Cai Jing
| Cai Jing | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 蔡京 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 蔡京 | ||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Cài Jīng |
| Wade–Giles | Tsai Ching |
| Cai Jing | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| Imperial Tutor of the Song dynasty | |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Xianyou, Xinghua (present-day Putian, Fujian) |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 蔡京 |
| Traditional Chinese | 蔡京 |
| Pinyin | Cài Jīng |
| Wade–Giles | Tsai Ching |
Cai Jing (1047–1126), courtesy name Yuanchang (元長), was a government official and calligrapher who lived in the Northern Song Dynasty. Cai Jing is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
Cai Jing was from Xianyou, Xinghua (present-day Putian, Fujian). In 1070, he participated in the imperial examination and was a jinshi (a successful candidate). He served as a civil official in Qiantang before moving on to work in the Grand Secretary's office.
In 1086, Cai Jing was posted to the administrative office in Kaifeng, the capital. He supported the conservative faction in the imperial court, headed by Sima Guang, and won the praise of Sima. In 1094, Cai Jing became the Minister for Revenue. He helped Zhang Dun (章惇) revive the New Policies of reformist chancellor Wang Anshi, although he set out on a campaign of attrition to destroy or radically alter the written work of his predecessors and especially conservative enemies, thereby probably also purging much of Shen Kuo's written work.
During the reign of Emperor Huizong, Cai Jing was impeached and ordered to retire in Hangzhou. Cai Jing collaborated with the eunuch-general Tong Guan to win back his place in the imperial court. After rising to prominence in politics and becoming chancellor at one point, Cai Jing introduced the policy of huashigang (花石綱), for officials to focus on offering precious gifts and tribute to the emperor. In 1102 and 1113, he introduced reforms to the taxation laws on tea and salt trading, as well as increasing human labour. Cai Jing's policies were unpopular among the common people and led to corruption in the government.
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