Introduction: Whether a regime is orthodox or not has nothing to do with the strength of the country, of course, we subconsciously hope that the two will remain consistent like the Han and Tang Dynasties. But there is still a difference between whether it is an orthodox dynasty and whether it is a unified dynasty, and there is no necessary connection between the two. The Song Dynasty, as a unified dynasty, was not qualified, did not have enough territory and low military combat effectiveness. More importantly, without the spirit of martial arts, foreign wars have been repeatedly defeated. However, the Song Dynasty was at its peak, and there were three thousand years of civilization that was created by the Zhao and Song dynasties. What's more, the definition of an orthodox dynasty is "Daoxian Wang, Fa WuDi, and Zun Zhou as Zheng", that is to say, the Chinese blood is in the same vein. At this point there is no doubt that the Song Dynasty was an orthodox dynasty. Although the Liao, Jin, and other regimes made adjustments to the political system and administrative program on the basis of absorbing Han culture, they were far from the level of the Daoxian King and the Five Emperors of the Fa. What is orthodoxy in plundering by one's own force alone? The two regimes of Liaojin and Jin did not themselves think of themselves as Chinese orthodox, let alone history books? However, in a big way, Liaojin is indeed a political power within the scope of China's historical civilization. There's no doubt about it, but there's a difference. So we call the Song Dynasty, and there is no reason to call the Liao Dynasty or the Jin Dynasty.
Regarding the definition of the legitimacy of the Song and Liaojin, in fact, the Yuan Dynasty, which finally unified the Central Plains, was even more troublesome. If only the Song Dynasty is recognized as Chinese orthodoxy, then the Liao, Jin and other regimes similar to the Yuan Dynasty became barbarians. From this point of view, how to ensure the legitimacy of the Yuan Dynasty's entry into the Central Plains? Therefore, at that time, the Yuan Dynasty made a four-way difference between the Yuan Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, and the Song, Jin, and Liao were all orthodox.
Let me first explain that I am not a stubborn person of the theory of only blood, and that Liaojin is indeed the category of China's historical civilization. There is no doubt about this, including the Yuan Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, which are also great unified dynasties. In terms of legal system, Zhu Yuanzhang, the long life of Hongwu, acknowledged that the Ming Dynasty inherited the legal system of the Yuan Dynasty; the Qing Dynasty claimed to inherit the legal system of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, the orthodox dynasty has a second criterion, that is, the co-lord of the world. Therefore, the Yuan Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty are both orthodox dynasties that are unified in the history of our country. PS: This article is purely a family statement, do not like it.
The Reason the Jin and Liao regimes were not orthodox dynasties
Whether it is a unified or orthodox definition, one thing in common is zun zhou. Because Confucianism generally recognizes that it is a Zhou li, the definition of both a great unification and an orthodox dynasty before the Southern and Northern Dynasties was very strict. It was only after the Wuhu invasion of the Central Plains that it gradually became more relaxed.
The Ram Chronicles of the Hidden Year of the Common Era records: "What is the king? King Wen also. Is it the first king and then the first month? Wang Zhengyue also. What is Wang Zhengyue? Great unification also. "See no, the definition of the great unification is still to follow the Zhou Li."
The definition of an orthodox dynasty has the stipulation that "the Daoxian King, the Five Emperors of the Fa, and the Honorable Zhou as the Right One", that is to say, it is necessary to recognize zongzhou as the right ancestor as the five emperors in order to obtain political legitimacy. The pursuit of orthodoxy is called rectifying chaos and honoring kings. Therefore, under the inspiration of this spirit, the Song Dynasty had more than 100,000 monarchs jumping into the sea to martyr the country after the defeat of the Battle of Yashan.
It is precisely because of the strong appeal of orthodoxy that the minority regimes in the Southern and Northern Dynasties period desperately leaned on orthodoxy. Liu Yuan, a Xiongnu who replaced the Western Jin Dynasty, even claimed to be a descendant of Liu Chan, the lord of the Shu Han Dynasty; Helian Bobo, the founder of Hu Xia, even advertised himself as a descendant of Xia Qi. These regimes are, to put it bluntly, tampering with their origins in order to attract popular support for their orthodox identity.
During the period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the best packaging of Chinese orthodoxy belonged to the Northern Wei, and people from the history books indicated that the ancestors came from the Three Emperors and Five Emperors. Coupled with the profound Sinicization system, the Northern Wei Dynasty was able to rule the Yellow River Valley steadily for more than a hundred years as the beginning of the Northern Dynasty. Many Han Chinese scholars joined the Northern Wei regime and contributed to the long-term peace and stability of the Northern Wei. The reason is this orthodoxy of the Northern Wei packaging.
The first part of the Official History Book of Wei of the Northern Wei Dynasty introduces the Xianbei Tuoba clan as a descendant of the emperor: the Former Yellow Emperor had twenty-five sons, or the inner column of Zhuhua, or the outer division of the absurd. Changyi Shaozi, who was enfeoffed with the Northern Territory, had the state of the Great Xianbei Mountain, because he thought it was a name.
Although the Liao established by the Khitans began to contact the Central Plains from the Tang Dynasty, it was an authentic nomadic people. If we look at the definition of the circle of modern civilization, the Liaojin regime is definitely an important part of China's history. However, neither from the cultural tradition nor the Liaojin's perception of itself can meet the definition of the orthodox dynasty "Daoxian King, Fa WuDi, and Zun Zhou as Zheng". Not to mention that the Jurchen JinGuo rose in the White Mountains and Black Waters, and directly rose from the slave society to swallow the Liao and destroy the Song. Although it was very fierce, it almost destroyed the orthodox Miao people in the Jingkang Revolution without Sinicization. This act of purely armed killing is by no means orthodox.
Among the two regimes of Liao and Jin, the Liao did a good job, and the implementation of the policy of one country, two systems and Sinicization was relatively in place. Coupled with the fact that the border of the Liao State runs through the east and the west, the history books of Western countries also make China a Khitan . However, Liaojin never gave up his own lineage, did not have the Five Emperors of the Fa and zun Zhou, so he was not recognized as orthodox by the Central Plains Dynasty. Even if the Yuan Dynasty defined liaojin as orthodox for the sake of the legitimacy of the regime, it would not work.
The emperors of the Song Dynasty had strict rules on their own era names, the same currency, the calendar of inheritance, clothing, and the etiquette of the color country. On the basis of the Five Emperors of the Fa and the Zun Zhou, these are the foundation and inheritance of an orthodox dynasty. Therefore, although the Song Dynasty claimed to the Liaojin, the Liaojin did not gain the general recognition of the Han people and was not an orthodox dynasty.
I am the emperor of history, welcome your attention; if there is a flaw, the axe is right.