Chapter 13 Section 1 Illustrated Scriptures and Maps of the Sui and Tang Dynasties

"Sui Shu Jing Ji Zhi" contains 109 volumes of "Zhou Tu Ji", and scholars in the Tang Dynasty often quote it as "Zhou Tu Ji".For example, Li Xian of the Tang Dynasty quoted "Zhou Di Ji" when he wrote "The Book of Later Han·Liu Yan Biography": "There is an ancient Yangping Pass in the northwest of Baogu." , and the north is in the shape of a dipper.” Judging from the quoted content, it is obvious that the text description is the main content, while the map has become a secondary content. "Zhou Tu Tu" and "Zhou Tu Ji" should be different titles of a work, and the author is unknown. Judging from the fact that early Tang scholars quoted it widely, the author is probably an influential scholar in the Northern Zhou Dynasty or the Sui Dynasty, or is An official geography book.

This kind of geography book, Tujing (Tuzhi, Tuji), which is mainly composed of characters and supplemented by maps, has developed vigorously in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. , Yu Mao's "District Yu Tu Zhi", etc., as well as regional Tu Jing, such as "Yongzhou Tu Jing", "Luoyang Tu Jing" and so on.Whether it is national or regional, the name or form of "Tu Jing" has been used until the late Tang Dynasty.For example, Li Jifu wrote the famous geographic general annals "Yuanhe County Maps" written in the eighth year of Yuanhe (813 A.D.).However, because both compilers and users are paying more and more attention to written records, and in order to be circulated with books, the scale of maps must be greatly restricted and cannot be quite accurate, so such maps generally only serve as a schematic function.Even so, maps are often difficult to preserve during the process of circulation. For example, the "map" in "Yuanhe County Maps" had been lost by the Northern Song Dynasty, and the title of the book was changed to "Yuanhe County Maps".

The government of the Tang Dynasty had clear regulations on the compilation of map scriptures and the drawing of maps for administrative regions at all levels.Maps drawn in units of prefectures (prefectures) have to be reported every three years. Since the first year of Jianzhong (AD 780), it has been changed to once every five years, and then restored to once every three years. However, if there are administrative districts in the jurisdiction New maps should be drawn and reported at any time due to changes and adjustments in the natural environment such as river diversions or river diversions.It is also stipulated that each state (government) compiles the Tujing every five years, and it must be revised at any time if there is a change or adjustment of the administrative region.The Ministry of War of the central government has an official who specializes in managing maps across the country—Zhi Fanglang.In the era of separatist regimes or wars, timely reporting of illustrated scriptures or maps became a symbol of loyalty to the imperial court.For example, in the fifth year of Yuanhe (810 A.D.), Zhang Maozhao, the envoy of the Yiwu Festival, was loyal to the imperial court and brought the seals, keys, maps, and household registrations of Yi and Ding prefectures to the capital to meet the emperor.In the late Tang Dynasty, Zhang Yichao and others led Hexi officials and people to expel Tubo and returned to the Tang Dynasty. The maps of Min and Kuo 11 prefectures (to the east of Turpan in present-day Xinjiang, the Hexi Corridor, and central and southern Gansu) were placed in the imperial court, marking the restoration of the Tang Dynasty's rule over the region.

On this basis, the imperial court regularly compiled nationwide maps.Since the Tang Dynasty divided the world into ten realms from the first year of Zhenguan (AD 627), this type of map is called "Ten Dao Map".Seen in historical records are "Chang'an Four Years (AD 704) Ten Dao Tu" 13 volumes, "Kaiyuan Three Years (AD 715) Ten Dao Tu" 10 volumes and Li Jifu's "Yuanhe (AD 806-820) Ten Dao Tu" These three types in Volume 10 of "Ten Maps" are only a very few of the most famous "Ten Dao Tus" and have the honor to leave their names.Judging from the fact that there is only 11 years between the one in the fourth year of Chang’an and the one in the third year of Kaiyuan, this type of map should be compiled or revised regularly, and its content should include mountains and rivers, household registration, taxation, national boundaries, domestic political district boundaries, and prefectures. The total number of (prefecture) counties, the total number of civil and military officials, salaries, etc., most of the content can only be recorded in words, and the map cannot be very large. The "Ten Dao Tu" is an important material for the imperial court to consult the basic conditions of all parts of the country, and it has become the basis for the central government to formulate and implement government orders.

Because of this, during the following five dynasties (AD 907-960), although the unity no longer existed, each dynasty continued to compile and draw the "Ten Dao Tu". The order of the various roads and capitals was revised in the second year of Kaiyun in the Later Jin Dynasty (AD 945) regarding the appointment of officials.Until the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, the "Ten Dao Tu" was still one of the bases for determining the ranks of prefectures and counties, official salaries, criminal laws, household registration, taxes, etc., until the fourth year of Jingde (AD 1007) and the sixth year of Dazhong Xiangfu ( AD 1013) is still being rebuilt.However, because the Song Dynasty no longer adopted the division of "Tao", the map completed after that was renamed "Nine Regions Map".

Regional or national maps based on map classics are mainly for administrative needs, and the content focuses on politics, economy, and society, and often ignores natural geographical elements such as mountains and rivers, and cannot meet special needs, such as military affairs, transportation, etc., so at that time A number of specialized maps were also produced.In the eighth year of Dali (773 A.D.), Tubo occupied Longxi. The court ministers generally believed that there was no danger to the west of Guanzhong. However, Prime Minister Yuan Zai understood the geographical conditions of Longxi and Hexi Corridor, and proposed that troops could be divided to guard Shimen, Muxia and Longshan. For the pass, Mingsha County and Feng'an Army can also be set up as flanks, echoing the five cities in the northern Lingwu area. For this reason, he also drew a map of the terrain of this area and dedicated it to Tang Daizong.At the beginning of Yuanhe (806-820 A.D.), the imperial court was busy dealing with the Weibo towns that had been separated for many years. Prime Minister Li Jifu specially drew a map marked "Hebei's dangerous location" and dedicated it to Tang Xianzong. Xianzong hung the map in the bathroom On the wall of the door, observe it frequently, and compare it every time you discuss the military situation.In the sixth year of Dazhong (852 A.D.), the imperial court ordered Xue Kui, the defense envoy of Longzhou, to move and build the old pass. After Xue Kui completed the project of moving the pass, he drew a map of the situation around the new pass and reported it. After reading the map, the emperor thought that Xinguan "gets the key point" and is very satisfied.It can be seen that the representation of the terrain on this map is very specific and intuitive.

The territory of the Tang Dynasty was vast, and exchanges between the Central Plains and border areas, and between the Tang Dynasty and foreign countries were extremely frequent, so more attention was paid to the accumulation of geographical data and the compilation of maps.When "foreigners" (generally referring to foreigners and frontier ethnic minorities) come to the capital, the officials of Honglu Temple who are in charge of receiving them must have a detailed understanding of the "mountains, rivers and customs" (physical geography and human geography) of the country or region where they are located. Then draw a map and report.Out of political and military needs, the Tang Dynasty also paid attention to collecting maps of neighboring countries or vassal states. For example, Goryeo and Turks both contributed maps to the Tang Dynasty, which was obviously inspired by the Tang Dynasty.In the 20th year of Zhenguan (AD 646), Jiameilu Kingdom (now unknown) also paid tribute maps to the Tang Dynasty.Envoys, generals, and officials who visited border areas who had the opportunity to visit foreign countries also took the initiative to draw maps of their experiences and knowledge.For example, Wang Xuance traveled to India three times since the 17th year of Zhenguan (AD 643), and visited Nibala (now Nepal) and Kui during his third visit from the second year of Xianqing to the first year of Longshuo (AD 657-661). [jiji] Bin (today's northeast of Afghanistan) and other places compiled ten volumes and three volumes of pictures of "Journey to the Kingdom of Zhongtianzhu" based on field experience.Xu Jingzong presented 60 volumes of "Illustrations of the Western Regions" after returning from his missions to Kangguo (now Samarkand, Uzbekistan) and Tocharo (now northern Afghanistan).Jia Yanzhong also reported the topographic map of mountains and rivers in Liaodong to the imperial court.