The two dynasties of the Sui and Tang dynasties made great contributions to the development of ancient Chinese civilization, but in recent years, some people have proposed that the Sui and Tang royal families had Xianbei blood, and on this basis, they have identified the Sui and Tang dynasties as Xianbei dynasties. This view has sparked heated debate. How much Xianbei blood did the Sui and Tang royal families have? Do they really belong to the Xianbei tribe? This seemingly simple question has intricate historical origins behind it. We can't help but ask: where did the blood of the Sui and Tang royal families come from? How do they relate to the Xianbei people? Why is it said that the Sui and Tang dynasties were Xianbei dynasties? Exploring the answers to these questions may help us to understand more deeply the process of integration of ancient Chinese peoples.
The origins of the Sui and Tang dynasties and the Bei tribe in North Korea can be traced
The opening of the Sui and Tang dynasties originated from the rise of the Daibei and Guanlong groups during the Northern Dynasties. Although these two groups were both ruled by the Xianbei people, they combined a large number of Han powerful forces.
The first to let the Xianbei people gain a firm foothold in the Central Plains was the Northern Wei regime. At the beginning of the establishment of the Northern Wei Dynasty, its monarch Tuoba Jue promoted the famous Daibei Reform in order to stabilize the regime. The so-called "Daibei" refers to the vast area from Shanshan to Yinshan, the Yellow River to Taihang Mountain. This area has always been a hot land for nomads to compete with the Central Plains Dynasty.
After the fall of the Han Dynasty, the Southern Xiongnu tribe settled in this place, and lived for hundreds of years when Tuoba Xianbei arose. In order to reform the clan system and break the tribal restrictions, Tuoba Jue ordered the Daibei area to be reorganized according to the place of residence, thus forming the Daibei Group. This was the first time that a new type of group dominated by nomads and participated by Han landlords appeared in the Central Plains.
The Northern Wei Dynasty later unified the Central Plains with the power accumulated by the Daibei group. In order to clear the hidden dangers of the frontier, Emperor Tuoba Hong decided to leave the northern half of the Daibei Group in place, and the southern half to the new capital Luoyang. In this way, the originally unified Daibei Group was geographically divided, and the northern half gradually drifted away from the southern half in terms of surname and treatment.
When the Eastern and Western Wei were divided, the northern part of the Daibei was unified by Gao Huan's department and became the Eastern Wei Dynasty; The southern part of Luoyang was ruled by Yuwentai and became the Western Wei Dynasty. Among these two forces, Gao Huan is an authentic descendant of the Han nationality; Although Yuwentai is from the Southern Xiongnu, he has no blood relationship with Tuoba Xianbei.
In order to unite the strength of the Han people, Yuwentai creatively launched the "government military system", gave the Han general Xianbei the surname, and changed his nationality to Guanzhong. This gave birth to the well-known "Guanlong Group". The founding ancestors of the Sui and Tang dynasties, Li Hu, Yang Zhong and others, all served in this group.
Research on the Han ancestry of the Sui and Tang royal families
Although the Sui and Tang royal families were tainted with Xianbei color due to the surname reform during the Northern Dynasties, their roots were rooted in pure Han blood.
During the Northern Wei Dynasty, in order to strengthen his rule over the Central Plains, Tuoba Hong encouraged Xianbei nobles to intermarry with Han scholars, and made Xianbei people change their surnames to Han. Until the Western Wei Dynasty, in order to unite the strength of the Han people, Yuwentai creatively launched the "government military system" and gave the Han general Xianbei surname. This move has caused many powerful men with the surname Han to change their ancestral homes.
Among them, the founding ancestors of the Sui and Tang dynasties, Li Hu, Yang Zhong and others, were successively given Xianbei surnames such as "Daye" and "Puliuru". Ironically, these Xianbei surnames often have no connection with the recipient's original surname. For example, the two brothers, Li Bi and Li Mu, were given the surnames "Tuhe" and "Tuoba" respectively, which were completely unfamiliar with their original surname Li.
This practice of giving surnames is mostly arbitrary, and it seems that it is only out of an affirmation and inclusion of the Han people's strength, not from blood considerations. Therefore, just because the ancestors of the Sui and Tang royal families used the Xianbei surname, it is obviously very unscrupulous to conclude that they have Xianbei blood.
In fact, the ancestors of the monarchs of the Sui and Tang dynasties can be traced back to pure Han blood. According to historical records, the ancestor of Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian originated from merchants in Pingyang County, Hedong, and his father Yang Zhong was one of the 12 famous generals of Guanlong at that time. Tang Gaozu Li Yuan's great-grandfather Li Hu was also born in a wealthy family and had great military exploits. Although the two were later contaminated with foreign colors because of Yuwentai's surname, their origin was still Han nationality.
What's more worth mentioning is that the bloodline of the Sui and Tang royal families also includes a purer Chinese maternal bloodline. Li Yuan's mother, Qin, was born in a famous family in Chang'an, while Princess Wencheng was the biological daughter of Yang Jian, the monarch of the Sui Dynasty. After Li Yuan ascended the throne, he married the princess of the Sui Dynasty. In this way, Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, not only has a pure Han paternal bloodline, but also contains the royal blood of the Sui and Tang dynasties, which can be said to be a fusion of the essence of Chinese orthodoxy.
All in all, although the Sui and Tang royal families had twists and turns in their bloodline due to the surname reform during the Northern Dynasties, their core bloodline continued from the pure Han Haoqiang gatekeepers. The grafting of matrilineal blood also further strengthened the inheritance of Chinese orthodox culture in the Sui and Tang dynasties. It is precisely because of this that the political and cultural tendencies of the Sui and Tang dynasties moved away from the minority colors of the Northern Dynasties and moved towards the road of Chinese orthodoxy.
The new trend of ethnic integration in the Sui and Tang dynasties
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, with the transfer of political power from ethnic minorities to Han Chinese, new trends and characteristics emerged in the process of ethnic integration.
First of all, the spread and development of Buddhist culture in the Central Plains became one of the most significant features of this period. Buddhism originated in ancient India, was introduced to China in the mid-to-late Han Dynasty, and had taken root in the Central Plains for hundreds of years by the Sui and Tang dynasties. Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, was a devout believer in Buddhism, and he spared no effort to build Buddhist temples throughout the country and made Buddhism the state religion. After Princess Wencheng married into the Tang Dynasty, she also vigorously promoted Buddhism. Since then, Buddhist culture has spread rapidly from top to bottom in the Central Plains.
Secondly, the Persian Zoroastrianism also had some influence in the northwest. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the Samanids were forced into exile in Chang'an, where they built a fire temple. Sazenism is a branch of Zoroastrianism that incorporates certain elements of ancient Zoroastrian culture in Persia and Hinduism. The influx of Sazenites led to a multicultural situation in the northwest during the Sui and Tang dynasties.
In addition, some nomadic cultures in the northeastern border areas have also begun to penetrate into the Central Plains. Through frequent contacts with the Tang Dynasty, the Khitans gradually absorbed some Han culture. They not only studied books and literature, but also incorporated some Han Chinese into the clan, which changed their own culture. Although the Goguryeo people regarded themselves as a "Yi" people, they also consciously learned the culture of the Central Plains. They sent envoys to Chang'an to hire a wide range of cultural talents from the Central Plains to impart advanced agricultural technology and academic knowledge.
Finally, in the melting pot of cultures in the Central Plains, the cultures of various ethnic groups are also blending with each other. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, with the continuous migration of the Han population to the northwest border, the production and lifestyle also changed. For example, in Shaanxi, Gansu and other regions, there is a phenomenon of "sinicization" of nomads and "nomadic" farmers, and the two sides have learned from each other in terms of food and clothing.
In general, the Sui and Tang dynasties were an important stage for the assimilation of foreign cultures in the Central Plains, and the cultures of various ethnic groups penetrated and intertwined with each other in this hot land, and finally moved towards a new development trend of integration. This laid the cultural foundations for what would become a unified multi-ethnic state.
The dialectical relationship between cultural identity and ancestry identity
When discussing the issue of the lineage of the Sui and Tang royal families, we cannot ignore the dialectical relationship between cultural identity and blood identity.
The Central Plains region has been the birthplace of Chinese farming civilization since ancient times, and its profound cultural heritage has a strong ability to assimilate. Although the Sui and Tang royal families were once contaminated with foreign colors due to the influence of the Northern Dynasties, they were gradually assimilated by the Central Plains culture as the center of power moved south.
For example, Yang Jian, Emperor Wen of Sui, not only respected Buddhism, but also worked hard to promote the Chinese language and Confucianism throughout the country. He issued an edict to fully implement the policy of "using Chinese as a book and the same text", and personally presided over the ceremonies, trying to revive the traditional culture of the Han people. After Yang Jian's daughter, Princess Wencheng, married into the Tang Dynasty, she also vigorously promoted Buddhism, the Chinese language, and the ritual music system. After Tang Taizong Li Shimin succeeded to the throne, he fully inherited the orthodox culture of the Sui and Tang dynasties.
However, the influence of the northern nomadic culture on the Central Plains cannot be ignored. Some emperors, princes and nobles in the Sui and Tang dynasties still retained nomadic customs and habits in terms of food and clothing. The famous Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian was fond of riding and archery hunting, and often held large-scale activities of "Ten Thousand Riding Hunting". During the reign of Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the Samanids built a fire temple in Chang'an, making Chang'an once a multicultural city where Buddhism, Taoism, and fire coexisted.
The blending of the two cultures in the Central Plains enabled the Sui and Tang dynasties to finally move towards the path of Chinese cultural orthodoxy, while also retaining some characteristics of nomadic culture. This process of integration reflects the intrinsic connection between cultural identity and ancestry identity.
In fact, cultural identity is even more important than blood identity in some ways. Although the Sui and Tang royal families had a small number of foreign bloodlines, their identification with the Central Plains culture was from the heart. Conversely, even if a person is of pure blood, but does not identify with his own culture, it is difficult for him to truly integrate into the nation.
Therefore, when judging the nature of a nation or dynasty, we should not simply stick to the bloodline, but should understand the problem from the perspective of cultural identity. Although the Sui and Tang dynasties experienced twists and turns in their bloodline, their identification with the orthodox Chinese culture was unwavering, which is the fundamental reason why the two dynasties of the Sui and Tang dynasties belonged to the backbone of Chinese civilization.
The multicultural identity of the Sui and Tang royal families
After the above combing and analysis, we can clearly see that the Sui and Tang royal families integrated multiple cultural elements.
First of all, the accumulation of agricultural civilization in the Central Plains is undoubtedly the main body of its cultural identity. Although the Sui and Tang dynasties were infiltrated by foreign cultures due to the influence of the Northern Dynasties, they eventually moved towards the path of Chinese orthodox culture. Yang Jian advocated Confucianism and promoted the Chinese language, and Li Shimin inherited the cultural traditions of the Sui and Tang dynasties, all of which demonstrated the high recognition of the Central Plains culture by the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Secondly, the nomadic culture of the north also left some traces on the Sui and Tang royal families. The emperors of the Sui and Tang dynasties retained some nomadic customs in their lifestyles, such as Yang Jian's penchant for hunting and archery, and the Samanid religion that took root in Chang'an during the Tang Xuanzong period. These phenomena reflect the influence of nomadic culture in the Central Plains.
Moreover, Buddhist culture, as a foreign culture, was also included in the cultural identity of the royal family during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Emperor Wen of Sui revered Buddhism and established it as the state religion; Princess Wencheng vigorously promoted Buddhism and directly brought Buddhist culture into the Tang Dynasty. As a result, Buddhist culture gained a place in the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Finally, the Samanid Zoroastrian culture from the northwest borderlands, as well as some cultural elements of the northeastern ethnic groups, were also integrated into the multicultural identity of the Sui and Tang royal families. For example, during the Tang Dynasty, the Samanids built a fire temple in Chang'an; The Goguryeo people spared no effort to learn the cultural knowledge of the Central Plains.
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In general, although there are some foreign infiltrations in the bloodline of the Sui and Tang royal families, they show the characteristics of pluralism and integration in cultural identity. The essence of the agrarian civilization of the Central Plains is its foundation, and at the same time, it also absorbs various cultural elements such as northern nomadism, Indian Buddhism, and Persian Zoroastrianism, and finally forms a new cultural community. This cultural identity of pluralism and unity is an important embodiment of the close connection between the Sui and Tang royal families and the backbone of Chinese civilization.