preface
The Xiongnu were the first nomadic people in northern China and East Asia to establish a nomadic empire, and they had an extremely important influence on the historical process of the Qin Dynasty, the Western Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty, and even had a great influence on world history. In the Qin Dynasty, in order to resist the southward movement of the Xiongnu, Qin Shi Huang connected the Great Wall built by various countries in the past to form the famous Great Wall. Although the predecessors built a part of the Great Wall, the result was still to exhaust the people's financial resources, further aggravating the social crisis of the Qin Dynasty, and eventually leading to the early demise of the powerful Qin Dynasty. After the two Han dynasties, the Xiongnu also had a great relationship with their rise and fall. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang personally conquered the Xiongnu, and finally ended up in the siege of Baideng, and the soldiers were wounded and killed seven times out of ten. The Han Dynasty, which was in ruins and had a weak country, had no choice but to decide to implement a policy of peace and affection with the Xiongnu that expressed compromise and concessions.
Behind the seeming humiliation of the pro-peace policy, the Western Han Dynasty provided a generous development time and a relatively peaceful external environment, and the emergence of the "rule of Wenjing" was also inseparable from this pro-peace policy. However, by the time Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began, his nearly ten-year-old policy of peace and pro-japanese was abolished and began to be changed to armed conquest. The Han-Hungarian War was the first large-scale war in ancient Chinese history to be fought on such a protracted scale at war with nomadic regimes, and eventually the mighty Xiongnu disappeared or were assimilated, and the Western Han Dynasty received a considerable part of its legacy. Of course, this only began with Emperor Wu of Han, not the emperor of Han Dynasty.
Emperor Wudi of Han's insistence on the Northern Expedition, the military defeat of the Xiongnu and the final victory, won the first pride for the Han nation, the consequences that can be brought and the price paid, indeed let the Western Han Dynasty have a peak and tend to decline, and Emperor Wudi of Han almost followed in the footsteps of Qin Shi Huang. The Northern Expedition brought about an emptiness of national strength, and unprecedented military expenditures made the economy of the Western Han Dynasty unable to bear the near collapse. Is it all worth it?
The situation and relations between Han and Hungary before the Northern Expedition
After the Siege of Baideng, the Xiongnu and the Western Han Basically maintained a relationship of peace and normal trade exchanges, and both sides were very restrained in controlling the war in a certain small range, creating a favorable opportunity for their respective development. However, when Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne, the strength of the two sides was easy to turn and Liu Che's strong desire to open up and expand, so that the relations between Han and Hungary were transformed, from superficial friendliness to all-round hostility. Before Emperor Wu of han ascended the throne, for nearly 70 years, Han and Hungary avoided large-scale conflicts and wars between the two empires through the conclusion of peace and pro-covenants. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Jing of Han, the first prosperous era in the history of Chinese feudalism appeared- the rule of Wenjing, and the land of Shenzhou was peaceful and tranquil.
The Second Emperor lived in an era in which there were no Xiongnu outside and no turmoil inside, and they adopted a series of policies to develop production, lightly levy taxes, and rest with the people. Under their rule, there was a prosperous scene of the world's wealth and the prosperity of the country and the people's security. The Han Dynasty's treasury and folk money and grain reached a historical peak, which left a rich family foundation for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Ma Qian of the Taishi Company described the current world: So far, the upper grade is the age, between the seventy years of Hanxing, the country has nothing to do, not in the face of floods and droughts, the people give their families enough, they are all full of contempt, and the government treasury is full of goods. The money of the Kyoshi is huge, and it is decaying and unschoolable. Taicang's millet Chen Chen Xiangyin, overflowing with dew, is so corrupt that it is inedible. There are horses in the streets and alleys, and there are herds among strangers, and those who ride the word are not allowed to gather. Those who guard Lu Yan eat the meat of liang, and are the eldest descendants of the officials, and those who live in the officials think that they are surnames. Therefore, everyone loves himself and repeats the law, first righteous and then disgraced.
The Han Dynasty came to a turning point in history, whether it was to rule in inaction and continue peacefully, or to do foreign affairs and internal prosperity, and Liu Che, as the supreme ruler, chose the latter of Daxing Bingge. In the social situation at that time, Sima Qian mentioned that "at this time, the network is sparse and the people are rich, the service wealth is arrogant, or the people who annex the Hao Dang, in order to arbitrarily judge the township song." The clan room has a tugongqing doctor below, competing for luxury, and the room is obedient to the top, infinite. Things prosper and decline, and solidify their changes", this is the world of prosperity from top to bottom, and if it does not change, it will decay. From the perspective of latecomers, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty was correct in his Northern Expedition, pushing the Western Han Dynasty to a new peak, not allowing it to decline in the years, but to flourish in the war and weaken in a vigorous manner.
The reason for the Northern Expedition in the mouth of Emperor Wu of Han
During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, from the policy of pro-trade to the policy of conquest by force, historians attributed the reasons in the mouth of Emperor Wu of Han to three points: first, the Xiongnu posed a huge threat to the Western Han Dynasty; second, what needed to be paid for the pro-peace policy brought a huge economic burden to the Western Han Dynasty; third, the Xiongnu did not abide by the policy of peace and pro-family, but continued to invade the south. These three points blamed the Xiongnu side for the large-scale outbreak of the Han-Hungarian War, and the Han court did nothing wrong. It seems reasonable, but in fact it is a bit unable to withstand serious scrutiny and thinking. Let me explain them one by one.
The first point: the threat of the Xiongnu during the Han Wudi period was not so great. At that time, the Xiongnu were strong and the Han Dynasty was weak, both sides maintained equal trade and kinship relations, the Xiongnu basically satisfied what the Han Dynasty gave them, and the border trade and small-scale plunder fully met the needs of the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu did not seem to have moved the idea of capturing the Western Han capital Chang'an City at all, and it was even less meaningful to enter the Central Plains and replace it. Reason: During the Han Jing Emperor period, the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, the central Han Dynasty had no time to take care of itself, the Xiongnu could have invaded the south and made the Western Han Dynasty pay a painful price, but the Xiongnu's military subjects did not attack the Han Dynasty from beginning to end, and took advantage of the fire to loot. The history books say: Emperor Xiaojing restored the Xiongnu and made peace, passed through the city, gave the Widowed Xiongnu, and sent the princess, as promised. At the end of filial piety, when the small into the side of the thief, there is no big Kou. The rule of Wenjing made the Western Han Dynasty unprecedentedly strong, which is obvious to all; if the weak hours do not move, how can the powerful Xiongnu still invade unwisely?
Relations between Han and Hungary developed on a good side, and emperor Wu of Han did not deteriorate when he first ascended the throne: Emperor Wu took the throne, Ming he was bound by relatives, and he met Guanshi and spared him. The Xiongnu were all pro-Han and traveled back and forth under the Great Wall. Both sides are happy and harmonious.
The second point: the tribute sent by the relatives is not a heavy gift at all, and it is even more nonsense to bring a heavy economic burden to the Western Han Dynasty. We cannot see from the historical data the number of gifts and gifts that the Western Han Dynasty needed to send, but we can see from the economic situation of the imperial court and the people that these things are nothing, and the historical materials never mention the records of the burden of the Western Han government, all of which are "surplus of money and grain." Moreover, the trade exchanges between the two sides were obviously those of the Western Han Dynasty, and the most profits were made from the government to the people, which were more than dozens of times the income of the Xiongnu. The Western Han Dynasty was in an economic trade surplus.
The third point: for the relatives believe that everyone is not particularly understanding, in fact, there is not much humiliation and bad, on the contrary, we are taking advantage, the Xiongnu shan yu married han Tianzi's sister or daughter, then the Xiongnu shan Yu's generation is lower than han tianzi, the national book called the Xiongnu shorter than the Han Dynasty. The whole country of the Xiongnu wanted to send beautiful women to Han Tianzi or Han nobles as concubines, but they didn't want it. It is impossible for the Xiongnu to tear up the treaty and not to be harmonious, and there is a southern invasion, but this is a conventional thing, once every seven or eight years on average, consuming the elderly population in the Xiongnu who are difficult to survive the winter, and plundering enough things to prepare for winter. Except on a few occasions, the harm caused by the Huns was extremely limited, and both sides maintained a certain degree of restraint, such as the Huns were far away from sai and no longer pursued.
In fact, these are all excuses for the war, so that the subjects of the whole country support their northern expedition, tribute, trade and peace, etc., but only let the Heavenly Dynasty and the rulers of the Great Han Dynasty have face loss and psychological burden. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said: The children of The Emperor of the Han Dynasty are decorated with singles, and the gold coins and texts are embroidered with bribes that are very thick, and the single is on standby garman, and the invasion and theft have been killed. The border was killed, and it was even worse. Why do you want to raise an army to attack it now? The naked excuse for war, but with Liu Che's own imperial wrist, the Manchu dynasty secretary of state only obediently and obediently ordered.
The real reason for the Northern Expedition
We can only infer these things from human nature and historical facts, as an emperor, Emperor Wudi of Han will not easily say the real reason. The real reason for the Northern Expedition is the huge contrast in the strength of the two sides: the signing of the peace treaty with the Xiongnu was a wise and rational choice of the monarchs in the early Western Han Dynasty, and it was also a helpless move that lost on the battlefield and was not strong enough. Han Xing, the evil of Qin, the princes rose up, the people lost their jobs, and there was a great famine. Five thousand stones, cannibalism, more than half of the dead. The long-term war has caused turmoil in the whole world, the economy is in ruins, the people are not happy, and the horses of color are not enough to get a few horses, on the contrary, the Xiongnu side is strong and strong, and the Western Han Dynasty is in the inferior position of strength, and it is most appropriate to formulate a pro-national policy. Now that the treasury is abundant, the people are rich, and the national strength is increasing, the military strength is also gradually increasing, "there are horses in the streets and alleys, and there are herds among the strangers", and it is enough to form cavalry war horses.
On the Xiongnu side, the Xiongnu, the peak of the Period, were gone, and the national strength began to weaken, and the national power tended to decline. One increase and one decrease, the difference is very large. Therefore, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty wrote a war against the outside world while using the strength of the country to benefit society and the people, and Liu Che chose the latter.
Secondly, the desire for control and the idea of Han nationalism appeared: Emperor Wudi of Han was recognized in Chinese history as an emperor of great talent and strategy, a Han nationalist with a strong desire to control and the supremacy of the solipsism, which was soon exposed: Wen Used to be in Tang and Yu, portraits and the people did not commit crimes, the sun and the moon were candles, and they were not reckless. Zhou Zhicheng, Kang, punishment is not used, virtue and birds and beasts, teaching through the four seas, overseas solemnity, Beifa Canal Search, Qiang Qiang, stars are not bad, the sun and moon are not eclipsed, mountains do not collapse, rivers and valleys are not plugged; Lin and Feng are in the suburbs, rivers, luo out of books. Woohoo, ho ho Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said that he had a prosperous world in his mind, and if he put it in modern times, this would definitely be said to be "middle two". Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty regarded he and his relatives, the southern invasion of the Xiongnu, Shi Feng, and the foul language spoken to Empress Lü in the past as a great shame, and was determined to be humiliated. He could no longer listen to any words, in the words of Huo Qiyi, "The Xiongnu are not destroyed, how can they be home", and Dr. Di Shan tried to persuade Emperor Wu of Han and his relatives not to go north. Emperor Wu of Han could not argue, but he had the power to send him directly to the front, where he was beheaded by the Huns.
Finally, the main warriors occupied the government and the opposition: not all of these main warriors were generals, but also some civilian subjects, such as Dong Zhongshu, Gongsun Hong, and other Confucians. Jia Yi wrote to Emperor Wen of Han: "Your Majesty He Ren took the title of Emperor as a prince of the Rong people, and the situation was humiliating, but the misfortune was endless, and he was poor for a long time!" The conspirators think that it is true, but they are incomprehensible, and they are very dead. The number of xiongnu who stole the material was no more than a large county in Han, and the people of one county were trapped by the greatness of the world, and they were even ashamed of the deacons. Why doesn't His Majesty try to make his subjects the officials of the vassal state and the Lord of the Huns? "My Great Han strength has far surpassed that of the Xiongnu, so when will I fight without fighting at this time?" But Emperor Wen of Han endured, and it was not until Emperor Wu of Han that a large-scale war broke out. A fierce debate broke out between the main warrior and during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and in order to unify the national recognition of the Northern Expedition Xiongnu, Liu Che held two huge debates on whether the Xiongnu were war or peace. Of course, this is a bit of a formality, Emperor Wu of Han has decided to go north, so behind the scenes, let the main war faction occupy the government and the opposition, for their own northern expedition to the Xiongnu aspirations to contribute. However, tracing back to the source, it is indeed the voice of the main battle faction that is getting louder and louder, and Liu Che grew up listening to this voice.
The price paid
The results of the Northern Expedition to the Xiongnu were naturally gratifying, opening up territory and conquering the Xiongnu. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he launched more than ten large-scale conquests against the Xiongnu, with the goal of eliminating the Xiongnu or making the Xiongnu completely submit to the Han Dynasty. Because this is unrealistic and impossible, the differences in the civilization systems of the two sides doom this conquest goal to be impossible to complete in the lifetime of Emperor Wu of Han. The Han army's long war against the Xiongnu buried the development achievements accumulated over the years in the early Han Dynasty and brought the Han Dynasty society into the abyss. The Xiongnu wars averaged once every 1.2 years, not counting Korea, South Vietnam and other places.
Not every war can capture cattle, sheep, horses, etc., and expanding the territory cannot immediately produce practical benefits. Hundreds of thousands of Han armies marched north, thousands of kilometers of grain transportation and requisition, it is said that historians need at least millions of people to participate in the study. The participation of a large number of laborers in the war against the Xiongnu seriously hindered the normal progress of agricultural production and the operation and development of social economy. At the end of the Han Dynasty, the economy was almost collapsed, and it was not completely collapsed because of the family foundation left by his father and grandfather, but the social situation of the country's prosperity and people's strength accumulated in the early Han Dynasty in the past fifty years was completely broken.
The consumption of successive years of large-scale wars, sometimes even the soldiers could not be issued, as well as the rewards for meritorious ministers, the huge expenses of military supplies, military grain, and diversion of grain, the immigrants from the newly occupied areas in the north, and the money and grain of the Tuntian army, overwhelmed the Western Han court. The huge military expenditure forced Emperor Wu of Han to order his ministers to do everything possible to accumulate wealth, such as issuing leather coins and "platinum three products", salt and iron official camps, equalization and loss, liquor monopoly, reckoning and recourse, selling knights, selling officials and atonement. The use of political power to intervene roughly in the economy caused misery among the world's subjects, and the situation became worse, and not many people looked forward to going to war with the Huns anymore. Decades ago, the peaceful and prosperous era of living and working in peace and contentment and family joy has become a bad era of rural desolation, lack of food, warm clothes, and every household.
epilogue
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition to the Xiongnu brought great disasters to the Xiongnu and other nomadic peoples, and at the same time brought the prosperous Western Han Dynasty to the brink of collapse, and the price was very heavy, no doubt. But is it worth asking? Personal opinion is worth it, why not fight in the case of prosperity and decline? Moreover, the conquest of the Xiongnu during the Han Wu period made the Xiongnu obedient until the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and did not pose any threat. Of course, this is only the words of later generations, if you live in the world of Han Wu, the author will definitely not think so. Emperor Wu of Han's actions were harmful to the present and beneficial to the future, but this pained the people of the Han And Wu Dynasty and the soldiers who died elsewhere and wrapped their bodies in Ma Ge. Because of this, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty had both bad comments and praises, and his merits were mixed.
The ancient sages were right to say that "the good soldier is an ominous weapon, and the saint has no choice but to use it", the sword soldier will not only hurt others, but also make himself pay a heavy price. War must not be taken lightly!
References: "Book of Han", "Cambridge History of The Qin and Han Dynasties in China", "Draft History of the Xiongnu", "History of the Ideology of the Relations between the Two Han Nationalities", "Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty"