Chapter 8 Chapter 7 The Situation of Long-Term Split

Chinese historians consider the period from the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 AD to the rise of the Sui Dynasty in 581 AD to be a long period of confusion and disappointment.From some perspectives, this is indeed true.We can even say that this is equivalent to 10 times the disasters caused by the 30-year war to Germany.The population of many places in northern China has been reduced; the ancient five baht coins have been in circulation since the late Zhou Dynasty, and became more common in the Han Dynasty. After the division of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, they disappeared in many places.Since there is no effective central government, whenever there is a famine, the people have no way to appeal, and the painful situation is self-evident.During this period, there was a severe drought in 309 A.D., and large rivers could be passed on foot; and there was a plague in 369 A.D., and people in the vast area on the north bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River died one after another.

However, it would be incorrect to call this period the "Dark Ages".Although wars continued intermittently during this long period of time, there were not many large-scale conquests and decisive battles.If this is not the case, then the future unification will also have to take different steps.Obviously, the split situation in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties was completely different from that in the Warring States Period.After four and a half centuries of imperial politics, China was very different from the majority of rival kingdoms that had emerged from the dissolution of the feudal system.The widespread distribution of the gentry class also made general mobilization difficult.From the records, it appears that most of the soldiers in the army during this division were recruited.

Ethnic minorities appeared early in turbulent occasions, adding to the complexity of the situation.Traditionally known as the "five random Chinese", in fact, these ethnic minorities include Tibetans and Altai-language (AltaiC) ethnic groups, and the latter includes primitive Mongols and early Turkic-speaking peoples.However, in most of the venues, even experts cannot conclude that the ethnicity and language are correct, let alone the mixed troops among them.Together with certain Han Chinese adventurers, they established 16 kingdoms in North China between AD 304 and AD 439, some of which overlapped each other in a short period of time, and some followed each other.At the beginning, they were called "barbarian Rongdi", and they must be destructive.As soon as they arranged the dynasty they created, they also built Confucian temples and established Taixue, and began to pay attention to cultural relics and advocate farming and mulberry.Two of the invading peoples actually began to build the Great Wall to prevent other nomadic peoples from following their path and disturbing their new kingdoms, which shows the depth of their changes.

In the latter part of this period of division, the country established by the Sinicized Hu people in the north and the "government-in-exile" of the Han people in the south of the Yangtze River engaged in tug-of-war from time to time, with each winning and losing.But there were contacts in business, and envoys from the north and the south also visited each other.However, no one has ever suggested that this split situation should be taken for granted and allowed to exist, and that the small kingdoms should also maintain the areas they can control now.In the South or in the North, the principles by which government is organized are still political philosophies, not geopolitics.This vast area called "China" has a mixed internal culture, that is to say, there is no other logic, or even proper national boundaries, to support the situation of division.Only the concept of the unification of the world can ideologically unite the civil servants. This tendency can be seen in the documents of that day.

At the end of the Later Han Dynasty, Cao Cao attempted to rebuild a strong central government.His success only reaches Wei.He tried again to launch a crusade against the south, but he failed miserably, and his descendants also failed to succeed in their careers. The reason for this may be of interest to today's tourists and historians, because there are geopolitical key points in it. At that time, the Shu Han used today's Sichuan and its adjacent areas as their territory.Because it has sufficient manpower and resources to support long-term wars, it has the posture of another country within a country.It spans a wide area, and there are still suitable mountains and rivers as barriers around it.In recent years, many tourists have seen the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River in its east.In fact, tourists travel back to the west of the river from the lower reaches, although it takes a lot of time, the impression is deeper.Since the cliffs on both sides of the river have fallen vertically into the water, the next section of scenery is also unique. After a period of delay, the more unexpected and unexpected unfolding, the more intriguing it is.Not only did no one dare to invade the Three Gorges during the civil war in the 3rd century A.D., but even during the Second World War, the Japanese army approached the east of the canyon and felt helpless.

Besides Wei and Shu, the third country is Wu, which is located in a water town.The state of Wu not only has a navy, but also fortifies cities along the Yangtze River.Today's Nanjing (formerly known as Jiankang and Jinling) was founded in Wu.When the city was founded, the city was located on the waterfront, and the stone walls along the coast and the city wall formed a whole, which served as a strong defense in wartime.It is said that part of this stone wall can still be seen in the city today, but because the Yangtze River diverted its course, this trace is now quite far away from the riverside.

In the 3rd century A.D., the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu stood together for a long time.Among them, Wei was better at cavalry and seemed to have the upper hand.As of 263 A.D., half a century after Cao Cao first attacked Wu and Shu, Wei General Sima Zhao finally broke the deadlock. He marched in the mountains, where no one was seen, and used a surprise attack to highlight the back door of the Shu Han.This plan has been accomplished, and cleaning up the mess is just a matter of care.However, when he died the following year, his son Sima Yan copied the method of the Cao family, advocating that the Mandate of Heaven had been transferred from the Cao family to the Sima family. He established the Jin Dynasty in 265 A.D., and made the last emperor of Cao Wei to walk in meditation. The Han Dynasty abdication of the Liu family.This ritual, symbolizing the transfer of the Mandate of Heaven, was also imitated by the next four short-lived dynasties (Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen) during the split.

The conquest of Wu by the Jin Empire was carried out with a long-term plan.First of all, the army station was used to guarantee the sufficient food; it took 7 years to build ships in the territory of Shu; the commander Wang Jun has always done things boldly, and when everything was ready to stop, he was already 70 years old, and it is said that he built 600 large ships. It is a foot long and can carry two thousand soldiers and horses.Wu Guo didn't do things carelessly. They built barriers in the water and crossed the narrow part of the river with iron cables.Wang Jun used a large bamboo raft to clear obstacles. For the iron chains on the Hengjiang River, he made a 100-foot-long torch, made of dry branches and flammable materials, and sprinkled with sesame oil. It is said that the high heat caused the iron chains to melt.Once this obstacle was removed, Wang Jun's building boat went down the river and was surrendered by Wu in Nanjing in 280 AD.

The above deeds are seen in the official history, and we can neither prove nor deny their legendary elements, but we can also observe some major changes because of these deeds.The Jin Dynasty of the Sima family was legal due to abdication. It was the only dynasty in the past three and a half centuries, and it once wiped out all competing enemy countries.When it captured Nanjing in 280, it seemed that it had rebuilt a unified empire. Only 10 years later, the new development in the north shattered its dream.In 291 AD, a family conflict in the Sima royal family involved various regions because of the relationship between the princes.As the civil war broke out, the ethnic minorities inside the Great Wall also took the opportunity to revolt.In 317 AD, the two capitals of Xi'an and Luoyang were sacked successively. A Jin prince stationed in Nanjing proclaimed himself emperor at this juncture to maintain the name of the dynasty. , there is little opportunity to set foot in other regions.In 383 AD, the weak army of the government-in-exile unexpectedly defeated the overwhelmingly superior northern coalition army led by the former Qin leader Fu Jian (Battle of Feishui).But even so, the Eastern Jin Dynasty was still unable to make a northern expedition, and could only maintain half of the country in the south. The same was true for the four short-lived courts that followed. They all claimed to rule the country, but in fact they only occupied South China, waiting for the second empire Sui Dynasty to flourish. .

When we examine the history of this period, we find that there are many romantic deeds and little logic.Many outstanding men and women have left their names in history because of their virtuous and unscrupulous careers, but it is difficult for us to synthesize what practical significance they reflect. This period of history can be narrated from the fall of the Han Dynasty.The reason for this has been traced to the power of the eunuchs, the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans, and the summoning of the undisciplined frontier soldiers to Beijing. is no longer an issue.The situation in the Jin Dynasty was the same.Empress Jia Shi was to blame for the initial problem. It is said that she was vicious and vain. Some historians even said that she was dark and ugly.Because she was fighting for power with the empress dowager and wanted to abolish the prince (not born to empress Jia), the royal kings interfered.According to the custom of the Jin Dynasty, the princes are called kings, and they are courtiers inside, and they hold military talismans outside.However, when the dispute spread to various regions, the empress had been murdered, all previous grievances had been vindicated, and the war was still in its infancy, involving hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers. Consequences, and think that the vanity and jealousy of women are to blame.

Modern scholars cite the term "Key Economic Areas" in an attempt to give a more in-depth explanation of the long-term division.They believe that the several large areas that produce food have deep internal contacts and need little contact with the outside world, so the local governments are gradually separated from the control of the central government.This argument has its advantages.Judging from Cao Cao's inability to conquer the two countries in the south, and the fact that the battle with the Eastern Jin Dynasty at Feishui was enough to repel the invading superior enemy forces, the economic hub area seems to be true.However, this is not consistent with the situation that the Jin Dynasty was once unified.Even if there are geopolitical obstacles to unification, they can still be overcome by military action.Later, the civil war in the Jin Dynasty made this French language incorrect.At that time, all the places affected by the war were near the capital, and the south should be out of reach, but at this moment, it was calm and peaceful. When we can't find a better explanation, we have to reconsider the traditional so-called merger theory.Land possession has indeed had a profound impact on Chinese history.Most of the small self-cultivating peasants are used as the basis for soldiers to pay taxes. Not to mention the fairness factor, it is true that in the Chinese countryside, a simple and even foundation is laid first, which is convenient for the control of bureaucratic organizations.At that time, the Han Dynasty advocated filial piety and honesty (not only the integrity of officials, but also the humility of property when dealing with people). It is obvious that the imperial court emphasized the cohesion of culture and education and had no intention of increasing the complexity of management.This organization and structure is easily destroyed by land concentration.Readers must realize at this time that it is extremely difficult to hide the number of tax-payable households in the countryside, but the number of acres of land and population included in the households, including hired labor and slave labor, can be entered and exited.If the number of households actually decreases, the tax revenue will be reduced accordingly.In the future, the services that the government can provide, such as poverty relief, local self-defense and water conservancy, etc., will also be reduced.Moreover, the expansion of the local gentry's power will also affect the character of the local government.In the system of autocratic government, the imperial power is from top to bottom, and the whole country is unified. If the local gentry start to make their own claims, it will have a revisionist nature.From the above descriptions, we can see that the Lingyi of the local government in the later Han Dynasty has produced various unstable situations. When the Cao family replaced Han and the Sima family replaced Wei, the crisis of immediate collapse was temporarily passed safely, but the basic reason has not been ruled out.The unstable situation on that day can be seen from various edicts: the famous "Three Edicts of Wei and Wu" (issued when Cao Cao was prime minister) seeking talents, said in it that talents do not need to be virtuous, as long as they have the skills to govern the country and use soldiers, Even if it is not benevolent or filial, it should still be appropriated (local gentry usually regard themselves as benevolent and righteous).The Jin Dynasty promulgated the land occupation law in an attempt to limit the amount of land owned by each family.Both schemes are trying to get rid of the shackles of the gentry.However, when the Wei went to the Jin, neither of the two sides achieved the goal of rebuilding the centralized power system. The superficial peace of North China at that time was only temporarily suppressed by the powerful entrepreneurial masters, and it was only possible to maintain the status quo for a while. When there is a dispute, it will cause all kinds of factors that cannot be controlled at the local level to take advantage of the opportunity.The title of prince and king further expanded the matter, so that armed conflicts stretched across the states, which lasted for 16 years (291-306 AD).Its operations are disorderly, the lineup is chaotic, and there is no definite target, all of which show that social organizations have collapsed on a large scale. In the latter part of the 16 years, there was the investment of the so-called barbarians Rongdi, which also needs an explanation.The first to participate was Liu Yuan, who was of mixed Han and Hun blood.He started an uprising within the Great Wall in AD 304, and gathered 50,000 people within 20 days.Liu Yuan once served as the governor of the five major divisions of the Jin Dynasty (the Huns had five divisions), that is, he was ordered to supervise the Huns.This background made it easy for him to call on the Huns tribes on the defense line, and some Huns soldiers and horses had already been incorporated into the frontier army.Other members of other ethnic groups, including tenant farmers and slave laborers in the Han family, Shi Le, who proclaimed himself emperor 12 years later than Liu Yuan, was trafficked into slavery when he was young.The tribal invasion of the entire nomadic people also started at this time.However, looking at it all together, it is still the system of the Han Dynasty that emphasized cultural integration in place of a powerful government, and the disintegration of this system led to the melee of ethnic minorities participating in it.It is contrary to the truth to say that the barbarians took the initiative to conquer China. However, ethnic minorities are good at cavalry tactics, and during the civil war, their impact was not insignificant.When harassment became widespread, villages everywhere organized self-defense forces and built docks to protect themselves. This practice began during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and by the 4th century AD, it had become a common phenomenon in North China.Around 350 A.D., there were more than 300 fortified villages in the north of Shanxi, including "Hu and Jin" with a population of more than 100,000.Around 400 A.D., there were 3,000 fortresses in Guanzhong. They supported the ruler and formed an alliance with each other.There may be only a few villages in the basic organization at the lower level, but a large unit can include 100,000 households, including a mixed population of Hu and Han.The powerful clan is the backbone of this kind of local self-defense organization. They have elite soldiers and obviously have the air of nobility.If this trend is allowed to develop, a new type of feudalism may emerge in China, and China's history for the next few hundred years may also be similar to Japan's ancient history.It's just that mobile tactics are implemented in a vast area, and large troops participate in the battle, which eventually makes the situation develop in a different direction. During this period, major battles usually involved more than 250,000 men, and the ratio of infantry to cavalry was not less than 3 to 1.Because of the need for personnel, the short-lived dynasty of the barbarians often invaded the self-defense groups organized by the local gentry: either dispatched supervisors to obtain their administrative power, or ordered their leaders to extort personnel and supplies.The two methods also violate the rights and interests of local self-government. China thus fell to the lowest point in history in the 4th and 5th centuries AD.The royal family emphasizes self-discipline and humility to others, which has been unable to be used so far.Another source is local self-government, based on assets, rationalizing the authority of landlords held by the gentry to form the manorial system (manorialism), and this way out is also blocked.Moreover, when the small imperial court sent supervisors to the units that were allied with each other, they did not reorganize the lower-level organizations. Therefore, the centralization of small farmers as the main body to facilitate the rule of bureaucratic organizations could not be restored.People at that time were disappointed, so they had to match the "Five Hus" with a "Sixteen Kingdoms" to emphasize its negative factors, but they didn't know that the broken mirror would eventually be reunited. Given time, China's dilapidated empire can still be restored to its original state and flourish, but it will take a while. For a long time.