In 1449 AD, a sudden change shocked the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Qizhen, who was in the prime of Ming Yingzong, was ambushed by Wara in Tumubao and unfortunately captured. When the news reached the capital, the government and the opposition were shaken. However, what few people know is that behind this war between the Ming Dynasty and Warat, there is also an unknown secret, that is, a seemingly ordinary iron pot.
The iron pot, for us, is just an ordinary cooking utensil. But at that time, the iron pot was a scarce strategic material. Both the nomadic Warat and the Jurchen had a strong need for iron pots. The Ming Dynasty was well aware of the importance of the iron pot, and imposed strict control on it, treating it as a strategic material and prohibiting foreign trade.
After the Tumubao Incident, the leader of Warat also told the Ming envoy Yang Shan that an important reason for attacking the Ming Dynasty was that the Ming Dynasty banned the sale of iron pots to Wara. It can be seen that the iron pot problem is very important. After that, although some officials of the Ming Dynasty suggested that a limited trade in iron pots with the Mongols should be allowed, none of them were accepted. The iron pot embargo policy of the Ming Dynasty undoubtedly exacerbated the contradictions with the northern nomads.
It was not until the Longqing period that the relations between Ming and Mongolia took a turn for the better, and the issue of iron pot trade was once again put on the agenda. After much discussion, Emperor Longqing cautiously agreed to use the cantonese pot for trade. In the Wanli period, the Ming Dynasty finally conditionally allowed the exchange of iron pots to Mongolia. This policy adjustment eased the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia to a certain extent.
In the Northeast, the Liaodong Jurchens also coveted the iron pot. They even tried to get iron tools from North Korea. In order to control the Jurchens, the Ming Dynasty demanded that the Jurchens could only conduct mutual markets within the territory of Liaodong. But in order to obtain the iron pot, the Jurchens invaded the border of the Ming Dynasty many times. The Ming Dynasty had to ease its relationship with the Jurchens by rewarding iron pots and other means.
On the whole, the seemingly ordinary item of the iron pot played a pivotal role in the game between the Ming Dynasty and the northern nomads. The evolution of the Ming Dynasty's trade policy towards iron pots not only reflected the complex international situation at that time, but also reflected the delicate balance of interests between the Central Plains Dynasty and the nomads.
Throughout history, the wars between the Ming Dynasty and the northern nomads lasted for more than 200 years. What did they fight for so long? for territory, for sovereignty, or for a seemingly ordinary iron pot? But in any case, the imprint left by the iron pot in this history has gone far beyond its own significance. It has become a microcosm of an era, a footnote to history.