In the late Ji and Han dynasties, the Nanzhong region was regarded as the foundation and lifeblood of this dynasty. It not only has abundant resources and fertile land, but also is the main logistics base of the Shu army. However, there are some puzzling phenomena: why were many outstanding generals of this period, such as Ma Zhong, Zhang Yi, Huo Yi, etc., sent to this remote area? What role did they play in Nanzhong? What other untold stories happened at that time? Let's find out.
1. The strategic significance of the South and Central regions
In the late Ji and Han dynasties, with the continuous wars, the rural economy of Yizhou and Hanzhong, which were traditional agricultural towns, collapsed. In contrast, the Nanzhong region, which is located in the remote area, still retains large fertile plains, such as Qujing, Yuezhou, Luliang, etc., which have become important granaries of Shu Han.
At that time, the territory of Shu was small and the inland population was sparse, so there was an urgent need for a large number of laborers to invest in agricultural production. As a result, the governors began to develop agriculture on a large scale in the southern and central regions. They spread the advanced agricultural techniques of the Central Plains to the local area, and also migrated the mountain dwellers to the plains in order to make the most of this rich land.
At the same time, Nanzhong is rich in various mineral vines, including iron, silver, copper and other strategic resources, which provides considerable support for the military and financial needs of the Ji and Han dynasties. In addition, Nanzhong was also an important source of horses and cattle, providing Shu Han with a large number of military horses and agricultural animals.
Due to its remote location, Nanzhong escaped the baptism of war during the Three Kingdoms period at the end of the Han Dynasty, making it one of the few "production engines" in the Jihan region. Since Zhuge Liang's southern expedition, the Nanzhong region has become an important source of food, materials and soldiers for the Shu army.
The rulers of the Ji and Han dynasties were well aware that in order to maintain a long-term war, they must firmly control the treasure land of Nanzhong. So they successively dispatched Ma Zhong, Zhang Yi, Huo Yi and other generals to serve as the governor of the city, specifically responsible for the development and management of Nanzhong. These outstanding generals planted in the local tuntian, and were responsible for training new soldiers, providing a steady stream of grain and grass and reserve military strength for the Shu Han.
2. The setting up and functions of the governor of the prefecture
The establishment of the post of governor of the capital originated from the management needs of Shu Han for the southern and central regions. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the wealthy clans in the south and central China had always been hostile to the central government, and Liu Zhang's father and son were opposed by the local armed uprising. It wasn't until Liu Bei took charge of Yizhou that he realized that the Nanzhong issue had to be properly handled.
So in the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an (219), Liu Bei deliberately set up the position of governor of the capital in Nanzhong, and ordered Deng Fang, who was able to write and martial arts, to take up the position. It can be seen that Liu Bei's original purpose in setting up this position was to eliminate the vigilance of all ethnic groups in Nanzhong and take the initiative to surrender to Shu Han through the Huairou policy.
However, although Deng Fang, who served as the governor of the Imperial Prefecture, was of good character and loved the people during his tenure in Nanzhong, he was still unable to completely reverse the local people's distrust of the central government. After Liu Bei's death, a number of rebellions broke out in Nanzhong one after another, and Li Hui, the governor of the then Governor of Yu, had to turn to Zhuge Liang for help to quell the turmoil.
This battle made Shu Han deeply realize that the simple Huairou policy could no longer completely pacify Nanzhong. Therefore, after quelling the rebellion, the successive governors of the prefecture not only need to be familiar with local customs and habits, but also need to have strong military strength to guard against emergencies at all times. Under the jurisdiction of Zhang Yi, Ma Zhong and others, the relative stability of the Nanzhong region was finally restored.
As time passed, the role of the governor gradually changed. At first, it was set up to appease the local tycoons, but later it focused more on maintaining military and political order. The governor of the capital became the highest military and political governor of Shu Han in the Nanzhong region, holding a heavy army and shouldering the heavy responsibility of managing Nanzhong and recruiting troops.
Not only did they have to train new recruits to ensure military strength, but they also had to supervise the cultivation of tuntian, the production and transportation of grain and grass materials, and ensure the logistical supply of the Shu Han Northern Expedition. At the same time, the governor of the capital must always pay attention to pacifying the people of Nanzhong and maintaining the normal operation of local power.
It can be said that the governor of the capital of Yu has become the core of power in the southern and central regions in the late Ji and Han dynasties, and is in charge of the military and political power in this key place. In order to ensure the loyalty and strength of the governor of the city, the Shu Han later entrusted this important task to most of the trusted generals and noble children. With their outstanding military skills and political wisdom, they played an indispensable role in the southern and central regions.
3. New governance strategies in the late Shu Han period
In addition to military control, some new strategies were added to the governance of the southern and central regions in the later period of the Shu Han Dynasty.
First, vigorously develop agricultural production. Due to the superior natural environment of the Nanzhong region, many plains are extremely fertile. In order to make full use of these precious resources, Shu Han built a large number of irrigation canals in the area and cultivated more land for cultivation. At the same time, they also introduced advanced agricultural technology from the Central Plains and spread it to all parts of the Central Plains.
For example, in Yuezhou, Shu Han once sent farmers to teach the local people how to use new agricultural tools; In Luliang, there are special people to teach the improved cultivation methods. These measures greatly increased the agricultural output of Nanzhong and strongly supported the supply of grain and grass needed for the long-term war of Shu Han.
Second, it is necessary to formulate a population policy and solicit immigrants on a large scale. Due to the war, the population of the old areas of Yizhou and Hanzhong has decreased sharply, while the population of the southern and central areas is relatively scarce. In order to solve the shortage of labor, Shu Han decided to carry out the policy of "reclamation and protection" in Nanzhong, and recruited immigrants from the Central Plains to come to reclamation on a large scale.
The specific method is that the Shu Han army first leveled the land in Nanzhong, and then mobilized immigrants from other regions to reclaim the wasteland and open the foundation. These new immigrants not only enriched the labor force, but also provided Shu Han with a large number of new soldiers. With the efforts of Huo Yi and others, many new villages have appeared in various parts of Nanzhong, and the population has gradually increased.
Third, popularize the advanced culture and technology of the Central Plains. In order to better assimilate the southern and central regions, the Shu Han regime also focused on spreading the culture and technology of the Central Plains to this frontier. For example, in Qujing, there is a special school to teach Han culture; In Luliang, Shu Han sent technicians to guide handicrafts such as papermaking and ceramics.
Through these measures, the social outlook and production mode of the Nanzhong region have gradually developed in the direction of the Central Plains. This not only helped to strengthen the central government's control over the region, but also paved the way for the sinicization of local culture, leaving a lasting impact.
Fourth, the performance of outstanding generals in Nanzhong
Most of the people who were sent to Nanzhong to manage local government affairs and military affairs were outstanding generals. Each of them has its own unique skills and has left a different mark in the Nanzhong region.
The most noteworthy is Ma Zhong. This veteran general, who was the governor of the capital at the beginning and was later promoted to the general of Wei, was diligent and dedicated all his life, treated people generously, and had great prestige in the hearts of the people of Nanzhong. It is reported that after Ma Zhong took office, he strictly required his subordinates to "not desecrate the temple and not harass the good people." He is enthusiastic about public affairs, regards the people as children, and is deeply loved by Siye.
During the busy farming season, Ma Zhong personally led his subordinates to work in the fields; In the event of disaster relief, he was even more generous and allocated food for relief. Over time, the people of Nanzhong respected him as "Parent Langjun". Later generations even built a temple for him to worship, which was rare at that time.
Compared with Ma Zhong's popularity, Zhang Yi's style is another extreme. This strict general manages the army well, but he is often iron-faced and selfless when dealing with the people. As soon as he took office, he severely punished corruption and purged officials. Soon after, a riot broke out in the Shunqing area, and the local people rebelled against Zhang Yi's harsh government.
In the face of this riot, Zhang Yi fought bravely and personally went out to fight. In the end, the rebels suffered heavy casualties, and tens of thousands of people fled. The campaign allowed Zhang Yi to establish unquestionable authority in Nanzhong, but at the cost of an almost complete breakdown in his relationship with the people.
Look at Huo Yi again, this famous general who served as the governor of the capital in his later years, showed more of his talents. As a generation of literati generals, Huo Yi is well-read and has a great understanding of the customs and customs of Nanzhong. He repeatedly made high-level arguments, wrote to the imperial court several times, suggesting that the resources of Nanzhong should continue to be developed, and the local garrison should be firmly established.
It was at Huo Yi's suggestion that Shu Han increased his investment in manpower and material resources in the southern and central regions at that time. During his tenure, the number of new villages and immigrants continued to grow. Huo Yi was familiar with the language of the common people, and was even more respected by the gentry of Nanzhong. Until the defeat of the army, he was still able to rely on his deep roots in the Nanzhong region to recruit troops and continue to operate in this land.
5. The development and utilization of Ji Han on Nanzhong and its influence
Through the unremitting efforts of several generations of governors, the Nanzhong region finally became an important town with vast grain and grass and abundant soldiers in the Ji and Han dynasties. This land, which was once borderland, had a profound impact on the survival and development of the Shu Han Dynasty.
First of all, from a military point of view, Nanzhong provided Ji Han with considerable human resources. Every time there is a battle, the region can recruit tens of thousands of elite divisions, which strongly supports the expedition of the Shu army. According to statistics, during Zhuge Liang's six northern expeditions alone, nearly 150,000 soldiers were requisitioned from the southern and central regions.
In addition, the horses, grain, weapons and other materials produced in Nanzhong have become an important supply for the fortified fortresses of the Shu Han Frontier. At that time, Huo Yi once went to the imperial court and suggested large-scale reclamation of fields in the southern and central regions, precisely focusing on the needs of long-term foreign warfare.
Secondly, in terms of finance, Nanzhong contributed a lot of taxes and precious resources to Ji Han. The iron, silver, copper and other minerals mined from Qujing and Yuezhou provided abundant raw materials for the Shu Han military industry; The abundant agriculture in the area has increased the country's tax revenue.
Some scholars estimate that in the late Ji and Han dynasties, the annual tax grain paid in the southern and central regions was equivalent to one-third of the military food of the Shu State. It is this huge economic gain that provides a solid backing for Ji Han, who is still plagued by wars.
However, at the same time, the Nanzhong region also paid a heavy price in the process of large-scale development and utilization of Jihan. The local environment has been severely damaged, and the war has spread, and the inhabitants have fallen into extreme poverty.
According to records, the population and countryside of Nanzhong have not been able to recover their glory since the war at the end of the Han Dynasty. Even if it prosperes again, it will no longer be the peaceful and contented scene it once was. To this day, some historical relics such as ancient villages and ancient irrigation canals left behind in the Three Kingdoms period can still be seen in the Nanzhong area, witnessing the vicissitudes of history.