Preface
In the ancient historical chapters, there is a general named Zhao Ponu, who has become a good story in the annals of history with 700 elite horsemen who captured the king of Loulan. However, what makes people wonder is why Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had to send troops to the distant Loulan? This seemingly remote region touched the emperor's heart of the Han Dynasty.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at this ancient war story, revealing its political considerations and geostrategy. Perhaps in the distant land of Loulan, hidden treasures and mysteries are unknown. Let's follow the ancient military journey, explore the deep meaning of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to the Battle of Loulan, and unravel the wisdom and mystery behind history.
The envoys of the Han Dynasty were repeatedly bullied by the Loulan State
In 138 BC, Zhang Qian was ordered by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to send an envoy to the Western Regions, opening the way for the Han people to the Western Regions. The Western Regions, which originally belonged to the Xiongnu monopoly, became a new stage for the competition between the two empires at this time.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty attached great importance to the Western Regions, and he sent a steady stream of envoys through the scorching heat and aridity of the Hexi Corridor, over the snow-capped mountains, and into the oasis. These envoys wanted to win over the small states in the Western Regions and make them submit to the Han Dynasty, so as to form a strategic posture of encircling the Xiongnu.
However, the envoys of the Han Dynasty who were greedy for small and cheap things and the countries of the Western Regions gradually had friction. These envoys often threatened the king of the Western Regions to provide money, and some even embezzled the emperor's bounty. Their unbelievable behavior angered the people of the Western Regions. Among them, the most typical is the Loulan country, which is at the key point of transportation.
Loulan is located at the junction of the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions, and is a place where Han envoys must pass. Every year, hundreds of envoys from the Han Dynasty poured into the capital of Loulan Kingdom, bringing a heavy burden to the monarchs and people of this small Loulan Kingdom. There were too many envoys coming and going, and Loulan was simply unable to provide them with sufficient supplies. Whenever a Han envoy visited, the king of Loulan was anxious, and he asked the ministers to think about it and desperately loot the people's food and supplies for the envoys. However, the supply was always insufficient, and the Han envoys were often dissatisfied.
One year, during the Spring Festival, the king of Loulan specially invited the Han envoys who had crossed the border, hoping that they would understand the difficult situation of the Loulan Kingdom. However, the Han envoys did not appreciate it at all, and instead quarreled. A reckless envoy even spoke fiercely on the spot, threatening to return to the court to complain to Emperor Wu of Han.
The king of Loulan changed color, he rebuked the envoys in a deep voice, and withdrew from the table angrily. From then on, the king of Loulan and the people hated the envoys of the Han Dynasty to the core, and they began to detain the envoys, speak ill of each other, and even attack the envoys with force. The envoys who returned to the Han Dynasty complained to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty one after another, determined to defeat the unknown Loulan Kingdom.
Zhao Ponu won the battle several times
In the winter of 104 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty appointed Zhao Ponu as the commander-in-chief, leading 700 cavalry and tens of thousands of infantry to the west to conquer the Loulan Kingdom. Zhao Ponu was born in the Han region, was taken captive by the Xiongnu as a teenager, and lived in the northern grasslands for decades. Later, he returned to the Han Dynasty and was soon appreciated by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and became an important general. In this expedition to the Western Regions, Zhao Ponu was the most trusted candidate of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Zhao Ponu, who was close to the age of sixteen, was experienced in a hundred battles, and on the day he led the army to set off, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came to the city tower to say goodbye to the soldiers. He watched the iron horses gradually disappear into the yellow sand, and silently prayed in his heart for their triumphant return. At this time, Zhao Ponu didn't know that it would be ten years.
Zhao Ponu decisively dispatched troops and soon took the lead in arriving at the capital of Loulan Kingdom. It's winter, but this small oasis city with all year round is shrouded in snow. Looking at the magnificent queue of the Han army, King Loulan wanted to cry without tears. All the troops he could use were only more than 2,000 people, and he was no match for the Han army at all. Zhao Ponu easily captured the capital of Loulan and captured the king of Loulan. In just one month, the battle was over.
The moment he captured the king of Loulan, Zhao Ponu was full of joy that his military achievements were about to be completed. He believed that this victory would be enough to shock the entire Western Regions and teach the little kings who had no one in their eyes a lesson. However, Zhao Ponu far underestimated the strength of the countries of the Western Regions, and this war did not end there, but was only a prologue.
Zhao Ponu, who was like a bamboo, did not stop there. He quickly changed his deployment and turned around and captured another small country, Gushi Kingdom, near Loulan. Gushi was powerless and soon surrendered. Immediately afterwards, Zhao Ponu turned his attention to the larger Dawan Kingdom. This is different, the strength of Dawan Kingdom is far from being comparable to Loulan Kingdom.
In the face of the Han army's offensive, Dawan was terrified and hurriedly sent envoys to negotiate. Zhao Ponu took advantage of the victory to pursue, and approached the capital of Dawan in five days, and the king of Dawan surrendered without a fight. Zhao Ponu, who won three battles and three victories, completely established the military dominance of the Han army in the Western Regions.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty stabilized the situation in the Western Regions after the war
At this time, the main force of tens of thousands of infantry under Zhao Ponu had just arrived in Loulan Kingdom. When he learned the news that Loulan Kingdom had been captured, he couldn't help but secretly smack his tongue. This battle was a hand-to-hand battle for the Han army. Zhao Ponu's light cavalry won three battles and three victories, fully demonstrating the Han Dynasty's military overwhelming superiority in the Western Regions.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was overjoyed to learn of the victory. He immediately decided to build watchtowers and fortresses in the Hexi Corridor and garrison troops at Yumen Pass to strengthen his control over the Western Regions. These projects took two years to complete, and the beacon towers and post stations built along the route completely connected the Western Regions with the Central Plains, which was a key measure for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to ensure the ownership of the Western Regions. At the same time, he left the king of Loulan to continue to govern the country in exchange for the submission of the Loulan state to the Han dynasty.
However, the good times did not last long, and the Xiongnu Nirvana Shan was greatly annoyed after learning the news that the Han army had penetrated into the Western Regions. He personally led the light cavalry to sweep through the northern part of the Western Regions, all the way to the territory of Loulan Kingdom. The people of Loulan suffered heavy casualties under the massacre of the Xiongnu, and the king of Loulan had to surrender to the Xiongnu.
The dilemma of King Loulan became capricious. He secretly paid tribute and sent hostages to both the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu at the same time, hoping to gain protection with the help of external forces. However, the move was seen by both countries as treacherous. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Nirvana Shan Yu both believed that the king of Loulan was secretly colluding with hostile forces and needed to be severely punished.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was furious when he learned of the capriciousness of the Loulan Kingdom. In 102 BC, he again sent troops to attack the kingdom of Loulan, and a large army came to the city. Crossing the river deeply, the Han army, which had run out of food and grass, faced many resistances. The king of Loulan took the opportunity to send an envoy to Zhao Ponu to ask for peace. Zhao Ponu negotiated with him and asked the king of Loulan to personally go to Handu to apologize. In the end, the king of Loulan had no choice but to give in and return to Beijing with the Han army to suffer. In the court, he lamented that as the head of a small country, he could not survive unless he curried favor with a large country.
epilogue
After that, the battle for the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions intensified. Every year, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had to draw heavy troops and resources from the treasury to garrison in the Western Regions. Zhao Ponu was also unable to return to the dynasty for a long time, and could only be separated from his family. The Han and Hungarians engaged in a protracted contest for control of the Western Regions, and neither side would back down easily.
In this game, the small countries in the Western Regions are in a dilemma. They were afraid of the steel fighting power of the Han army, and they were afraid of the wild attacks of the Hun cavalry. In order to survive, they had to secretly spy on the reality of both sides, waiting for opportunities to repeatedly turn against each other. However, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty took every step of the way and always firmly grasped the initiative.
By this time, the emissaries and merchants of the Han Dynasty had become frequent visitors on the Silk Road. Every year, silk, bronze, and lacquerware continue to enter the countries of the Western Regions through the Loulan Kingdom, and then transported to ancient Rome farther away from Dawan and Anxi. The interests on this route made Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty pay more attention to the Western Regions. He realized that controlling the Western Regions was equivalent to controlling the economic lifeblood of the Han Dynasty, so he was determined to fight the Xiongnu to the end.
However, this battle is far from over, and the strength of the Xiongnu should not be underestimated. Whether or not it can firmly control the Western Regions has become a great plan of the Han Empire......