What if the health of an empire could be read in the trust of its money and the fairness of its institutions? We follow Han China through a gripping arc: from early market freedom and soaring wealth to Emperor Wu’s heavy hand—state monopolies i...

Wealth surges, currency crises, and monopolies on life’s essentials—Han China’s economic story feels startlingly current. We dig into the early Western Han’s laissez-faire push that unleashed private enterprise and inequality, then follow Emper...

Step back in time to discover how ancient China's financial innovations continue to shape our modern economic thinking. The pendulum swing between state control and private enterprise that defined China's economic evolution offers striking para...

The financial brilliance of ancient China offers profound lessons for our modern economy. From the revolutionary policies of Li Kui who abolished hereditary slavery and granted private land ownership, to Emperor Wu's creation of what economists...

Journey through ancient China's remarkable economic evolution, from warring feudal states to a unified commercial empire that would influence global trade for millennia. This episode explores how Chinese civilization transformed between 720-221...