Pei Du vs Sangha

Pei Du was appointed Chancellor under Emperor Xianzong. He was a strong advocate for centralizing imperial authority and suppressing the rebellious military governors (jiedushi) who had become semi-independent after the An Lushan Rebellion.

Pei Du was attacked by assassins sent by the rebellious governor Li Shidao while walking to court. He was wounded but survived, and the attack galvanized Emperor Xianzong to take stronger action against the separatist governors.

Pei Du personally oversaw the military campaign against the rebellious governor Wu Yuanji of Huaixi. He took command of the front lines, boosting morale, and the Tang army captured Caizhou, ending the rebellion and restoring imperial control.

Pei Du supervised the compilation of the 'Tang Huiyao', an institutional history of the Tang dynasty. This work documented government regulations, rituals, and laws, becoming a key source for Tang administrative history.

Pei Du retired from the chancellorship but remained an influential advisor to Emperor Muzong. He counseled against aggressive military campaigns that overextended Tang resources, though his advice was not always heeded.

Sangha, a Tibetan monk, was appointed as finance minister of the Yuan dynasty. He continued Ahmad Fanakati's policies of state monopolies and tax collection, further centralizing fiscal control under the Mongol court.

Sangha enforced strict tax collection through state monopolies on salt, iron, and tea, using coercive measures against defaulters. His policies increased revenue but caused widespread hardship among Chinese peasants and merchants, fueling resentment.

Sangha was executed on orders of Kublai Khan following accusations of corruption, embezzlement, and abuse of power. His death marked the end of a period of heavy-handed fiscal policies and led to a temporary relaxation of state monopolies.