For millennia, China’s rulers viewed a robust population as the backbone of national strength—essential for agriculture, taxation, and military might. From incentivizing early marriages to offering lavish rewards for large families, historical governments implemented creative (and sometimes coercive) measures to boost birth rates. These policies reveal fascinating parallels—and contrasts—with modern population strategies.

The Demographic Imperative of Agricultural Societies

In pre-industrial China, human labor was the ultimate economic resource. Dynasties measured prosperity in census figures: more people meant greater agricultural output, higher tax revenues, and stronger armies. Confucian ideals reinforced this, framing population growth as both a civic duty and filial obligation.

The Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE) established early precedents. Philosophers like Confucius advocated early marriages, suggesting men should wed at 20 and women at 15—a startling contrast to today’s norms. This wasn’t merely advice; it became state policy. During the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), unmarried women over 30 faced punitive taxes, while officials organized mass weddings for singles.

Carrots and Sticks: Incentives and Mandates

### 1. Marriage Enforcement Campaigns
Governments actively played matchmaker. The “官媒” (official matchmakers) system, pioneered during the Spring and Autumn period (771–476 BCE), paired unwed citizens and even provided housing subsidies—a Bronze Age version of modern housing incentives for families.

More drastic measures emerged under the Jin Dynasty (266–420 CE):
– Unmarried women over 17 could be forcibly paired by local officials
– Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) administrators tied promotions to reducing bachelorhood rates

### 2. Royalty-Sized Rewards for Large Families
The most extravagant policies emerged during wartime. After defeat by Wu in 494 BCE, Yue’s King Goujian launched a legendary pro-natalist program:
– Free state-funded midwives for deliveries
– Boys born: 2 jugs of wine + a dog
– Girls born: 2 jugs of wine + a pig
– Triplets: Government-provided wet nurses
– Twin boys: Lifetime grain subsidies

This comprehensive welfare system predated modern Scandinavian child benefits by 2,500 years.

Creative Solutions to Demographic Imbalances

### Freeing Enslaved Women
Dynasties periodically liberated female slaves to address gender gaps. Emperor Guangwu (5 BCE–57 CE) of the Eastern Han issued multiple edicts freeing concubines and bondservants to marry.

A striking anecdote involves Duke Huan of Qi (7th century BCE). After encountering a 70-year-old man cooking alone—his three sons too poor to marry—the ruler released hundreds of palace women to civilian life, effectively conducting history’s first state-sponsored “bachelorette” giveaway.

The Qing Reversal: When Growth Became a Burden

The 18th century brought a seismic shift. Under the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912):
– Peace and potato/corn cultivation fueled unprecedented growth
– Population quadrupled from 150 million (1700) to 400 million (1850)
– The 1712 abolition of poll taxes removed disincentives for large families

This explosion created Malthusian pressures. By the 19th century, infanticide—especially of girls—became tragically common in crowded regions like Fujian. Only post-1949 reforms eradicated the practice.

Echoes in Modern Policy

Contemporary China’s transition from one-child restrictions to three-child encouragement mirrors ancient cycles of population management. The psychological legacy persists:
– Han-era marriage pressures foreshadowed 20th-century “late marriage” campaigns
– Yue’s birth bonuses find counterparts in today’s provincial childcare subsidies

Yet fundamental differences remain. Ancient rulers never faced urban housing shortages or education costs—the modern world’s true “population control” factors.

From Confucius’ marital advice to Goujian’s puppy premiums, China’s demographic strategies reveal a civilization constantly renegotiating the value of human life. These historical experiments remind us that behind every population statistic lie countless personal stories—of couples matched by bureaucrats, mothers gifted swine, and generations caught between state ambition and family reality.