Where are the 15 "non-conquest countries" circle of friends that the Ming Dynasty wants to establish?

The following article comes from the history school, and the author counts white as black

The full text is total

2620

Word | Reading required

6

minute

author

: Count white as black

Editor: Lilith

In the twenty-eighth year of Hongwu (1395 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, drafted the "Emperor Ming Zu Xun", which listed 15 "non-conscripted countries" for East Asian countries and "promulgated all the divisions of the world". The proposal of this diplomatic strategy had an important impact on the geopolitics of the early Ming Dynasty and became the cornerstone of diplomacy throughout the Ming Dynasty.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, why did you establish a circle of friends in the "country of non-conquest"?

Above_ "Emperor Ming Ancestral Training" of the country of non-conquest

Who are in the circle of friends?

Counting the 15 countries, it can be divided into three circles: Northeast Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The circle of Northeast Asia consisted of Korea (present-day Korean Peninsula) and Japan.

The East Asian region included the Great Ryukyu Kingdom (present-day Okinawa) and the Lesser Ryukyu Kingdom.

Southeast Asia has the largest number of members, including Annam (present-day northern Vietnam), Chenla (present-day Cambodia), Siam (present-day Thailand), Champa (present-day southern Vietnam, later destroyed by Annam), Sumatra (present-day Baxi, Sumatra), Western (present-day Coromandel Coast), Java (present-day Java), Huheng (present-day Malay Peninsula), Baihua (present-day northwestern Sumatra), Sanfuqi (present-day Palembang, Sumatra), and Boni (Brunei).

Above_ The location of Northeast Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia in the Ming Dynasty's Kunyu Wanguo Quantu

According to statistics, among the 127 diplomatic edicts issued during the Hongwu period, except for one for Samarkand in Central Asia, the remaining 126 were related to the "country that does not conquer". The edict shows a great deal of information, showing the different attitudes of the Ming Dynasty towards the "country that does not conquer".

First of all, in dealing with the DPRK and Japan, with absolute deterrence by force, the two countries will be "both happy and afraid."

Second, it adopted a dual strategy of carrots and sticks for the countries of the Greater and Lesser Ryukyus and the Indochina Peninsula. Finally, the rest of the countries were in the third tier of Ming diplomacy, and the diplomatic means were flexible according to the specific situation.

Generally speaking, the Ming Dynasty implemented differentiated foreign means according to the distance, and the closer the distance, the stronger the role of politics, military and culture, and the farther the distance, the greater the effect of economic containment.

Above_ An official ship of the Ming Dynasty on an envoy to the Ryukyu Kingdom

Reflect on the previous dynasty and change course

Zhu Yuanzhang is convinced that the traditional diplomatic ideology adheres to the principle that "a vast territory is not a plan for long-term stability, and people's labor is the source of chaos". In September of the fourth year of Hongwu (1371 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang said frankly: "Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty vainly raised the army and conquered the Ryukyus", which attracted "recorded in the annals of history and ridiculed by future generations". He pointed out that the conquest of barbarians through war "is not enough to obtain their land to supply, and it is not enough to obtain their people to give orders, and they are vain in their fame and harm themselves in the Middle Earth." The Yuan Dynasty's reckless military and exhaustive labor eventually led to overthrow and flee.

Zhu Yuanzhang believed that blind foreign expansion was not conducive to the long-term peace and stability of the country, and that the continuous war had aggravated the burden on the people and caused internal turmoil in the country. Based on these considerations, he advocated that overseas countries should "ask for help from China" in order to safeguard their firm determination to safeguard national sovereignty. As for countries that do not threaten, China will not easily raise troops to crusade.

"Emperor Ming Zu Xun" clearly stated: "All the four sides are limited to mountains and seas, isolated in a corner, and it is not enough to supply others, and it is not enough to get its people." If he doesn't think about it and comes to disturb me, then he is ominous. He is not a trouble, and I am a light offender, and it is ominous. I am afraid that future generations will rely on China's prosperity and strength, be greedy for self-success, raise troops for no reason, and kill and injure people's lives. In fact, on the basis of summing up the lessons of the previous dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang put forward the idea of "a country without conquest", and it is obviously necessary to build a harmonious and friendly chat group.

Above_ Emperor Yuan Shun (May 25, 1320 – May 23, 1370) was the eleventh emperor of the Yuan Dynasty

The Northern Yuan still exists and goes all out to attack and defend

In the first year of Hongwu (1368 AD), the Central Plains rebel army was surging, and the politics of the Yuan Dynasty were shaky. On July 28, Emperor Yuan Shun retreated to Saibei, known as the "Northern Yuan" in history. At that time, the Northern Yuan Dynasty "led the bow, no less than a million people, and the tribes attached to it were no less than thousands of miles", and the Ming Dynasty confronted the north and south with the Great Wall as the boundary. Although Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di spared no effort to crack down on the Northern Yuan, they were still unable to eradicate the crisis on the northern border.

In order to prevent the harassment and counterattack of the Northern Yuan military forces on the Central Plains, the Ming Dynasty "initially set up four towns of Liaodong, Xuanfu, Datong and Yansui, and then set up three towns of Ningxia, Gansu and Jizhou.

Above_ The Northern Yuan Dynasty (1368-1402) was the Mongol regime in the Mongolian steppe

During the Yongle period, the nine sides invested 680,000 troops, and then the number often changed, reaching a peak of 885,000 in the Wanli period, and 590,000 troops in the Chongzhen period. "History of the Ming Dynasty: Soldiers" recorded: "Therefore, in the end of the Ming Dynasty, the border defense was very heavy. From Yalu in the east, to Jiayu in the west, stretching for thousands of miles, dividing the land to guard. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang was full of worries in "Emperor Ming Zu Xun": "But Hu Rong and the northwest border are close to each other, and they must choose generals to train their troops in wars for many generations, and be careful when they are prepared." It reveals the vigilance and vigilance of the Northern Yuan. Zhu Yuanzhang advocated "a country without conquest", emphasizing the purpose of "now I dominate the world, only hope for the peace of the people, and do not bully the weak or the tyrannical", which is essentially part of the overall strategy of "reeling the south and reeling the north" to reduce the pressure on the society and economy caused by military action. The establishment of the Ming Dynasty at this time undoubtedly had an urgent practical need.

Above_ Ming army in battle

Yuan died and rebuilt order

The Yuan Dynasty was a multi-ethnic empire that spanned Europe and Asia, and its influence spread far into Southeast Asia. The Three Islands was located in the southwestern part of the present-day Philippine Islands. Yuan Shizu had "ordered to choose people to lure them", and the Sanyu Kingdom gave a positive response, when the Yuan Dynasty "military ships passed through its country, and the people of the country were paid with food", which fully demonstrated the sincerity of the Yuan Dynasty.

In December of the first year of Hongwu (1368 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed to all countries: "I Zhaoji Jiangzuo, sweep the heroes, set Huaxia, the subjects recommend Dai, have dominated China, the founding name of the Ming Dynasty, and change the Yuan Hongwu." Keping Yuandu, Xinjiang Yu Datong, has inherited orthodoxy, Fang and Yuanyuan are at peace with each other, in order to share the blessing of peace. The chieftains of the four Yi monarchs and chieftains are far from being heard, so they are hereby edicted and should be informed. This edict is both a statement of state and a declaration for the re-establishment of order.

On the one hand, it declares that the Ming Dynasty has "inherited orthodoxy" and has irrefutable legitimacy. All countries should submit to the new East Asian order centered on the Ming Dynasty.

On the other hand, all countries are required to "be at peace with each other" and abide by the rules of the game formulated by the Ming Dynasty in order to "share the blessings of peace". The edict was both graceful and powerful, righteous and strict, and later developed into the central idea of Zhu Yuanzhang's peaceful diplomacy.

Above_ Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398)

Zhu Yuanzhang strengthened the authority of the "country that is not conquered" in the form of "ancestral teachings", and strictly ordered future generations to "not change a word". He warned his successors not to "rely on China's prosperity and strength, greedy for momentary military achievements, and raise troops for no reason," and that East Asian countries should "neither trouble China" nor China, in exchange for their own security and stability.

Fundamentally speaking, the reason why Zhu Yuanzhang declared "a country that will not be conquered" is because he must double bind his successor and the East Asian countries, the former "must not be conquered without reason", and the latter must have a clear understanding of obeying the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang not only drew a red line for "rejuvenating the army", but also clarified the bottom line for East Asian countries. It can be seen that the "country of non-conquest" is not just a chat group that simply advocates peaceful diplomacy, but also symbolizes that the Ming Dynasty assumed the responsibility of the group leader and held the power of management, arbitration and punishment.

Above_ The Art of War is the earliest surviving military book in China and the earliest military work in the world

"Sun Tzu's Art of War: Plotting and Attacking" has a cloud: "The army is attacked, the second is the enemy, the second is the army, and the city is attacked." Zhu Yuanzhang focused on strengthening the construction of the Ming army, and with this as the backing, he knew that strategy and diplomacy were far more advantageous than military. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the "country without conquest" inherited and carried forward the long-standing "tributary system", established a widely recognized Han cultural and political circle, and became the nominal supreme ruler and actual restraining person of each state, which is enough to prove Zhu Yuanzhang's political concept of "governing the Tang and Song dynasties, and advancing the Han and Tang dynasties".

Resources:

[1] Zheng Ning, "The Country of Non-Conquest" and the Construction of the International Order in the Early Ming Dynasty

[2] Wan Ming Taizu's diplomatic concept and practice of "sharing the blessings of peace".

[3] Official history book "Ming Taizu Record"

[4] Official History Book "Records of Emperor Taizong of Joseon"

[5] Official History Book "History of the Ming Dynasty"

[6] Official History Book "Ming Shilu"

The text was created by the History University Hall team, and the pictures came from the Internet, and the copyright belongs to the original author

(This article only represents the author's point of view and does not represent the position of this number)