China knows everything for 5000 years

Chapter 48

When the news of Mengge's death came, Kublai Khan was still besieging Ezhou in the Southern Song Dynasty. He summoned generals and counselors to study the situation after Mengge's death and the strategy against Alibuge.Hao Jing suggested to send troops to meet Mengge's hearse and receive the seal of Great Khan, while rushing to negotiate peace with the Southern Song Dynasty, sign a secret agreement, withdraw troops quickly, and send light cavalry to Yanjing to prevent Alibu's forces from going south.Kublai Khan adopted this plan.

In 1260 A.D., when Kublai Khan arrived in Kaiping, the kings Hedan and Ajiji led the kings of the West Road, and Tachaer led the kings of the East Road to gather in Kaiping.They were all supporters of Kublai Khan.Kublai Khan abolished the old system of selecting Khan by nobles and announced his accession to the throne.And set that year as the first year of Zhongtong, the beginning of Jianyuan Jisui.In April, Ali Boke also held a kuliltai in Helin and declared him a great khan.In addition to Alan Daer, Tuolichi, etc., those who supported him also included Asudai, Yulong Dashi, and Xiriji, the queen king of Wokuotai, Aluhu, the queen king of Chahatai, Xu Liewuzi Chumuhachi, etc. .

In the winter of 1260 AD, Kublai Khan personally conquered Helin.After hearing the news, Brother Ali did not dare to resist, so he fled to Qianqian Prefecture (now south of Yenisei Herenyou). Kublai Khan occupied Helin, ordered Yisun to garrison, and returned to Kaiping.In the autumn of 1261 AD, Ali Buge came to Helin, pretending to be willing to surrender, but took a surprise attack, occupied Helin, and went south to harass him, and was defeated by Kublai Khan.Due to the repeated defeats of Ali Boke, the kings who supported him surrendered to Kublai Khan one after another, coupled with years of famine, Ali Boke had to surrender to Kublai Khan in 1264 AD.Mobei and the Central Plains were reunited.Kublai Khan canceled Helin as the capital of Mongolia and changed it to Xuanwei Sidu Marshal's Mansion.

Kublai Khan's victory in seizing the Khan throne was the victory of the Han-Fa faction within the Mongolian ruling group over the conservative faction, which was of decisive significance for the final completion of Mongolia's feudalization.

●Wen Tianxiang is loyal

In 1276 AD, the Yuan Dynasty army besieged Lin'an (now Hangzhou). Many ministers proposed to surrender. The patriotic and loyal minister Wen Tianxiang and another general of the main combat faction Zhang Shijie suggested protecting the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and others to take refuge at sea, but most of the Southern Song Dynasty monarchs surrendered. It's decided.After the traitor Chen Yizhong escaped, the Empress Dowager Xie had no choice but to send Wen Tianxiang to discuss surrender with the Yuan army.Wen Tianxiang stood upright in front of Boyan, the commander-in-chief of the Yuan army, without fear, and argued hard with him.Boyan was furious, thinking that if this person was to be released, he would be my strong enemy, so he was detained.Wen Tianxiang was alert, courageous and resourceful, escaped during the escort, and then actively resisted Yuan.

After Lin'an fell, Chen Yizhong, Zhang Shijie and others supported the 9-year-old Zhao Shi as emperor in Fuzhou and restored the name of the Song Dynasty. They invited Wen Tianxiang to Fuzhou.At that time, Wen Tianxiang was quite influential, and when he gave an order, soldiers from all over the world gathered to respond.Wen Tianxiang personally led the troops to fight against the Yuan army and won some victories.Since the Yuan army invaded the Song Dynasty, it has won every battle.This time he was defeated at the hands of Wen Tianxiang, and he was furious, so he regarded him as the number one enemy.After all, the enemy is outnumbered, and the difference is huge.Wen Tianyang was defeated and had to flee Ganzhou.

In 1278 AD, Zhao Shi died of illness and was succeeded by 8-year-old Zhao Jing.Seeing that the situation was over, Chen Yizhong ran away secretly again.Wen Tianxiang continued to deal with the Yuan army, but was unable to survive alone, and was finally arrested.

The commander-in-chief of the Yuan Army believed that Wen Tianxiang was a rare talent, so he wanted to persuade him to surrender, but Wen Tianxiang sternly refused.Wen Tianxiang was put under house arrest on a military ship and escorted to Yanjing.Passing Lingdingyang, facing the rough sea, Wen Tianxiang couldn't help thinking of the scene when he took the Jinshi examination at the age of 21 and was admitted as No.1.At that time, he bravely criticized the current malpractices and made a generous statement.During the palace examination, the four characters "Self-improvement" were written down, which means that the Song Dynasty must become stronger, and only in this way can it resist foreign aggression.The chief examiner and the emperor selected Wen Tianxiang as the number one scholar on the spot.The scene at that time is still vivid.Later, when the Yuan army came to invade, he fought against all opinions, advocated the war of resistance, and sacrificed his life many times to save the young master.I don't want to be in prison today, I don't regret my death, the Song Dynasty is precarious and precarious, who will protect the young master and restore the country in the future?Feeling melancholy, I wrote the eternal masterpiece "Crossing the Lingding Ocean" with a brush: hard encounters have happened once, and there are few stars around.The mountains and rivers are broken and the wind is blowing, and the life experience is ups and downs and the rain beats the flats.Anxious beachheads say fear, and sigh alone in the ocean.Since ancient times, no one has died in life, and he has kept his heart to reflect the history.

In 1279 AD, the 9-year-old Emperor Zhao Bing of the Southern Song Dynasty jumped into the sea and died.So far, the Song Dynasty, which had ruled for nearly 320 years, completely perished.The loyal and patriotic Wen Tianxiang was ordered to be killed by Kublai Khan after being imprisoned for more than three years because he would rather die than surrender.But Wen Tianxiang's devoted patriotism has been extolled forever by later generations, and will remain in the annals of history forever!

●Kublai Khan founding the country
After Kublai Khan seized the Mongolian Khan throne, he promulgated the enthronement edict and established Yuan Zhongtong.After Genghis Khan Temujin founded the country, Mongolia has been using the clan name as the country name, called the Great Mongolia, and has not officially established a country name.Kublai Khan ascended the throne of Mongolian Khan, and the title of the founding year was "Zhongtong", but there was still no title of founding country.With the smooth progress of the war to conquer the Song Dynasty, the Mongolian regime has actually become a feudal regime that imitated the Han nationality's rule in the Central Plains, especially the rule of Kublai Khan was increasingly consolidated.He decided to take a further step in "attaching the Han law" to build his own dynasty into an orthodox dynasty that inherited the feudal dynasty of the Han nationality.

In 1271 A.D., Kublai Khan took the meaning of "Qian Yuan" from "Book of Changes" according to the suggestions of Confucian officials such as Liu Bingzhong and Wang E. Yuan means to explain to the world that the country he governs is not just a Mongolian nation, but the continuation of the feudal dynasties in China.

During the period of the Great Mongol Kingdom, Helin (in present-day Mongolia) was the ruling center. After Kublai Khan came to the throne, the ruling center of the Yuan Dynasty began to move southward. Helin, which was far in the north of Mobei, was no longer suitable for the capital, and Kublai Khan began to look for a new one. The location of the capital.At first, he replaced Helin with Kaiping, and then moved to a more ideal capital, Yanjing (now Beijing), and named it Zhongdu.In 1272 AD, Kublai Khan adopted Liu Bingzhong's suggestion to move the capital, renamed Zhongdu Dadu, and officially designated it as the capital of the Yuan Dynasty.

During Kublai Khan's reign, he advocated "following the Han law", governing the country with the traditional legal system of the Han nationality, formulating laws and various systems, setting up local provinces, paying attention to the construction of water conservancy, taking agriculture and mulberry as an urgent task, unifying the currency, dredging Canals, set up post stations, and develop water transportation.He strengthened the central government's control over remote areas and directly administered Tibet, which promoted the unified development of the nation.

●The largest country in the world
In the history of our country, and even in the history of the world, the Yuan Dynasty was the largest country.In addition to the territory directly under the central government of the Yuan Dynasty, there were four major khanates: the Qincha Khanate, the Chagatai Khanate, the Wokuotai Khanate, and the Ili Khanate.The rulers of the four Khanates were descended from the "golden family" of Genghis Khan, and they were related to each other by blood. Therefore, they were the suzerain of the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled the Central Plains, and communicated with the post roads of the Yuan Dynasty.

There are actually two Kipchak Khanates: West Kipchak Khanate and East Kipchak Khanate.The two Kipchak Khanates in the East and West are the most extensive of the four Khanates.The West Kipchak Khanate was established in 1242 by the grandson of Temujin, the second son of Jochi, and the commander of the Western Expedition, Batu. Its territory is equivalent to the European territory of the former Soviet Union, plus Romania and Bulgaria, and what belongs to Poland today Galicia.Because Batu's big tent used a golden roof, the Qincha Khanate is also called the "Golden Horde" in European history books.The West Kipchak Khanate was once very prosperous, but after 1357 AD, it began to decline. Its interior usurped each other, and there were many small khans. It was finally destroyed by Ivan III of Russia in 1480 AD.The founder of the Eastern Qincha Khanate was Orda, the eldest son of Jochi, whose fief was given to him by Batu.In the east is the old soil of Huacizimo - the upper reaches of the Syr Darya River and the Amu Darya River, in the north there are "people in the forest", in the west it is adjacent to the West Qinchak Khanate, and in the south it is adjacent to the Chagatai Khanate.The Eastern Qinchak Khanate annexed the western half of the Chagatai Khanate in 11 AD when the No.1381 Khan Toktami lost his throne.Finally divided internally, he died in Siberia in 1405 AD.20 years after his death, the Eastern Qinchak Khanate died out.

Parts of the Chagatai Khanate and the Wokuotai Khanate are located in present-day China, closer to the mainland of the Yuan Dynasty.The Two Khanates once publicly opposed Kublai Khan's sinicization policy and were enemies of the Yuan Dynasty.It was not until the 14th century that the Chagatai Khanate annexed the Wokuotai Khanate and recognized the suzerainty of the Yuan Dynasty.

The Ogodei Khanate is the smallest and the shortest of the four Khanates.Its territory includes the western part of present-day Mongolia and the northern part of Xinjiang, as well as the lower reaches of the three rivers of the Irtysh River, the Emin River and the Yilie River (now the Ili River).Haidu, the son of Wokuotai, openly rebelled against the Yuan court, and the history of the Wokuotai Khanate only extends to Chabaer, the son of Haidu.

The Chagatai Khanate has a larger territory and a longer history than the Wokuotai Khanate.When Chagatai was confiscated, the fiefdom of the country was bounded by the Yilie River in the east, the Syr Darya River in the west, and the Amu Darya River in the south, with the Chui River Basin at the core. In the 14th century, when Duwa, the tenth monarch of the Chagatai Khanate, was on the throne, most of the old soil of the Wokuotai Khanate was included in the Chagatai Khanate.There were 30 monarchs before and after the Chagatai Khanate, two of whom were not descendants of Chagatai, but Okuotai.Duwa, the tenth monarch of the Chagatai Khanate, was very good at fighting, and he always stood on the side of Haidu and fought against Kublai Khan.In the Yuan Dynasty, it was not until Chengzong Tiemu'er was in power that he invited Haidu's son Chaba'er to submit to the central government. Soon after the submission, he fell out with Chaba'er and annexed the Wokuotai Khanate completely.

The founder of the Ili Khanate was Hulagu, the son of Tuolei, who was also a descendant of Tuolei with the ruler of the Yuan Dynasty, and had a closer relationship than other Khanates.Its territory includes today's Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, part of Syria, and the small Armenia that belongs to Turkey today.Hulagu captured Baghdad in 1252, and then once occupied Aleppo and Damascus in Syria.The economic and cultural exchanges between the Yuan Dynasty and the Ilkhanate were very frequent.During the reign of Ghazan Khan, in order to win the support of local lords and Muslims, Islam was converted to the state religion, and the title of "Great Khan" was abolished and the name was changed to "Sultan", which accelerated the process of Islamization of the local Mongolians.

The Qincha Khanate, the Ili Khanate, the Wokuotai Khanate and the Chahatai Khanate were the vassals of the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. They maintained friendly relations with the Yuan Dynasty for a long time, with frequent exchanges of envoys and smooth roads between east and west. development has been promoted.When the Yuan Empire was the largest, it almost covered most of Asia and Europe. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is the largest country in the world!
●Marco Polo toured China
After Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty, since the sphere of influence of the empire spread to most of Asia and Europe, the small European countries at that time had more frequent exchanges with China.During this period, the trade between east and west was unimpeded and very frequent.Many Western businessmen came and went, some of them not only received courtesy from the Yuan Dynasty, but also got different official positions and became courtiers of the Yuan Empire. Marco Polo was one of them.

In 1269 AD, Marco Polo was 15 years old. His father and uncle, who had been engaged in commercial activities all year round, returned to Venice, their hometown, from China in the East with spices, jewelry and a letter written by Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, to the Pope.They told Marco and Polo how they came to China in the east, how they met Emperor Kublai Khan of China, China's beautiful natural landscape, rich customs and customs.The miraculous experience of his father and uncle made Marco Polo very envious, and at the same time made him yearn for the magical East, and determined to become a businessman to travel the Eastern world.

In 1271, his father and uncle took Marco Polo and a dozen traveling companions with them and started a journey to the East with the pope's reply letter and gifts.They entered the Mediterranean from Venice, then crossed the Black Sea, passed through Mesopotamia and came to the ancient city of Baghdad in the Middle East.Then, from Hormuz, go overland.From Hormuz to the east, they crossed the desolate Iranian desert, crossed the precipitous and cold Pamir Plateau, trekked mountains and rivers all the way, overcame the troubles of disease, hunger and thirst, avoided the invasion of robbers and beasts, and finally came to China. Xinjiang.Then, continue eastward, cross the Taklamakan Desert, and come to the ancient city of Dunhuang, where you can admire the world-famous Buddha sculptures and murals.Then, they saw the Great Wall through Yumen Pass.Finally, through the Hexi Corridor, we finally arrived at Shangdu (in present-day Inner Mongolia, the accompanying capital of the Yuan Dynasty).At this time, it was the summer of 1275, and it had been four winters and summers since they left the motherland.Marco Polo's father and uncle presented the Pope's letters and gifts to Kublai Khan and introduced Marco Polo to the emperor.Kublai Khan appreciated the young and intelligent Marco Polo very much, and specially invited them into the palace to tell what he had seen and heard along the way, and brought them back to Dadu (now Beijing).Later, they were left to hold official positions in the Yuan Dynasty.

Marco Polo quickly learned Mongolian and Chinese, and mastered court etiquette.Taking the opportunity of inspecting various places under the order of the emperor, he traveled all over the mountains and rivers of China. The vastness and wealth of China made him linger and forget to return.He has been to Xinjiang, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Beijing, as well as some Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Sumatra.Everywhere he went, he always inspected the local customs, geography, and human conditions in detail.After returning to Dadu, he reported to Kublai Khan in detail.

17 years passed quickly, and Marco Polo became more and more homesick. In the spring of 1292, Marco Polo, his father and uncle were entrusted by Kublai Khan to escort a Mongolian princess to Persia to get married. They took the opportunity to ask Kublai Khan to return home.Kublai Khan promised them that after completing their mission, they could turn around and return home.

At the end of 1295, the three of them finally returned to their relatives who had been away for 24 years.News of their return from China spread rapidly throughout Venice, and what they had seen aroused great interest.The countless rare treasures they brought back from China made them very rich in Venice overnight.

In 1298, Marco Polo participated in the war between Venice and Genoa and was unfortunately captured.In prison, he met the writer Ruth Tiqian.Therefore, according to Marco Polo's dictation, Ruth Tiqian recorded and sorted out the book "Marco Polo's Travels".In "Marco Polo's Travels", he praised China's prosperity.Well-developed industry and commerce, bustling markets, gorgeous and cheap silk brocades, a magnificent capital, perfect and convenient post road transportation, widely circulated banknotes, and so on.The content in the book makes everyone who has read this book infinitely fascinated.

After the book "Marco Polo's Travels" was widely circulated in Europe, it aroused Europeans' admiration for Chinese civilization and wealth, and finally led to the opening of new sea routes and the discovery of new continents. The traveler is free.

●Yuan Dynasty established the Emperor Teacher System
The Yuan Dynasty established a unique monk-official system, namely the emperor-teacher system.During the reign of Okudei, the Mongolian royal family had already learned about various sects of Tibetan Buddhism.In 1247 A.D., Kuoduan wrote a letter to invite Saban Gongga Gyaltsan, an eminent monk of the Sakya sect, to meet him in Liangzhou. Saban's nephew Basiba went with his uncle.Soon, under the call of Saban, the local monks and laymen in Tibet surrendered to the Mongolian royal family, and the Sakya sect was thus relied on alone.

In 1253 A.D., Kublai Khan heard the name of Phagspa, summoned his left and right sides, and received the Buddhist precepts.In 1260 AD, Kublai Khan became the Great Khan of Mongolia.In the same year, the General Institute (later renamed the Xuanzheng Institute) was set up to manage the affairs of Buddhism and Tibetan areas across the country. Basiba, an eminent monk of the Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism who grew up in the Mongolian court, was appointed as the national teacher and ordered him to lead the General Institute. thing.In 1269 A.D., Phagspa presented the new Mongolian characters (that is, Phagspa script) which he made, and Kublai Khan promulgated it to the whole country.In the following year, he was promoted to the title of "Emperor Teacher, Great Treasure King of Dharma", and bestowed a jade seal.From then on, the setting of the post of Emperor Teacher remained unchanged throughout the Yuan Dynasty.The emperor's teacher is a high-ranking position. Those who succeed the emperor's teacher after Basiba are routinely in charge of the Xuanzheng Academy, rank first rank, and are bestowed with a jade seal.After Kublai Khan, the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty ascended the throne, and they all received Buddhist precepts from the emperor's teacher.After ascending the throne, it is necessary to "deliver an edict to praise and protect" the emperor's teacher (the edict is called "Pearl Edict".On weekdays, hundreds of officials go to court and line up in line, and there is a special seat for the emperor's teacher next to the emperor's seat.The order of the emperor is called the decree, which is passed in Buddhist temples all over the country.For example, imperial edicts issued by the emperor to Tibetan areas are counter-signed by the emperor's division.When the emperor's teacher travels, the emperor often sends ministers to welcome him and see him off, and even uses the emperor's half guard of honor to guide him along the way.The emperor was highly respected during his lifetime, and enjoyed great honor after his death.

(End of this chapter)