Da Ming started to ascend the throne

Chapter 875 Karez

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining ten light machine guns and manufacturing process blueprints."

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the construction method and roadmap for Karez."

…………

Zhu Youjian was discussing matters in Australia with King Ding when suddenly the system notification sounded again.

This time, not only 1000 million points were rewarded, but also many things such as light machine guns and light machine gun manufacturing techniques were rewarded.

Later, Zhu Youjian was even rewarded for the construction road map and method of Karez.

This Kanerjing Zhu Youjian is too much needed. Many places in the Western Regions are not suitable for human survival because there is no water source.

Although there were some Karez wells in the local area in the early stage, due to disrepair for a long time, many places have no water.

Speaking of Karez, it is not a simple water conservancy project, but a greater project than the Great Wall.

As we all know, ancient my country was basically dominated by farming civilization, and water conservancy was the lifeblood of agriculture.

Before the advent of the mechanized age, agriculture was completely dependent on the sky.

Therefore, only the area within the 400 mm rainfall line is the most developed farming civilization, which is the "Central Plains area" in ancient times.

Even at the end of the Qing Dynasty, Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and other places beyond the 400mm rainfall line were still bitterly cold areas, where few people lived.

The Turpan area in eastern Xinjiang is located in one of the four major basins in my country. Although it belongs to the ancient Western Regions, it is also a good place for outstanding people.

Since the Han Dynasty, during the westward march of the Xiongnu, Rouran, Khitan and other ethnic minorities, Turpan has always been a place that must pass through, and it is also a place that must be contested. Therefore, it has become an important hub for the Central Plains Dynasty to garrison troops.

As early as the first year of Chuyuan (48 BC), the Han Dynasty set up Wuji Xiaowei Mansion here.

Now that there are soldiers, food is needed, and the construction of water conservancy and the development of farmland in the local area have become a top priority.

The reason for farming in the local area is that the loss in the process of grain transportation is quite large, and no dynasty can bear the heavy burden of transporting large quantities of grain from the Central Plains to the Turpan area for a long time.

At the earliest, small-scale ancient cities were established here relying on the oasis, such as the ancient city of Jiaohe and the ancient city of Gaochang.

But to be able to develop a splendid and large-scale ancient city, the local people rely not only on the gifts of nature, but more importantly, on their own wisdom - Karez.

Karez well is the earliest water conservancy project for the development and utilization of groundwater in arid areas, and it is the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient working people.

Its miraculous direction and structure can preserve precious water sources to the greatest extent, and provide enough irrigation and domestic water for people in arid areas.

There are currently three main theories about the origin of Karez.

The first point of view is that it came from Central Asia and was introduced to Xinjiang from the Persian Empire. Today, Iran is still the place with the longest usage and the largest number of Karez in the world.

The second point of view is that it originated from the mainland of China. Wang Guowei, a famous modern scholar, believes that it originated from wells. "Historical Records Dawan Biography" once recorded that local people came to the Central Plains to find "Qin people" and learned the art of piercing wells. Thereby solving the problem of water shortage in the city.

The third point of view is that this is an invention from the local ancestors.

Although the academic circles have not yet reached a conclusion, the third statement is still supported by more people.

Because petroglyphs engraved with Karez have been found in Xinjiang, and these paintings are at least 4000-6000 years old.

Whether it was introduced from Central Asia or taught by people in the Central Plains, neither can explain why Karez appears in rock paintings so long ago.

A standard karez generally consists of two parts: a shaft and an underdrain. The shaft is used for positioning, entry, and ventilation. The soil taken during excavation will form a ring-shaped mound around it to prevent ground water from seeping in.

The depth of the shaft is related to the location of the karez. The downstream area generally only needs to be drilled about 10 meters, while the upstream area may need to be as deep as 100 meters.

The culvert is also known as the "water delivery corridor". It has a water collection section and an open channel section. Generally, only one person can enter sideways in its width and height, and the length varies according to factors such as water level depth and soil quality. km, the longest may exceed 3 km.

Most of the Karez wells located underground minimize the evaporation of water. In the age without scientific knowledge, the wisdom of the ancestors can be seen in the construction of such complex water conservancy projects only by practice.

Karez is very common in the arid areas of Xinjiang and is an important guarantee for local agriculture.

Of course, the construction of one Karez well also requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and the construction of thousands of Karez wells is even more expensive. However, Karez wells have indeed brought benefits to the people, and have benefited the local people in Xinjiang for thousands of years.

From this point of view, the Great Wall, which was built at a huge cost in the past dynasties, can certainly withstand the attacks of certain ethnic minorities, and it is also very spectacular. It has considerable historical significance and ornamental value in today's view.

But from the practical point of view of "benefiting the people", Karez is a greater existence than the Great Wall.

The disappearance of many Karez wells has led to a continuous decline in the local shallow groundwater level, irreversible changes in the soil structure, and a large increase in the area of ​​local desertification.

For people in Xinjiang, especially in Turpan, Karez has the same status as a "mother river", and it is an important part of the traditional well and canal culture of the Chinese nation.

On the other hand, Karez also witnessed the prosperity and development of the oasis, and is a milestone in water conservancy and oasis agriculture.

Until now, the oldest Karez well in Xinjiang is 473 years old, and its daily water output can still irrigate 20 mu of land; the longest Karez well is 25 kilometers long, and the deepest one is 98 meters deep and 20.7 kilometers long.

These large and small Karez wells still play their role in today's agricultural modernization, as water conservancy engineering facilities with the least damage to the environment, guarding Xinjiang's agriculture and oases.

The so-called "predecessors plant trees, descendants enjoy the shade" is probably the case. The invention of Karez not only feeds more Xinjiang people, but also brings considerable tourism income, and also adds a beautiful touch to China's cultural landscape.

Of course, today's Karez was not hundreds of years ago, and it was formed after countless revisions in the later period.

With the help of the system, Zhu Youjian plans to overhaul and transform Karez as soon as possible, so that Karez can benefit more people in the Western Regions.

Zhu Youjian listened to the wonderful system prompt, and happily picked up the wine glass:

"Emperors, according to my father's judgment, your brothers should have wiped out the Yarkand Khanate. Come and cheer for my newly added territory of Ming Dynasty!"

The three princesses and Ding Wang Zhu Cijiong hurriedly got up and raised their wine glasses, they couldn't sit and toast their father.

"For the father, for Daming, for the emperor's brother, and for the soldiers of the Western Expedition! Cheers!"

The whole family drank their glasses in one gulp, feeling very excited.

After the toast was over, Zhu Youjian signaled his sons and daughters to sit down and said:

"Sit down! After the Yarkant Khanate is pacified, my father is going to let your brother and Li Yan lead the army to wipe out the Kazakh Khanate, so as to deter Zhungeer, Heshuo Khanate and Tibet, and make them come down upon hearing the news! At that time, I will station my Ming army there, and from now on I will actually control the entire Western Region, making China's territory more complete..."

(End of this chapter)