Ahmad Fanakati vs Gao Panlong

Ahmad Fanakati was appointed by Kublai Khan as finance minister, tasked with managing the empire's revenues. He implemented tax reforms and monopolies on salt, iron, and tea, increasing state income but generating resentment among Chinese officials.

Ahmad Fanakati oversaw the expansion of paper money (chao) as the primary currency in Yuan China. He standardized its issuance and circulation, which facilitated trade but also led to inflation and economic instability due to overprinting.

Ahmad Fanakati was assassinated by a group of Chinese officials led by Wang Zhu and Gao Heshang, who accused him of corruption and tyranny. His death led to a purge of his supporters and a temporary shift in Yuan fiscal policy.

Gao Panlong joined Gu Xiancheng in reestablishing the Donglin Academy in Wuxi. As a leading scholar, he helped shape the academy's curriculum emphasizing moral integrity and political responsibility, making it a hub for critics of Ming court corruption.

During Wei Zhongxian's purge of Donglin officials, Gao Panlong was arrested by the Eastern Depot. He was imprisoned and subjected to torture, as Wei sought to eliminate all opposition from the Donglin faction.

Facing further torture and execution by Wei Zhongxian's eunuch regime, Gao Panlong drowned himself in a pond. His suicide was a protest against the persecution of Donglin scholars and became a symbol of resistance to tyranny in Chinese history.