Editor: Xiao Xiao
introduction
The Qin and Han dynasties were an important period in ancient Chinese history and a period of China's unification, and its foreign policy and foreign relations had an important impact on the development of Chinese history.
Under the Qin Shi Huang, China was unified, and the Qin Dynasty began a policy of foreign expansion.
Argument: Foreign policy and foreign relations in the Qin and Han dynasties
During the Han Dynasty, after a long period of war, China's territory was further expanded, and China's foreign relations began to develop in a more diversified and complex direction.
1. Qin Shi Huang's foreign policy after the unification of the Six Kingdoms
1. The division of countries and the foreign relations of the Qin Dynasty
Before the Qin Dynasty, various parts of China were ruled by different vassal states, so China's foreign policy was mainly directed towards these vassal states.
After Qin Shi Huang unified the six countries, foreign relations also underwent tremendous changes. He adopted a policy of "unifying the world and annexing the four countries" and constantly expanded his territory and sphere of influence.
At the same time, he also strengthened the management and defense of the frontier areas.
Foreign relations revolve primarily around war.
Qin Shi Huang successively pacified the Chu state in the south and the Yan and Qi states in the north, expanding China's territory to the largest extent in history. He also sent emissaries to the South China Sea and Southeast Asia to carry out some economic and cultural exchange activities.
The Qin Dynasty also set up posts such as "border defense general" and "taishou" to strengthen control and management of border areas.
During the Han Dynasty, the situation in foreign relations underwent some changes.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, China's outward expansion intensified, further expanding China's territory and sphere of influence through wars against the Xiongnu. The Han Dynasty also sent envoys such as Zhang Qian to the Western Regions and carried out some economic and cultural exchange activities.
At the same time, the Han Dynasty also strengthened the management and defense of the border areas, and established institutions such as the "Western Regions Frontier Protectorate" and "Border County County" to strengthen the control and management of the Western Regions and the border areas.
2. The Qin Dynasty's conquest and governance of ethnic minorities in the north
The Qin Dynasty's conquest and governance of the northern ethnic minorities was an important part of the Qin Dynasty's foreign policy.
The Qin Dynasty successively conquered the Xiongnu, Qiang, Didao and other northern ethnic minorities, and realized the unification of the north.
In order to consolidate its rule, the Qin Dynasty adopted a series of measures to govern the ethnic minorities in the north, such as dividing the vassals, building the Great Wall, establishing the tuntian system, and adopting methods such as combining vertical and horizontal.
In terms of dividing the vassals, the Qin Dynasty adopted a policy of "one letter only", adopting a system of dividing the tribal leaders in the north, allowing them to continue to rule their own clans under the rule of the Qin Dynasty.
This policy eased the resistance of ethnic minorities in the north to a certain extent, and also laid the foundation for the rule of the Qin Dynasty.
In terms of building the Great Wall, the Qin Dynasty adopted the strategy of "building the Great Wall and Tun Border Land", vigorously building the Great Wall, and setting up border towns, military tuns and other facilities in the border areas north of the Great Wall to defend against foreign invasions.
The construction of the Great Wall not only consolidated the rule of the Qin Dynasty, but also promoted the economic development of the northern region.
In terms of the tuntian system, the Qin Dynasty adopted a policy of "substituting the people with slaughter", stationing part of the army in the northern border areas, and establishing the tuntian system, allowing the army to cultivate the land with the border residents to maintain the supply of the army.
This policy not only solved the food problem of the army, but also promoted the economic development of the border areas.
In terms of vertical and horizontal cooperation, the Qin Dynasty adopted the strategy of "attacking one point and using ten times the division", and implemented vertical and horizontal cooperation with northern ethnic minorities such as the Xiongnu and Di Dao to divide the alliance between them.
At the same time, military deterrence and diplomatic means are used to achieve the goal of stabilizing the north.
The Qin dynasty's conquest and governance of ethnic minorities in the north was an important part of its foreign policy.
The policies adopted by the Qin Dynasty not only considered consolidating its rule and defending against foreign races, but also aimed at promoting economic development and maintaining border stability.
3. The Qin Dynasty's war against the southern Yue and its policy towards Vietnam
The Qin Dynasty's war against the southern Yue was mainly fought during the reign of Qin Shi Huang.
The Qin Dynasty sent several large-scale conquests of South Vietnam and experienced many wars. During the reign of Qin II, the Qin Dynasty reached a peace treaty with South Vietnam, and South Vietnam became a vassal state of the Qin Dynasty.
The Qin Dynasty's policy toward Vietnam was relatively severe during the reign of Qin Shi Huang, and its control over South Vietnam was relatively strong.
In the late Qin dynasty, South Vietnam gradually broke away from the control of the Qin dynasty and instead began to threaten the southern frontier of the Qin dynasty.
During the reign of Qin II, the Qin Dynasty adopted a policy of détente towards South Vietnam, stabilizing the situation on the southern frontier through peaceful means.
Although the Qin Dynasty's war against Vietnam achieved certain victories, it also caused certain negative effects, such as dissatisfaction and resistance against the southern peoples.
The policy of détente adopted during the second Qin dynasty actually laid a certain foundation for the later Han Dynasty's rule in the south.
2. Foreign policy during the period of Emperor Wudi of Han
1. The war with the Huns and its influence on the central regime
During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Xiongnu were the northern neighbors of the Central Plains dynasty, and relations between the two have always been tense.
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Xiongnu began to attack the Chinese border, which caused a great impact on the politics and economy of the Qin state.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu frequently attacked the northern borders of the Han Dynasty, which had a huge impact on the stability and rule of the central government.
In response to the threat of the Xiongnu, Emperor Wudi of Han adopted a series of foreign policies.
He built the Great Wall and set up tuntians in the border areas to consolidate the border defenses. He sent the general Huo Qubing and others to open up the Western Regions and strengthen his control over the Northwest Region.
He also adopted a foreign policy of "putting peace first", easing tensions between the two countries by contributing to the Xiongnu and giving gifts such as land and silk.
Although Emperor Wudi of Han's foreign policy eased the pressure on the central government to some extent, it still could not fully solve the Xiongnu invasion.
The Han Dynasty's policy adjustments and military strategy changes on the Xiongnu issue affected the rule and political stability of the central government.
2. Relations with neighboring countries such as North Korea, Vietnam, and Daqin
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, there was civil strife in the Korean kingdom, and families everywhere began to kill each other.
Emperor Wudi of Han took advantage of the opportunity to send troops and occupied most of the Korean Peninsula and established the "Four Counties" (namely Muhan, Chenhan, Jinban, and Xin'an County) to administer the region.
The Han Dynasty maintained close political and cultural ties with the Kingdom of Joseon.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, the Nguyen family of the State of South Vietnam (i.e. northern Vietnam) once became the suzerainty of the Han Dynasty, but later rebelled due to the rebellion of the king of the State of South Vietnam, Nguyen Ion.
The Han Dynasty sent troops to the south, defeated the monarch of Nanyue, and incorporated the region into the territory of the Han Dynasty.
Daqin refers to a country in the ancient Western Regions, in the area of present-day Iran.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, the king of Daqin sent envoys to the Han Dynasty to express the friendly relations between the two countries.
Emperor Wudi of Han also sent envoys to Daqin to carry out trade activities and promote economic exchanges between the two countries.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, the Han Dynasty fought many wars with the Xiongnu.
Emperor Wudi of Han adopted a foreign policy of "putting peace first" and eased relations between the two countries by reaching peace with the Xiongnu.
However, during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, due to the struggle for power by officials and the power struggle within the Xiongnu, war broke out between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu again.
The war caused huge losses of manpower and material resources, and had a great impact on the central power.
3. Trade and cultural exchanges with the countries of the Western Regions
In order to facilitate trade between merchants and merchants, the first road connecting China and Central Asia was built during the Qin Shi Huang period, the Great Wall of Qin, which laid the foundation for the later opening of the Silk Road.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, trade between China and the Western Regions was very prosperous, and in addition to luxury goods such as silk and tea, there were also some daily necessities, such as copperware, ironware, pewterware, horses, etc.
In the Western Regions, the trading and circulation of Chinese goods are mainly concentrated in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains in Central Asia, as well as in the Tarim Basin.
With the development of trade, extensive cultural exchanges have also taken place between China and the countries of the Western Regions.
These exchanges are mainly manifested in art, religion, writing, etc.
Some Buddhist and Manichaean classics and artworks have been widely spread in the Western Regions, while some Western Regions art and culture have also been developed and passed down in China.
The relationship between China and the Western Regions during the Qin and Han dynasties was not only economic and cultural exchanges, but also had political influences.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, China sent envoys to some countries in the Western Regions, and established capital protectorates in the Western Regions, strengthening its jurisdiction over the Western Regions.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, China's exchanges with the Western Regions were full of complex factors, including economic, cultural, political and other influences and roles.
Such exchanges are not only conducive to the economic and cultural development of China and the Western Regions, but also have a certain impact on the stability and control of the central government.
The author's opinion
Foreign policy and foreign relations during the Qin and Han dynasties were complex and diverse.
In dealing with neighboring countries, the Qin Dynasty adopted two means: unification war and consolidation of frontiers;
The Han Dynasty, on the other hand, adopted such means as interacting with relatives and envoys, and restoring old friendship, so that the relations between neighboring countries were relatively stable.
The Qin and Han dynasties also exercised a certain degree of rule and control over the Yue ethnic group in the south, ethnic minorities in the north, and the Western Regions.
In the Xinmang period, due to the dictatorship of foreign relations and internal political chaos, foreign policy lost its unity and effectiveness.
The foreign policy and foreign relations of the Qin and Han dynasties were the embodiment of the powerful rulers and centralized power of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wudi of Han, and also demonstrated the splendor and wisdom of Chinese civilization.
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