Wang Ge

Since the north China plain was already deforested by the Tang dynasty and therefore access to charcoal was limited, growth in the production of iron during the Northern Song dynasty was dependent on the use of coal, an innovation that Europe did not employ until the 18th century.

The life of Wang Ge, an industrial entrepreneur of the twelfth century, ilustrates something of the scale of enterprise and the conditions of the production in the iron industry.

With a modest capital investment Wang acquired a timer-covered mountain and began to produce charcoal, utilizing the scale-season labor of local farmers. He then set up two foundries to produce iron, making use of local iron ore deposits. He employed around 500 workers, all of whom were members of the "floating population", vagabonds who for some reason had lost or left their farms and homes.

Wang himself managed one of the foundries, but the other was under the supervision of a manager. With the profits of the two foundries, he also acquired other enterprises, such as a wineshop, and a lake where he engaged several hundred families in fishing.