The Illegal Coin-casting Case In Suzhou In Hui Zong Period North Song Dynasty

In the period of Emperor Huizong, Empire Song's economy and culture continued developing while the political situation was turbulent and some changes had taken place in financial systems. Cai Jing, the prime minister, proposed the "Dang Shi Qian" monetary policy which occupied the key position in the economic reforms. This article starts from the illegal casting money case of Zhang Jia in Suzhou between Chongning and Daguan (1102 A.D.-1110 A.D.) period, focuses on the course of judging the case, analyzes the central official's different stand points toward this case, demonstrates the implementation of the new monetary policy that time , and finally, shows up the clique struggles between different political benefit entanglements . At the same time, the controversies around the money-casting case provided us a prospect that we can acquire actual state of the economical system reform and the unstable political situation at the end of Northern Song Dynasty.This paper divides into five parts:The first part demonstrates the fundamental political situation between Chongning and Daguan period (1102 A.D.—1110 A.D.) and discusses why Minister Cai Jing initiated the "Dang Shi Qian" policy. In the middle and late Song Huizong time, Empire Song was threatened seriously by Empire Jin from the north, and the national economic crisis was aggravated day after day. Though the minister Cai Jing hoped that his new monetary policy, "Dang Shi Qian", could help resolve the central government's economy problems, acquiring more political benefits was his main aim. Of course, his proposal aroused intense suspicion from other ministers such as Zhao Tingzhi and Liu Kui.The second part mainly studies the case: Suzhou Coin-casting Jail. Analyzing its details helps not only discover the whole case course, but also find out how the "Dang Shi Qian" policy effected on the state's economy.The third part of the article analyzes the trial, the reverse of the verdict; making of the final verdict, redressing the wrong sentence. The essence of this case is also demonstrated here.The fourth part discusses the deeper reasons of the Suzhou Coin-casting Jail case and concludes that the case which brought about sufferings to Zhang Yan family in Suzhou of Jiangsu reflected political struggles around "Dang Shi Qian" policy and the government's corruption of the late period of North Song Dynasty.The last part sums up the main points and emphasizes that the innovative methods of studying history in this article such as analyzing some case and comparing important people's attitude may be significant to Song history study.