Chapter 3 3. Barbarians Refresh History
Qin was able to succeed, perhaps because they were "barbarians".
Indeed, it is possible for barbarians to rewrite history, although not necessarily well.But it is certain that if a barbarian is good at learning and can maintain a barbaric spirit, then they will defeat and surpass their teachers and create a more advanced culture on the basis of their teachers.This was true of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and later of the Arabs and Europeans.
The same script is also staged in China.In the Xia Dynasty, the merchants in the east were barbarians; in the Shang Dynasty, the Zhou people in the west were barbarians.As a result, Shang Wenming was superior to Xia Wenming, and Zhou Wenming was superior to Shang Wenming.It seems that the continuation, development and creation of civilization need fresh blood, even if it comes from the so-called "barbarians".
The Eastern Zhou Dynasty, when Qin became a state, was at this juncture.
Look at the map——
This map shows the general trend of the world in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period.It is not difficult to see that the Zhuxia and Zhuhua living in the so-called "China area" at this time were almost in decline.Among them, those in the worst situation, such as Chen, Cai, and Cao, have long been reduced to third-class countries.Better countries like Zhou, Zheng, Song, Wei, and Lu are only second-class countries.Who is the first-class country?Jin, Chu, Qi, Qin, Yue.
Most of these five first-class countries are in the vicinity of "China", and they are not even "authentic Chinese".Chu is a southern barbarian, and there is Lurong in the north and Baipu in the south.It is Dongyi, and there are Huaiyi in the north and Baiyue in the south.Qi is also Dongyi.Although their founding king was Jiang Taigong, he turned himself into a barbarian as soon as he arrived in the closed area.After annexing the Laiyi in the Jiaodong Peninsula, there is no distinction between Yi and Xia.
In addition, Yan, although known as the founding father of the Western Zhou Dynasty after Zhao Gongshi (pronounced as Shao Gong), actually lived in the Shanrong area, and was separated from "China" by Bei Rong, Bai Di and Chi Di. A place outside of China".Throughout the Spring and Autumn Period, almost no news of them was heard.However, as soon as he arrived in the Warring States period, he rose suddenly and became one of the seven heroes. Is there no reason for this?
Similar to Yan is Qin.It's just that the Yan people are Zhuxia who moved north, while the Qin people are probably originally Xirong.The area where they first lived (northeast of Li County, Gansu Province today) was called "Dog Hill" like "Dog Rong", and was later canonized in Qin because they were good at raising horses. The area is no more than Zhou's pastoral area.
In Qin, herdsmen became farmers, and pastoral areas became states.
Changes are likely to be the result of two-way selection.On the one hand, Ji Zhou, who was surrounded by Rong and Di, hoped to turn the enemy into a friend through "peaceful evolution"; on the other hand, Ying Qin, the most intelligent among Xi Rong, was also willing to learn from the advanced Chinese civilization.You are affectionate, I am interested, the two hit it off.
Therefore, before and after King Ping moved to the east, the Zhou and Qin clans spent a long honeymoon period.Qin's "Huaxiaization" should have been completed at this time.It's just that, as a nomadic people surrounded by Quan Rong and Li Rong, and living together with Rong and Di, their assimilation with Ji Zhou could not be so thorough.It is no coincidence that Zhou's remnants were finally cleaned up by Qin.
This is the Chinese civilization circle during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.The "traditional China" (Zhou, Zheng, Song, Wei, Lu) in the center was decaying, declining, and shrinking.The ones that are thriving and flourishing are the Chineseized Dongyi (Qi, Yue), Nanman (Chu), Xirong (Qin), and Beidi (Yan).
The exception is Jin.
Jin is the only country with the Ji surname among the five major countries, and it has always regarded itself as the authentic Chinese.However, the state of Jin borders on Baidi and Chidi, and it is inevitable that "Rongdi will be changed" in the long-term war.Jin, in fact, is also a "mixed race".
What's more, even the Jin Dynasty, which held high the banner of "respecting the king and fighting the barbarians", was facing collapse by the end of the Spring and Autumn Period.After the split, the three Jins (Wei, Zhao, and Han) were the first to be destroyed by Qin.The Huaxia that was transformed into Yidi is still no match for the Yidi that has been transformed into Huaxia.
So, the more backward the culture, the more hopeful it is?
Not necessarily.
In fact, among the five great kingdoms in the Spring and Autumn Period, it was not Qin that was most culturally backward, but Yue.Therefore, Yue's rise is very rapid.It only took 21 years from its debut to the demise of Wu.However, after Goujian's death and until his demise, Yue remained stagnant and lacked much to report.Their rise and brilliance, like the other Huaxia barbarian Wu, are only in an instant, which can be described as a flash in the pan.
It is Chu who continues to be brilliant, and Qin who wins in the end.Qin destroyed Chu, and Chu destroyed Yue.Chu perished in Yue, not long after Shang Yang's reform.This is a critical point and a watershed.After that, Chu began to go downhill, but Qin was like a galloping horse or a speeding train, galloping forward like a galloping horse, almost no one could stop their pace.
Could it be that this is the secret?
Exactly.
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