War has been hated and hated by the broad masses of the people since ancient times. China's history is vast and innumerable wars, large and small, that are inevitable.
However, as a civilizational system that has believed in "benevolence" and "propriety" since ancient times, most rulers and generals in Chinese history have adhered to the principle of not killing generals, not killing envoys, and not harming the people.
Of course, there are exceptions. If we talk about the brutality of the dynasty change war in ancient times, the war to destroy the country in Western Xia is definitely worth mentioning.
Western Xia was a dynasty founded by the Dangxia people, which lasted for 189 years from the founding of the state in 1038 to its destruction by the Mongols in 1227. Because of its territory in northwestern China, it is called "Western Xia".
According to records, in the war to destroy the country against Western Xia, the Mongols still brutally slaughtered the people in power of Western Xia and the noble soldiers and civilians who had already surrendered, and the bones and blood flowed like rivers everywhere they passed.
In the face of the slaughter of the Mongol iron horses, the Western Xia people were "exempted", the tombs of the Western Xia kings were wantonly destroyed, and a large number of cultural relics and classics were burned. It was this extinction-like war that directly led to the loss of the Western Xia civilization.
And it was none other than the Mongol leader at that time, "a generation of Tianjiao" - Genghis Khan.
Until now, the cause of Genghis Khan's death is still subject to many controversies. In this way, the order left by this outstanding military strategist in his will to "keep it secret, do not let the enemy know, and exterminate Tangut (Western Xia)" is particularly intriguing...
Genghis Khan died in the "gentle township" of Western Xia?
According to the official history, Genghis Khan was sixty-six years old when he died. One of the most accepted accounts for his death is: death.
As a general who has led troops for many years, it seems that it is not uncommon for him to have physical problems at this age and die of illness under such medical conditions. And it is certain that Genghis Khan died in the process of leading his army to attack Western Xia.
Some rumors about the cause of his death and the relationship between Xixia still exist today. One of the most talked about is that Genghis Khan actually died at the hands of the princess of Western Xia.
According to legend, the Mongols captured the graceful Princess of Western Xia in battle and offered it to Genghis Khan, and this princess preferred to die unyielding, rose up in the face of Genghis Khan's compulsion, bit Genghis Khan, and then broke herself. Genghis Khan died of his injuries.
There is also a theory that the princess of Western Xia pretended to obey and lured Genghis Khan to drink the poisonous wine, causing his death.
Although the chaste behavior of this princess of Western Xia killed the Mongol khan, it also aroused the anger and hatred of the Mongols against Western Xia, and began a retaliatory massacre.
However, this claim has not yet been confirmed and has only been circulated as an enduring legend. However, "gentle township, hero tomb" does not seem to be just a joke of the ancients.
Xixia broke his oath and suffered revenge
According to the historical facts that can be queried, there is one point that cannot be ignored. In the gap between Mongolia and the Jin Dynasty, Western Xia had reneged on its agreement with Mongolia and secretly joined forces with the Jin Dynasty.
In the face of the strong attack of the Mongol army, the Western Xia army was defeated one after another. At that time, Li Dewang, the prince of Western Xia, had to ask Mongolia for peace and offered to be willing to rely on Mongolia and attack the Jin Dynasty, so that he could get a respite.
However, in the face of the expansion of Mongolian ambitions, Li Dewang, who had already succeeded to the throne, realized that this was not a long-term solution, so he broke the cauldron and chose to turn around and unite with the Jin Dynasty, and attacked the Mongol army, causing Western Xia and Mongolia to completely tear apart the surface calm.
In 1226, Genghis Khan logically launched another fierce attack on Western Xia on the grounds of "Western Xia's breaking of the treaty".
A year later, although Li Jing, the ruler of Western Xia at the time, surrendered to Mongolia, Western Xia, who had already committed "treachery", could no longer obtain Mongolia's tolerance, and was finally "cut down and rooted".
Kill a hundred and deter foreign enemies
In today's research, most people recognize Genghis Khan's achievements. He unified the tribes of the Mongolian plateau, and his conquests reached as far as the Black Sea.
Looking at the history of the world, it is enough to call him an outstanding military strategist. Then such a powerful ruler, his will should have been well thought out.
Other factors aside, the strength of the Mongol tribes increased by leaps and bounds under Genghis Khan.
Naturally, Genghis Khan himself became a powerful deterrent to the Mongols against their enemies.
His sudden death during the conquest will inevitably make internal and external restless factors move. From this point of view, it is clear that the priority is to consider how the death of the chief will not affect the outcome of the war and the stability of the tribe.
It just so happened that at this time, Western Xia, which was at war, was a "pawn" that could be manipulated - using ferocious means to exterminate the enemy who had betrayed Mongolia would inevitably achieve the effect of killing a hundred people, intimidating the enemy to a certain extent, and suppressing the affiliated tribes.
At that time, the Mongols were already a warlike and fierce people, and in this situation, maintaining their own strength was far more important than forgiving the enemy. The Western Xia Dynasty was unable to escape after all.
Today, this brutal massacre is not only a trampling on life, but also a catastrophe against civilization.
As for the real reason for Genghis Khan's extermination of Western Xia, it may one day be able to come out, or it may be intertwined with those ambiguous rumors, with the collapse of the Western Xia civilization, it will float and sink in the long river of history...