Preface
The Anshi Rebellion was a far-reaching and tumultuous event in Chinese history, and with it was the loss of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. The successive fall of important cities such as Yizhou and Beiting is even more shocking.
So, what was the reason for the loss of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions? What impact did the Anshi Rebellion have on the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions? Let us walk into that turbulent history and solve the mystery of this past.
1. The turmoil of the Tang Dynasty's defense line in the Western Regions after the Anshi Rebellion
The outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion undoubtedly had a huge impact on the rule of the Tang Dynasty. As a frontier land, the Western Regions naturally cannot escape the fate of turmoil.
After the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion, a large number of Tang troops were transferred to the Central Plains to suppress the rebellion. This inevitably led to the emergence of an emptiness in the defense line of the North-Western Frontier. In order to cope with the new situation, the Tang Dynasty had to strengthen the military ties between Beiting and Hexi in an attempt to maintain stability in the Western Regions.
Yang Pre and Yang Zhilie, the envoys of the Northwest Court of Yixi, were successively transferred to the envoys of the Hexi Jiedu, and the latter was the commander of the military power of Hexi, Anxi, and Beiting as the "deputy marshal of Hexi". This move is also to strengthen the joint defense of the three towns in the Western Regions and jointly resist the invasion of foreign enemies.
However, this joint defense system did not last long. In the first year of Guangde (764), Liangzhou finally fell, and Hexi, Anxi, and Beiting were cut off and became an isolated enclave. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow, and the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions was in jeopardy.
In this case, Zhou Yi, who stayed in Beiting, actually killed Yang Zhilie, the deputy marshal of Hexi. This exacerbated the contradictions between the three towns, and the three-way joint defense system also collapsed. From then on, Beiting could only rely on the military strength of the Hui and Shatuo to confront the Tibetans, and maintain contact with the Central Plains through the Hui.
It can be said that the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion directly led to the turmoil of the Tang Dynasty's defense line in the Western Regions. Under the influence of the weakening of the central power, the three towns, which were originally closely connected, gradually split and antagonized, and finally found it difficult to resist the invasion of foreign enemies. It was also a major defeat for the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions.
2. The fall of Illinois
In the military system of Iraq, West and Beiting, Yizhou is undoubtedly at the forefront. As an important barrier in the eastern part of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, the fate of Yizhou naturally attracted much attention.
Yuan Guangting, the assassin of Yizhou, was undoubtedly a heroic general. Under the attack of Tibet, he held out for many years, but finally lost due to lack of foreign aid. The Book of the Old Tang Dynasty records that when the city was about to fall, Yuan Guangting "killed his wife with his hands and died by self-immolation." This kind of determination to look at death as if it were home is undoubtedly awe-inspiring.
As for the time of the eventual fall of Illinois, the historical records are inconsistent. However, most scholars believe that it should have occurred around the third year of Yongtai (766). This time coincided with the turmoil of the central power of the Tang Dynasty, and the defense line of the Western Regions was in jeopardy. The fall of Yizhou marked the complete collapse of the Tang Dynasty's eastern defense line in the Western Regions.
The fall of Illinois was a heavy blow. As an important barrier in the eastern part of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, the loss of Yizhou meant that the Tibetan forces were able to approach the Central Plains. This not only endangered the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions, but also brought huge security risks to the hinterland of the Central Plains.
It can be said that the fall of Yizhou not only symbolized the decline of the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions, but also heralded the collapse of the entire northwest defense line. This is undoubtedly an important turning point in the history of the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty.
3. The fall of the North Court
In the military system of Yi, West and Beiting, Beiting is undoubtedly the most important link. As the control center of the north-south passage of the Tianshan Mountains, the fate of Beiting was directly related to the influence of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions.
However, even with the military support of the Hui Dynasty, it is difficult for the North Court to stand forever. In the sixth year of Zhenyuan (790), Tubo launched a general attack on Beiting. The Hui Prime Minister Jie Gangas personally led the army to the rescue, but was repeatedly defeated. Eventually, the Beiting and Shatuo tribes were forced to surrender to Tibet.
The Book of the Old Tang Dynasty vividly records this process: "Tubo attacked it in a hurry, and the people of the Northern Court returned to the city after suffering hardship. It can be seen that the people of Beiting have long been deeply dissatisfied with the plundering behavior of the Hui Hui. Under the strong attack of the Tibetans, they chose to surrender in order to protect themselves.
Yang Xigu led the rest of the troops to Xizhou, but was booby-trapped by Jiegan Gars on the way. From then on, the influence of the Tang Dynasty in Beiting was completely lost. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow, marking the collapse of the Tang Dynasty's defensive line in the central part of the Western Regions.
The fall of Beiting not only meant the loss of Tang Dynasty's control over the north-south passage of the Tianshan Mountains, but also heralded the collapse of the entire Western Regions defense line. Once the Tibetan forces broke through the Beiting, they could directly enter the hinterland of the Central Plains, posing a huge threat to the rule of the Tang Dynasty.
It can be said that the fall of Beiting was an important milestone in the decline of the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions. This not only marked a significant weakening of the Tang Dynasty's military strength in the Western Regions, but also heralded the collapse of the entire northwest defense line.
Fourth, the fall of Xizhou
In the military system of Iraq, West and Beiting, Xizhou is undoubtedly an indispensable and important link. As an important town in the western part of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty, the fate of Xizhou has also attracted much attention.
However, under the fierce attack of Tibet, Xizhou was not spared in the end. In the eighth year of Zhenyuan (792), the iron hooves of Tubo leveled the city of Xizhou. The "Vast Pure Dharani Sutra of the Vajra Altar" unearthed in Dunhuang recorded: "Its scriptures fell in Xizhou last year, and the people's hearts were vast and could not be cleaned up. It can be seen that the fall of Xizhou has brought great suffering and despair to the local people.
However, Tibet's control of Xizhou did not last long. A fragment of a Turpan document found by Mr. Rong Xinjiang shows that in the 11th year of the Zhenyuan Dynasty (795), the administrative apparatus of the Tang Dynasty was still operating in Xizhou. This shows that Xizhou briefly restored the ruling order of the Tang Dynasty.
But this did not mean that the Tang dynasty's rule in the Western Regions had regained its glory. In fact, shortly after the fall of Xizhou, the Tibetan and Uighur armies withdrew from the land. This undoubtedly marked the complete decline of the Tang Dynasty's military power in the Western Regions.
The fall of Xizhou was another major blow to the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions. As an important town in the western part of the Western Regions, the loss of Xizhou meant that the influence of the Tang Dynasty in the entire Western Regions was greatly weakened. This not only endangered the Tang Dynasty's rule in the Western Regions, but also brought huge security risks to the hinterland of the Central Plains.
It can be said that the fall of Xizhou marked the complete collapse of the Tang Dynasty's military strength in the Western Regions. This was undoubtedly another key turning point in the history of the rise and fall of the Tang dynasty.
5. The end of the Tang Dynasty's operation in the Western Regions
After the fall of Xizhou, the remaining three towns of the four towns of Anxi were also quickly captured by the Tibetans. From then on, the military power of the Tang Dynasty completely withdrew from the Western Regions. This marked the end of the Tang Dynasty's operations in the Western Regions.
However, the battle between the Tibetans and the Hui in the Western Regions did not end there. The two forces launched a protracted contest in the Tianshan Mountains.
Eventually, the Hui occupied the northern Tianshan route, including present-day Turpan, while the Tibetans controlled Hexi and the southern margin of the Tarim Basin, and continued to advance westward with Khotan as an important stronghold.
It was not until the middle of the 9th century, when the Tibetan Dynasty was in civil strife, that the Wei Chi clan regained control of the Khotan region. This marked the final conclusion of Tibet's dominance in the Western Regions.
epilogue
The Tang Dynasty's operation in the Western Regions can be described as twists and turns, ups and downs. From the fall of Yizhou, Beiting, and Xizhou one after another, to the complete withdrawal of the Tang Dynasty's military forces from the Western Regions, this period of history has undoubtedly left us a profound lesson.
After the Anshi Rebellion, the decline of the central power of the Tang Dynasty directly led to the collapse of the defense line in the Western Regions. This once again confirms a historical law: A strong country is the foundation for maintaining stability in the border areas. Only strong centralization can ensure effective control over remote areas. On the contrary, the decline of central authority will inevitably lead to the disintegration of the frontiers.
The defeat of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions was undoubtedly a profound lesson for later generations. We should bear in mind history, draw on experience, and strive to achieve long-term peace and stability in our country. Only in this way can we ensure that our territory will always be stable and our country will always be strong.