introduction
Why did the Tang Dynasty, a once-glorious empire, fall from peak to decline almost overnight? And behind this, how many people have gone directly from the prosperous era of singing and dancing to hell on earth, and even lost their lives? Let's look at some of the literary works of the time to unveil the curtain of that period of history...
The strength of the Tang Dynasty is still talked about today, and its political, economic, cultural, military and other aspects have made remarkable achievements, and her open-door policy is beyond the reach of later dynasties. Her culture and art have also reached their peak, such as Tang poetry and painting, which still have an important impact on world culture to this day.
Tang poetry of the Tang Dynasty is an important milestone in the history of Chinese literature, and its achievements are unprecedented, representing the pinnacle of Chinese culture. It has a wide range of themes, profound contents, and rich forms, including both realism and romanticism, forming an excellent tradition of Chinese classical poetry.
The Tang Dynasty produced many outstanding poets and works. From Chen Ziang and Zhang Jiuling in the early Tang Dynasty, to Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei and Meng Haoran in the Tang Dynasty, to Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhi in the Middle Tang Dynasty, Li Shangyin and Du Mu in the late Tang Dynasty, their unique artistic styles and outstanding talents together constitute a glorious chapter of Tang poetry.
It was also during this period that Japan sent a large number of missions to China to study. This act, known as the "sending of Tang envoys", began in the early 7th century and lasted until the end of the 9th century. The main purpose of sending Tang envoys was to learn the advanced culture, systems, and techniques of the Tang Dynasty in order to promote the development of Japan.
The pinnacle of strength
First of all, let's get a glimpse of the glory and strength of the Tang Dynasty through some Tang poems or literary works of the Tang Dynasty:
1. "Reminiscences of the Past Two Songs (Part II)" Du Fu
Recalling the heyday of the Kaiyuan Dynasty in the past, Xiaoyi still hides thousands of rooms.
The rice is fat and the corn is white, and the public and private warehouses are abundant.
There are no jackals on the roads of Kyushu, and the sun rises far away.
Qi Su Lu is in the car class, and the male ploughing and the female mulberry are not lost.
The Chinese Museum has a statue of Du Fu
The beginning of this poem, "Recalling the heyday of the Kaiyuan Dynasty in the past, Xiaoyi still hides thousands of families", points out: recalling the scene of the prosperous era of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, vividly illustrates the prosperity and large population of the society at that time, even the "Xiaoyi" (small city) was inhabited by thousands of families.
"Rice is fat and corn is white, and public and private warehouses are abundant" depicts the harvest scene of agricultural production at that time, the rice is as full as fat, the corn is as white as snow, and the public and private warehouses are full of grain, reflecting the economic prosperity and material abundance.
"There are no jackals and tigers on the roads of Kyushu, and the sun rises without labor when traveling far away", it is said: the roads of the whole country are very safe, and there are no jackals, tigers and leopards and other fierce beasts. People don't need to choose auspicious days of the zodiac when they travel far away, they can travel at will, which shows how stable and peaceful the society was at that time.
"Qi Su Lu Carts and Shifts, Men and Women Do Not Lose Each Other" depicts the prosperity of handicrafts and commerce at that time. Silk and fine silk from the Qi and Lu countries were in an endless stream on the road, and the men cultivated the fields, and the women raised silkworms and weaved cloth, each with its own business and place. This reflected the prosperity of the economy and the affluence of the people's lives at that time.
2. "Will Enter the Wine" Li Bai
You don't see it, the water of the Yellow River comes up from the sky, rushes to the sea and never returns.
You don't see it, Gao Tang Mingjing is sad and white-haired, and the morning is like green silk turning into snow at dusk.
Life must be happy, don't make the gold bottle empty to the moon.
I am born to be useful, and my daughter will come back when I am gone.
Cooking sheep and slaughtering cattle for pleasure will require 300 cups of drink.
Master Cen, Dan Qiusheng, will enter the wine, and the cup will not stop.
Sing a song with you, please listen to it for me.
The bells and drums are not expensive enough, but I hope that I will not wake up after being drunk for a long time.
The ancient sages were all lonely, and only the drinker left his name.
In the past, King Chen feasted peacefully, and fought wine for ten thousand years.
What is the owner's words, he has to sell the right gentleman.
Five-flowered horses, daughters and daughters, Hu'er will exchange for fine wine, and sell eternal sorrow with you.
Statue of Li Bai in the collection of the National Museum of China
In 742 A.D. (the first year of Tianbao), Tang Xuanzong Li Longji summoned Li Bai into the palace and ordered Li Bai to worship Hanlin. But soon after, Li Bai was expelled from Beijing in the third year of Tianbao (744) due to the slander of the magnates, and Tang Xuanzong gave him money to return it (Li Longji was still quite a Ming lord and gave Li Bai a severance pay).
When Li Bai wrote this poem, he had already been dismissed, although this poem mainly expresses the poet Li Baihuai's indignation, contempt for fame and wealth, and the decadence of timely pleasure, but the tone of the whole poem is not low and negative, but high-spirited and optimistic, and magnificent.
Think about it, if it weren't for the vigorous and upward spiritual outlook of the Tang Empire, how could it be that "I was born with a talent that will be useful, and I will come back when my daughter is gone." "Confidence and heroism! At the same time, the opening "You don't see, the water of the Yellow River comes from the sky" also reflects the vastness of the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
3. "The Old Man's Village"
Meng Haoran like
The old man Gu Ji invited me to Tian's house.
The green tree village is close to the edge, and the green mountain Guo is oblique outside.
Open the noodle garden, and talk about the wine.
Stay until the Double Ninth Day, and come to chrysanthemums.
This poem reflects the beauty of pastoral life at that time and the preciousness of peasant life, "Stay until the Double Ninth Day, and come to chrysanthemums." When the Double Ninth Festival comes, I will come here to watch the chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemum appreciation and chrysanthemum wine during the Double Ninth Festival were a fashion in the Tang Dynasty, which was enough to reflect people's pursuit and enjoyment of the quality of life at that time.
4. "Climbing the Stork's Tower" Wang Zhilian
At the end of the day, the Yellow River flows into the sea.
If you want to be poor, go to the next level.
Statue of the king
This poem has become a famous poem that has been recited through the ages. Let's restore the picture at that time: the poet stood on the stork tower, overlooking the Yellow River and the mountains, showing a magnificent picture. This in itself is a tribute to the magnificence of the country and the prosperity of the society at that time.
"Wanting to be poor and go to the next level" is not only a philosophy of life, but also the spirit of the times of the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, which encourages people to continue to climb, keep forging ahead, and pursue a higher realm and a broader vision. In this era, people are full of self-confidence and enterprising.
Sudden decay
In the early years of his reign, Tang Xuanzong, with his outstanding talent and foresight, shaped a Tang empire with a prosperous state, clear politics, and a peaceful and contented people. This period is known as the 'Kaiyuan Dynasty', and its brilliant achievements have been beyond the reach of countless emperors in later generations.
However, when Tang Xuanzong entered the age of fifty, he began to gradually relax his strict requirements for himself and indulged in pleasure. Especially when Yang Yuhuan, a peerless beauty, came into his life, Tang Xuanzong put political affairs on the back burner and began to show more of his talent in the field of art...
Li Longji, also known as Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, was not only a preeminent ruler, but also a versatile artist. He has shown extraordinary talent in many fields, including music and dance, poetry, calligraphy, painting, theatre and gardening. For him, these arts are far beyond his personal hobby, and his works and contributions have reached the level of 'everyone' in various fields, and he can be called a leader in the art world.
Then, when Tang Xuanzong and Yang Yuhuan were going farther and farther on the road of art, a crisis was brewing, and the outbreak of this crisis made the Tang Dynasty enter purgatory overnight...
Under the favor and trust of Tang Xuanzong, An Lushan was already in power. However, with the rise of Yang Guozhong and the increasing suppression of him, coupled with An Lushan's deep political ambitions, he finally decided to take a risk and launched a rebellion that shocked the government and the opposition, which was the "Anshi Rebellion".
After the Anshi Rebellion, the original unity and harmony of the whole country was shattered at once, and local separatist forces began to form, weakening the authority of the central government. After the war, although the Tang Dynasty nominally maintained unity, in fact it was no longer able to effectively control the region, laying the groundwork for the later division of feudal towns and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
The economic base was severely damaged, the war led to a large number of deaths and losses, agricultural land was barren, and handicraft and commercial activities were severely affected. This destruction not only weakened the economic power of the Tang Dynasty, but also exacerbated social contradictions, laying the groundwork for the later peasant uprisings and the Huangchao uprising.
With the interruption of cultural prosperity, many literati and artists were killed or displaced by the war, and could not continue to engage in literary and artistic creation.
The changes in international status and the Anshi Rebellion caused the national strength of the Tang Dynasty to decrease sharply, which greatly weakened the international status of the Tang Dynasty.
The Tang Dynasty turned from prosperity to decline, and for the people of that period, it seemed that it only happened overnight.
Through some Tang poems of this period, we can feel the sadness and helplessness of "the country is broken by mountains and rivers" at that time:
We use three poems by Du Fu to reflect the turmoil and hardship of that time.
1. "Spring Hope" Du Fu
The country is broken by mountains and rivers, and the city is deep in spring.
When I feel the tears, I hate the birds.
The poem directly depicts the aftermath of the war, where the country is ruined, the mountains and rivers are still there, but the city is deserted and overgrown.
2. "Stone Entrencher" Du Fu
暮投石壕村,有吏夜捉人。
The old man walked over the wall, and the old woman went out to see.
What a rage! Why bother with a woman's cry.
Listening to the woman's speech, the three men fought in the city.
One man attached a book to, and two men died in battle.
The survivors steal life, and the dead are gone!
There was no one in the room, only the grandchildren.
There is a grandmother who has not gone, and there is no end to the skirt.
Although the old woman's strength is declining, please return from the night.
In response to the Heyang service, you still have to prepare for morning cooking.
The night is long and silent, like crying.
Tianmingden has a future, and he will say goodbye to the old man alone.
"One man attached a book to, two men died in the new war" is a few words, but it exhausts the cruelty and ruthlessness of the war, "There is no one in the room, only the grandchildren", all the men in the family are lost, leaving only orphans and widows, how desolate and miserable this is;
"There is a grandmother who has not gone, and there is no end to the skirt" The wealth and happiness of yesterday have now become so bleak. Who would have imagined that in an instant, a family (or the whole society) went from happiness to dilapidation, and even a complete dress became a luxury.
3. "Farewell to the Newlyweds" Du Fu
The whole poem is too long, so I cut off a part
...
Rabbit silk is attached to fluffy hemp, and the vine is not long.
Saying goodbye in the morning of the twilight wedding, it was too hurried.
...
The poem tells the story of a newlywed couple who had to separate due to war. The poet uses the metaphor of rabbit silk and fluffy linen to imply the destruction and helplessness of war on people's lives. There are also two sentences in the poem, "The king is now dying, and the groom is about to go to the battlefield, facing the uncertain situation of life and death, and the bride feels deep grief in her heart...
4. "Ancient Style: Its Nineteenth" Li Bai
Go west to Lotus Mountain and see the stars.
Plain hands put hibiscus, virtual steps are too clear.
The neon clothes drag the wide belt, fluttering and ascending to the sky.
Invite me to Yuntai, Gao Yi Wei Shuqing.
Go with it in a trance, and drive Hongling Ziming.
Looking down at Luoyang River, Hu Bing walked in the vast.
流血涂野草,豺狼尽冠缨。
What is this? Suffered from this nonsense.
I want to capture the six dragons, and I can't return to heaven.
Difficult to walk, difficult to walk, divergent road, where are you today?
There will be times when the wind and waves will be long, and the clouds will sail into the sea.
In the first half of the poem, the poet depicts an otherworldly fairyland scene, expressing his yearning and pursuit of lofty ideals. In the second half, the poet's pen turns and returns to reality from fairyland. He looked down at Luoyang River and saw the tragic scene brought about by the war: rivers of blood, Hu soldiers were rampant, and jackals were in charge. The poet is saddened by this troubled time, but he feels powerless.
5. "Lianchang Palace Ci" Yuan Zhen
The whole poem is very long, and only a portion of the poem is chosen.
The emperor is looking at the immortal tower, and Taizhen is standing with him.
Upstairs and upstairs are full of pearls and greens, dazzling and shining brightly.
Reflecting the prosperity before the Anshi Rebellion, it depicts the luxurious life of Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in the Lianchang Palace, which is full of jewels and prosperity.
Six or seven years after the two capitals were set, they looked for a house in front of the palace.
The manor burned out and there are dry wells, and the palace gate is closed.
These four sentences reflect the decay after the Anshi Rebellion, the dilapidated scene of Lianchang Palace and its surrounding manors, the former prosperity is no longer there, only dry wells and barren trees remain.
Yuan Zhen statue
In the past, poets were full of praise and depiction of prosperity and prosperity, but with the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion and the tragedy of the collapse of the country and the death of the family, their poems also changed.
In the midst of war and turmoil, poets no longer sing the praises of the past, but instead immerse themselves in a deep nostalgia for the good times that have passed, and at the same time, their works are full of longing and anticipation for the future peace and prosperity.
The Death of Life
The Anshi Rebellion not only turned the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline, but also caused a large number of people to lose their lives, so how many people died because of it?
According to Zizhi Tongjian, it is 36 million, but this figure may be exaggerated, because the Tang Dynasty was only 45 million at its peak, and according to Wikipedia, about 13 million ~ 36 million soldiers and civilians died in this war.
Stephen Pinker, a well-known professor at Harvard University, counted the 18 wars with the highest proportion of deaths in human history, and found that the Anshi Rebellion ranked third in absolute death after the 55 million people in World War II and the more than 40 million people in the Mongol expedition to the west.
However, if you convert it proportionally, the Anshi Rebellion was the most tragic war in history, because it took place during the Tang Dynasty, when the global population was just over 200 million, and if you convert it according to the proportion of the global population during World War II (2.6 billion), the Anshi Rebellion is equivalent to the death of 429 million people worldwide.
Conclusion
There are many reasons for the Anshi Rebellion, but after all, An Lushan is the initiator of the Anshi Rebellion, and the Hu people at that time were the terminators of the Tang Dynasty and the slaughterer of life.
And this is just the beginning, there are more incidents in the land of China caused by wars and natural disasters, and there are many more...
The collection of "The Death of Life in History" is being launched more articles one after another, thank you for your attention, let us remember history together, and pray for peace!
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