"The desert is dark and dark, and the red flag is half rolled out. The former army fought in Taohebei at night, and it has been reported that it has captured Gu Hun. - "Seven Songs from the Army" Wang Changling
The Tang Dynasty was a feudal period on the mainland, an incomparably prosperous and glorious dynasty.
Its military strength is not far behind that of the Han Dynasty.
Although most people's impression of the Tang Dynasty is still at the level of multi-element cultural forms, wealth, and prosperity.
But if there is no strong military force, how can the security of the country be guaranteed?
There is no very clear record of how strong the military power of the Tang Dynasty was in history, and we can only get a glimpse of it from a few words.
However, in 1899, Russian scholars discovered a Turkic stone tablet in Mongolia and analyzed the contents of it.
People have a new understanding of the strength of Datang.
What kind of secrets are recorded on this stone tablet?
Why is there a record of content related to the Tang Dynasty on the Turkic stone tablet?
01 A Turkic stele of extraordinary origin
Strenuously denying the existence of the Tang Dynasty has always been something that many Western scholars are happy to do.
They tried to find various records to prove that the mainland did not flourish during the Tang Dynasty.
But there will always be a time when the truth will surface, how can the real history that happened be easily buried?
In 1899, when Russian experts and scholars were conducting archaeological work in Mongolia, they accidentally discovered a stone tablet full of Turkic and Chinese scripts.
After investigation by experts, it was found that the content recorded in this Turkic stone tablet was extraordinary.
Through the content recorded on the stele, we can have a further understanding of the strength of the Tang Dynasty and the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks.
This stele is the "Que Special Service Stele" that was later called the "Three Great Turkic Stone Steles" together with the Tunyugu Stele and the Viga Khan Stele.
When it comes to the stories of the Turks and the Central Plains Dynasty, there are countless stories.
As early as the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains Dynasty had been harassed by the surrounding nomads.
These nomads, relying on excellent horsemanship and excellent horses, often came to the Central Plains Dynasty to plunder.
If the Central Plains Dynasty sent a large army to attack, then they would take advantage of their speed and quickly retreat.
If small forces are sent to defend, the combat effectiveness is far inferior to that of these nomads.
It is indisputable that the combat effectiveness of these nomads is very strong, which often makes the Central Plains Dynasty helpless. The Turks are one of them.
A Turkic dynasty was a dynasty formed by a group of nomadic tribes.
Whether it was during the Northern and Southern Dynasties or the Sui Dynasty, the Turks were inextricably linked with the Central Plains Kingdom.
Especially during the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Turks relied on the abundance of the left and right to obtain a large amount of resources from the Central Plains Dynasty to strengthen their military strength.
During the Sui Dynasty, the Turkic kingdoms even played the role of "mercenaries" and fought for the Central Plains Dynasty.
At the beginning of the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, the Turks also extended a "helping hand" to Li Yuan.
Of course, this is also achieved under the premise that Li Yuan promised a heavy gift.
It's just that the Turks have been peeping at the rich Middle-earth Dynasty for a long time, and of course they will not give up such a piece of "fat meat" because of the establishment of the Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, after Li Shimin ascended to the throne, the Turks looked at the time again and came to Li Shimin to "knock on the mountain and shock the tiger".
02 Huairou policy, division and annexation
In the face of the majestic and high-spirited Turkic army, Li Shimin, who was still weak at that time, did not have a very good way.
Therefore, he could only adopt the policy of Huairou, while courting the Turkic side, while strengthening his military power.
At that time, the Tang Dynasty would often send a series of daily necessities such as gold, silver, treasures, cloth, horses, etc. to the Turks.
In order to stabilize the Turks, so as not to attack the Turks in a big way.
On the other hand, they are also thinking about how to break the enemy.
In fact, at that time, the Tang Dynasty's "external troubles" were far more than the Turks.
In order to be able to successfully solve these external troubles, Li Shimin came up with the strategy of "using barbarians to govern barbarians".
He offered lucrative conditions to recruit Turkic officials to serve in the Tang Dynasty, specializing in how the Tang Dynasty would respond when the Turks invaded.
Later, he deliberately made friends with certain Turkic powers.
Trying to divide some forces from within the Turks and bring them under the command of the Tang Dynasty, so that the Turks became a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, so as to ensure the strength of the Tang Dynasty.
Due to the vast land and resources of the Tang Dynasty, compared with the grassland, the living conditions are not much better.
Therefore, many nomadic officials have been brought under the command of the Tang Dynasty.
In addition, the Tang Dynasty has always adhered to a relatively tolerant and friendly policy towards foreign countries, which allowed many foreigners to avoid the flames of war and profit from the Tang Dynasty through business.
Therefore, the Tang Dynasty unconsciously developed rapidly in terms of culture, economy, and military.
Learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and continue to integrate.
Gradually, it became the only powerful country in Central Asia, with countless dependent states.
After having absolute strength, the Tang Dynasty began to solve its own external troubles "once and for all". Among them, the Turks are included.
In the "Que Special Service Monument", we can clearly see a series of means adopted by the Tang Dynasty against the Turks.
03 The Truth on the Stele
Kan was once a fierce general in the Turks.
In the battle against the Tang Dynasty army, very dazzling results were achieved.
also relied on his own selfishness to put his brother on the throne of the Khan.
After the Tang Dynasty "showed weakness to the enemy" and adopted a soft policy towards the Turks, he also looked down on the military strength of the Tang Dynasty for a time.
It wasn't until the Tang Dynasty took the initiative to send troops to the Turks that he realized that the Tang Dynasty was no longer what it used to be, but unfortunately it was too late.
After the death of Kan Te Qin, the Turks were completely reduced to a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty and did not dare to make a mistake.
With Li Shimin's consent, the Turkic Khan, that is, Kan Agent's elder brother, erected a stone monument for him. That is, the Kan Special Service Monument.
On the front of the stele, Li Shimin wrote in Chinese his recognition and remembrance of Kan's special service, expressing his concern for the subject country as the supreme heavenly dynasty.
On the other side of the stele, Kan's elder brother wrote an indictment of the Tang Dynasty in Turkic.
He accused the Tang Dynasty of sending sugar-coated shells, and the Tang Dynasty's goodness to the Turks was to weaken and divide the strength of the Turks.
In short, all the actions of the Tang Dynasty are regarded as a foreshadowing for the defeat of the Turks.
However, no matter how much the accusation is filed, it is all reflected in one thing, that is, whether it is economic, cultural or military strength.
At that time, the Tang Dynasty was still alone in the world, and the Turks had to submit to the Tang Dynasty, and like other vassal states, they respected the Tang Dynasty as the main emperor.
The present life of the Que Special Service Monument has played an important role in our study of Turkic history and the history of the Tang Dynasty.
It also reveals to us a truly invincible prosperous Tang Dynasty.
It is no wonder that those scholars, after translating the contents of the stele, shouted, "The strength of the Tang Dynasty is terrible." ”