How Jiading was formed from scattered villages
Print Edition
GAO Yansun (1174-1252), a Zhejiang native, was appointed the first magistrate of Jiading in 1218.
During his three-year tenure as head of a newly established county, Gao reduced taxes, built schools, warehouses, temples, guesthouses, inns and government offices.
His efforts found much favor with the local residents and they persuaded him to settle down in Jiading after he left the post.
Until the early 13th century there were only scattered villages on the land that later became known as Jiading.
The land was initially under the supervision of Kunshan County in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).
Emperor Ningzong approved the establishment of Jiading County on January 7, 1218.
Ningzong’s decision was made following a petition from officials. They complained that the area was too far from where the then Kunshan government was located and beyond the reach of domestic legal orders.
They also said its residents dared to defy the local government, assaulting bailiffs, destroying official documents and archives, resisting police and being generally non-compliant.
However, the late Song government performed badly in two major wars against the Jin Empire. The cost of the wars, with the increase in the annual indemnities that Song promised to pay Jin, and a number of redundant officials and soldiers let the Southern Song regime steal from the people.
During the reign of Emperor Ningzong (1168-1224) government income increased more than six times, compared with the early days of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) but its territory was only three fifths the scale when the dynasty was founded. Tax income relied heavily on Sichuan Province in China’s southwest and the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River.
Prime Minister Shi Miyuan, who held office for more than two decades, issued paper money to replace gold, silver and copper which triggered inflation and left people to live on the edge of starvation.
Farmers who lived in what became Jiading County had to pay at least two thirds of their annual output as tax.
However, residents still owed the central government 6,000 tons of grain a year, which forced the then emperor to separate the area from Kunshan County and turn it into a new county to enhance governance.
Jiading County initially had five townships and nearly 34,000 households.
It covered the entire east side of the then Kunshan County.
Gao, previously assistant magistrate of Kunshan County, was appointed Jiading’s first magistrate.
Gao arrived in Jiading in May 1218 at the age of 44. His office was in what is Jiading Town today.
Gao, who came from a family of scholars and officials, exempted local residents from some taxes and used tax income from the previous years to build infrastructure.
He also allocated 20 hectares of land to ensure school funding. During his tenure, local people had their life much improved and were happy to pay their taxes.
Gao was buried in the east of today’s Jiading Town.
One of his descendants became a monk and turned his residence into a temple which was named Yuantong in 1299 in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
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