Wang Xijue

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Wang Xijue
52nd Senior Grand Secretary
In office
1593–1594
MonarchWanli
Preceded byZhao Zhigao
Succeeded byZhao Zhigao
Personal details
Born1534
Died1614 (aged 80)

Wang Xijue (Chinese: 王錫爵, 1534–1614) was a Ming dynasty court official in China. In a 1593 report to the emperor, he wrote: "The venerable elders of my home district explain that the reason grain is cheap despite poor harvests in recent years is due entirely to the scarcity of silver coin. The national government requires silver for taxes but disburses little silver in its expenditures. As the price of grain falls, tillers of the soil receive lower returns on their labors, and thus less land is put into cultivation."

References[edit]

  • The College Board, 2006 AP World History Free Response Questions