Chapter 26 Section 4 "Government and opposition, China and foreign countries, known as Zhiping"

Kublai Khan's reform was carried out in both economic and political aspects. The reform lasted for more than 20 years, and the effect was remarkable.Economically, social production is recovering from the north to the south, "refugees are returning to work", and household registrations are increasing.The grazing land along the coast in the north of Shandong was returned to the people's fields, and "new mulberry trees are everywhere in the past years". "The industry of folk cultivation and farming has increased several times" (Wang Pan: "Nongsang Collection Preface").The newly attached people in the south reclaimed wasteland, and the government planted farm tools for cattle, "making the field farmable."The Taihu Lake Basin dredged the river channel that had been silted up for many years, built gates and weirs, and irrigated the farmland.Dianshan Lake was also governed to "prosper the benefits of the Three Wus", and a gratifying year of "Suzhou and Hangzhou are ripe, the world is full" appeared.Politically, Kublai Khan unified the world, established the official system, and established discipline guidelines, which weakened the power of princes and marquises, changed the bad habit of "governing from multiple schools", and strengthened the centralization of power. "Ji Gang's laws and regulations are completely new."Kublai Khan's reforms presented a new atmosphere, "During the Zhiyuan and Dade years, the people were peaceful, the years were prosperous, and the government and the field were known as Zhiping" (Su Tianjue: "Zixi Manuscript" Volume 14 "Zhang Wenji's Tomb Inscription ").

This large-scale reform and reform was called "reforming the Han system and adopting the Han law" at the time.The so-called Han system refers to the centralized system of feudal despotism;The formulation and implementation of Kublai Khan's reform measures were carried out with the assistance of some scholars who lost money.After he entered the Monan Han area, he actively recruited feudal scholar-bureaucrats and insightful Confucian scholars as a think tank to advise them.Kublai Khan paid special attention to the use of two groups of people, one was officials, who ruled the people with officials, such as Liu Bingzhong, Wang Wentong, etc.; .Kublai Khan used Han law to conduct a pilot project in Liu Bingzhong's hometown of Xingzhou, selecting honest officials, farming and mulberry, and increasing household registration.After a three-year trial period, it was "known as a great rule".In addition, he also made changes in the fief Huaimeng and Jingzhao areas, and local governance has greatly improved.Since then, the reform has gradually spread from north to south.

When Kublai Khan changed the Han system and adopted the Han law, he was opposed and resisted by the conservative Mongolian princes and nobles from the very beginning.Minister Alan Taba once told Xianzong Menggomi: Kublai Khan used Han law to "won the heart of the Central Earth", and there will be different plans, so we should take precautions.Meng Ge's thinking is very conservative, claiming: "Follow the law of the ancestors, and do not follow the actions of other countries." He did not support Kublai Khan's reforms in Han, and sent Alan Taba to Shaanxi and Henan to remove Kublai Khan's reforms. Xuanfu Division, Economic Strategy Division and other institutions and personnel.In 1259 AD, Meng Ge personally conquered Sichuan and died in Zhongliuya in Hezhou.As a result, Kublai Khan and his younger brother Ali Boke started a fierce competition for the Khan position.According to Mongolian customs, the Great Khan should be confirmed by the Kuriltai Conference hosted by the kings in Helin hosted by his younger brother Ali Buge.In the fifth month of the lunar calendar in 1260 AD, Kublai Khan held the Kuliertai Assembly in Kaiping in advance and elected himself Khan.He was supported by the Mongolian kings in the east and west and Hulagu of the Ilkhanate, especially the Han scholar-bureaucrats.Kublai Khan solemnly declared in the "Ascension Edict": "It is today that we must learn from our predecessors and practice flexibility."That is to say, to use Chinese law and to reform.And Ali Buge, supported by the northwestern kings Haidu and the Chagatai Khanate and Wokuotai Khanate, proclaimed Khan in Helin, claiming to adhere to the law of the ancestors, and led his troops to the south.From 1260 AD to 1264 AD, a four-year war broke out within the Mongolian aristocracy. Kublai Khan defeated Ali Buge, consolidated the Khan position, and cleared the way for continued reforms.After that, Kublai Khan quelled the Haidu rebellion in Xinjiang, the Naiyan Rebellion in Northeast China, and stabilized the situation in the border areas.He also sent his ministers to persuade other Mongolian tribes.Some nobles asked: "The old customs of this dynasty are different from the Han law. Today, we stay in the Han land, build the capital city, and follow the Han law. What is the reason?" ("Yuan History · Gao Zhiyao Biography") Kublai Khan Resolutely replied: "If the situation is today, Han law must be used." He also sent people to publicize the superiority of Han law and gained the understanding and support of the Mongolian nobles.

When commenting on this change, people at the time pointed out: "It is natural to change things with time, and it has to be done." (Volume 14 of "Yuan Wen Lei") This just shows that Kublai Khan's reforms conformed to the development trend of history , which created favorable conditions for the development of the Mongolian nationality and the formation of a multi-ethnic country.It is true that Kublai Khan's reforms still have great limitations.But its innovation is indispensable.