On the Famine Relief Policies and the Scale of Peasant Uprising in the Song Dynasty

Throughout the ancient Chinese history, the Song dynasty is the only period during which there was no nationwide peasant rebellion. Compared with that of other dynasties, the class conflict in the Song dynasty was still particularly serious, especially when it was established after the tumultuous times of the late Tang and Five Dynasties. However, for the sake of social stability, Song rulers got rid of all malpractice of the late Tang dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and developed economy and culture. They gave priority to famine relief policies, taking such measures as recruiting the hungry and raising relief fund.Those policies consistently attached importance to the restriction of merger. As a result, the famine relief policies in the Song dynasty prevented farmers from rebelling in the time of famine, consolidating social order.