechanism in the markets (Xiong, n.d.). Generally, the government and business were closely related during Sui-Tang period. Business existed because the government existed. The government regulated businesses and provided mechanisms of running the economy effectively through business.
Foreigners and foreign culture also played an important role in the market culture of Sui-Tang Chang’an. For instance, the Western Market was considered more exotic and cosmopolitan due to the presence of foreign merchants. With unregulated markets outside the Eastern and Western markets, entry of foreigners into Sui-Tang became common. Sometimes the unregulated business outside the two markets spilt into the markets. Businesses adopted the culture of foreign businesses, including the Western Market Brew which was considered exotic. People started to trade in commodities, especially food from outside world. For instance, Triphala wines were extracted from Myrobalan, a tree found in India. With entry of foreign trade, people became merchants of various exotic commodities which affected the market culture of Sui-Tang. Foreign shops located in the Western Market operated jewelry business managed by West Asians.
Various types of historical source materials were used by the author to learn about life in Sui-Tang Chang’an. Architectural remains were used to identify the main streets and the site of Capital Market Administration. Archaeological extracts also showed a sign of shops remains (traces of overcoat of shops). Bone Combs, hair clasps, crystal ornaments, agate, pearl and hairpins were also discovered by archaeologists. These historical source materials indicated the extent of trade in Sui-Tang Chang’an.
A Fangsheng Pond was also discovered in the northwest sector. This represented a construction of the Buddhist monk Facheng in the Western Market. Historical evidence was also provided by early excerpts. For instance, Tang Liudian was also another source material which led to the identification of various functions of the Capital Market Administration.
According to the article, one of the two major debates on existing historical scholarship on Sui-Tang Chang’an marketplaces was Kato Shigeshi’s influential theory on the market system and Hino Kaisaburo’s criticism of the theory. The author takes the position of Hino’s criticism, arguing that the significance of the Kato’s argument was unfounded because evidence of violations of market curfews were on record; contrary to the assertion of Hino – that the emergence of night markets in Sui-Tang signified the end of market curfews. The second debate concerns the argument of Kato Shigeshi that business had spilled over into non-market areas as a result of the reduced control of the market system. The author refutes this claim and argues that businesses outside official markets existed throughout the Tang.
Personal Critical Reflection
Reading the history of Sui-Tang Chang’an, I see an important aspect of government’s role in the market place. I think it is important for the government to have some levels of control mechanisms, while at the same time allowing the market to operate independently. This is what current economists refer to as mixed market system. It is similar to the regulated and unregulated mechanism in the Sui-Tang period.
I believe that the regulated businesses of Eastern and Western markets and the unregulated businesses outside the markets enabled the economy to run effectively. The fact that the Eastern and Western were started to enhance symmetry of the city is an indication that the city panning was not fully intended for commercial purposes.
This shows that the government designed the city to allow various markets to interact and offer different opportunities for the people of the city, and not only to rely on businesses. Therefore, regulation in the two markets should have been mixed with some aspect of free markets in order to allow the markets to accommodate various activities and to connect the two markets with the outside.
Regarding the historical source materials, I think that historians should say exactly how the archeological remains can tell about streets and the site of Capital Market Administration, otherwise their validity can be questionable. The author suggests that outside markets existed throughout the history of Tang. In this case, there must have been unregulated businesses in Western and Eastern markets in order to sustain the outside markets. Therefore, I think the two markets were not fully regulated after all.
References list
Xiong, V.C. (n.d.). Sui-Tang Chang’an: A Study in the Urban History of Medieval China.
