In 1 19 BC, he went to the western regions again, and this time he went to many countries. Since then, the Han Dynasty has had frequent exchanges with the Western Regions.
Significance: Since Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, the envoys of the Han Dynasty have been in contact with the Western Regions. They transported China's silk products from Chang 'an to Hexi Corridor, which is now Xinjiang, to West Asia, and then to Europe, and imported the hall treasures of the western regions into the mainland of China, thus communicating with the famous Silk Road in history. Zhang Qian was the first person to open up the Silk Road. After that, countries in the western regions joined the Han Dynasty in succession, and the Western Han government established the Western Regions Duhu. Since then, Xinjiang has been under the jurisdiction of the central government and has become an inseparable part of China. This is inseparable from Zhang Qian's achievements.
The Significance of Zhang Qian's Mission to the Western Regions
Different from China's previous idea of governing the country with a closed monarchy, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty attached importance to strengthening ties with neighboring countries and strengthening his influence at the same time. This diplomatic strategy played an important role in his great cause of conquering Xiongnu, and was practiced by Zhang Qian, a great explorer, spy and diplomat.
Xiongnu-the most powerful enemy of Han Dynasty
At the beginning of the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, the whole of China was not separated from the rebellion at the end of the Qin Dynasty. In the northern part of the empire, the powerful nomadic Huns have always been an unavoidable threat to the Han Dynasty. During the period of peace between the two countries, Huns and peasants in the Han Dynasty exchanged goods. Once the war started, they would forcibly plunder the grain and other goods on the land of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty tried to defeat the Huns with their two most powerful weapons-chariots and farming culture. But on the vast grassland, chariots are no match for tarquin. Moreover, Huns are used to life on horseback and need other living materials. They disdain to make their own, and the first thing that comes to mind is to grab the territory of the Han Dynasty.
Until the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Han and Wang began to strongly resist the invasion of ethnic minorities in the northwest, and at the same time began to concentrate domestic manpower and material resources to expand the border to the northwest. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, like his posthumous title, was a martial feudal emperor. Under his command, the Chinese nation ended internal friction and chaos and reunited to deal with foreign enemies. The ruling power of the whole dynasty was concentrated in the hands of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Under his command, the whole country became an organic and closely integrated whole again.
Emperor Wu's army was not only brave and good at fighting, but also good at building fortifications and roads. In order to accumulate combat experience and expand the influence of the Han Dynasty in the whole East, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent troops to advance in all directions-south to Vietnam and Myanmar, east to Korea and north to Mongolia.
Compared with the Qin dynasty, the most important improvement of the military strength of the Han dynasty is in strategy and tactics. The millions of troops of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty were equipped with steel swords and shields for close combat and strong crossbows for long-range attacks. In the constant conquest, the army of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty accumulated combat experience, improved combat skills, and implemented a reward and punishment system with clear rewards and punishments from top to bottom. By this time, China's army really began to be professional, and the soldiers were skilled in riding and shooting bows and horses. They were no longer farmers who cultivated at ordinary times and recruited in wartime. Wei Qing and other military commanders are fearless, familiar with all aspects of the war, and fair and generous to their subordinates. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established an efficient logistics support system throughout the country, and all the material production in the country was quickly filled into the state treasury, and then most of it was immediately sent to the front. In the land conquered by the Han army, local officials, immigrants and craftsmen quickly settled here and began the usual expansion strategy of the Chinese nation-assimilation of foreigners with culture.
Nevertheless, in the battles of several years in a row, even in the battles of total victory, the losses of the Han army were very great. In the face of the same huge and more mobile Xiongnu army, it is difficult for the Han army to win a happy victory. On the northwest border, the war is bloody and cruel. A general led 60,000 soldiers to the war and won a great victory, but only 50,000 people were left in the winning team, and the rest of the soldiers were buried in a foreign land. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty finally realized that although his country's national strength was getting stronger and stronger, he could not destroy the entire Xiongnu nation by himself, and he needed an alliance with his country.
Zhang Qian made his first mission to the Western Regions.
On the vast Mongolian grassland in the north, the tribes fought in melee for years, and the Huns defeated many nomadic tribes and occupied their homes. The Vietnamese who fled to the territory of the Eastern Han Dynasty were in shock. They told the residents of the Han Dynasty in fear that their tribe was defeated by the Huns and the people were slaughtered. Their tribal leader was beheaded by Huns and made into a hip flask with his head. The rest of the people fled everywhere, but other tribes around did not dare to be enemies of the Huns, so they could not win any alliance; Even the nomadic people in Central Asia have no intention of taking them in, so the Vietnamese can only migrate further west.
Emperor Wu of Han discovered this good opportunity in time. He prepared a letter asking for an alliance and prepared to send someone to the Yue tribe. He called together his trusted princes and ministers, hoping to find someone who could become a great leader. Zhangqian volunteered. At that time, he was just a general of the body guard. In the history books, even Zhang Qian's specific date of birth is not stated. But many years later, historians described Zhang Qian in their historical records: "Zhang Qian became a doer. Strong and resourceful, you can go far. " Zhang Qian is just the man that Emperor Wu is looking for. It means a long journey of more than 3,000 kilometers to send the book to Yueshi. There are heavy mountains all the way, and no guide knows how to get there. More dangerously, if you want to go to Central Asia, you have to cross the territory controlled by the Huns, where the enemy rides a good horse to chase and intercept. At that time, no one knew where the Yue tribe had moved.
In 138 BC, Zhang Qian set out with 100, accompanied by a barbarian slave named Gan Fu who had followed Zhang Qian for many years. When approaching the territory of Xiongnu, Zhang Qian and his party were not timid. They went straight to the Xiongnu defense line, hoping to cross Xiongnu territory in the shortest time. But they obviously underestimated the density of the enemy's defense line, and it was not long before the Huns caught them.
In the land of Xiongnu, Zhang Qian was under house arrest for 10 years, and could not leave the land of Xiongnu. He even married a Hun wife and had several children. The Huns finally let their guard down, and they allowed the Zhang Qian family to move westward. Zhang Qian seized the opportunity and fled with a few followers.
Passing through several Central Asian countries along the way, I heard Zhang Qian's description. The kings of these countries were attracted by the vast territory and rich resources of the East, and even more fascinated by handicrafts such as silk and porcelain in the East. They all expressed their willingness to trade with the Han Dynasty, but when they formed an alliance against the Huns, they had no confidence.
Finally, Zhang Qian and his party finally found the Yue tribe. The Yue people settled in Daxia under the rule of the Roman Empire. They have adapted to living in a new land and have no interest in returning to the East to continue fighting their former enemies. In despair, these messengers from the East set out to return to their homes. When passing through the land of Xiongnu, Zhang Qian was detained again. A year later, he and his wife returned to their hometown with the help of Gan's father. When I saw Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty again, it was 12 years since Zhang Qian was ordered to travel.
Zhang Qian's military career.
Although the most important task was not completed, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not blame Zhang Qian, but retained him as a court counselor. Although Zhang Qian's diplomatic efforts to go to Vietnam failed, his exploration itself was of great significance to the Western Han Dynasty. After Zhang Qian and his party arrived in Central Asia, they collected a great deal of political, economic and military information when they were looking for the tribes of Yue, and even collected information from the western and southern countries farther away, including the general situation of India, Daxia, Syria and the Roman Empire.
With the keen sense of smell peculiar to soldiers, Zhang Qian began to pay attention to every water source and meadow after he entered the control area of Xiongnu, and recorded it in detail. He also told Emperor Wu that he had seen a good horse in Dawan country (now Fergana Valley) with amazing endurance and speed. They have a legendary name-"bloody BMW". It is said that they sweated profusely after running fast, which was later proved to be a symptom caused by parasitic infection. Zhang Qian praised them as the best mounts for cavalry in the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu himself likes horses very much. As soon as he heard there was such a BMW, he naturally wanted it. At this time, the attitude of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty also changed. He believed that although the alliance could not be reached, trade was still a good choice, although many envoys sent by Emperor Wu were looted by nomadic tribes.
Soon, Zhang Qian joined the army of General Wei Qing, and his official position was a captain. Because he has accumulated a lot of experience in collecting intelligence, Zhang Qian is mainly responsible for spying on intelligence and providing supplies along the way. In the north, Wei Qing led troops to fight fiercely with Xiongnu. It was Zhang Qian's information about the distribution of water and pasture that helped the Han army. They won a series of victories, so Zhang Qian was named Hou.
But Zhang Qian's military career was not smooth sailing. In the subsequent battles, Zhang Qian, as the main counselor and commander-in-chief, followed Li Guang to attack the Huns. Li Guang's troops were besieged by Huns because of poor command. Zhang Qian's wrong judgment made the army fail to escape in time, and the Han army suffered heavy losses. According to the law and discipline of the Han army, such a fault punishment should be beheaded, but Zhang Qian narrowly escaped death, but was deprived of his title.
Went to the western regions again
Zhang Qian lost his title and became a civilian again, but he still served in Korea. Zhang Qian met with Emperor Wudi many times, which shows the importance of continuing to strengthen exchanges with western countries. Of course, to some extent, he wanted Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to send him again and win the championship again. Zhang Qian himself believed that communication with the West was related to the fate of the Han Dynasty. He remonstrated with Emperor Wu, saying that Wu Sun, the former vassal state of Xiongnu, could be persuaded to attack Xiongnu together, as long as Emperor Wu promised to let them return to their homeland that was taken away by Xiongnu afterwards. Zhang Qian and other advisers thought that they could win the cooperation of Wusun leaders with the kiss policy, and then lured them back to the East with a lot of treasures. Once the Wusun people united with the Han Dynasty, it would be tantamount to "breaking the Huns' right arm". After the Huns were destroyed, the army of the Han Dynasty could even continue to advance westward, making the Western countries such as Daxia submit.
Emperor Wu accepted his suggestion and sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions again. This time, Zhang Qian brought 300 cavalry, silks and satins, horses, gold and silver, livestock and many other treasures. After arriving in the Western Regions, Zhang Qian divided the team into four roads and went to different tribes with gifts. He led a delegation to Wusun tribe himself, but the leader of Wusun people did not immediately agree to form an alliance with the Han Dynasty. At the same time, the other three teams have also made progress, and have returned to the land of the Western Han Dynasty with the motorcade of information, exchange of goods and foreign envoys.
Different from the previous idea of China's closed monarchy, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty hoped to strengthen ties with neighboring countries and strengthen his influence at the same time. After the envoys of various tribes came to visit one after another, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent more envoys and businessmen to Central Asia. They make deals with local people, and as long as they name Zhang Qian, they will gain the trust of local people. The number of merchants in the Han Dynasty gradually increased in Central Asia, and the exchanges and understanding between the East and the West gradually deepened.
Not long after, with the increasing influence of the Han Dynasty in Central Asia, King Wusun agreed to pro-Han Dynasty. Through these marriages, the trade between China and other countries in the Western Regions became more frequent. Nevertheless, these countries did not have the will to form an alliance with the Western Han Dynasty to resist the Huns.
Conquer Dawan and open the Silk Road.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was in no hurry to seek success, and decided to implement a two-step strategy to win the support of these countries. First of all, he launched a war against the Huns, which won a great victory and killed 90 thousand Huns. Then in BC 10 1 year, it captured the Dawan country in Central Asia, the hometown of blood BMW. But in fact, taking these famous horses is just an excuse for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent messengers to Dawan several times, following in Zhang Qian's footsteps, and did not hesitate to exchange a large sum of money for a blood horse, but King Dawan refused his request again and again. For the last time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent an envoy Han Buhai to exchange a golden horse made of gold and many valuable gifts for a horse with Chinese blood. King Dawan is still unwilling to hand over the BMW, but he really wants the treasure sent by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He killed the messenger and took the treasure.
Emperor Wu finally found an excuse to send troops. The advance troops he sent were all composed of domestic criminals and hooligans. They didn't carry enough materials and asked other countries along the way. If they don't hand over the food, they are regarded as accomplices of the big bowl. Not surprisingly, this army failed, but it also paralyzed Dawanguo. How could Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty accept such failure? He then mobilized nearly 200,000 troops to assemble in Dunhuang. It is said that all the drinking water in Dawanguo was taken from outside the city, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty specially sent several water conservancy experts to accompany him. The Han army cut off the hidden water diversion system of Dawan Capital and soon conquered the whole tribe.
The victorious Han army returned home in triumph. Central Asian countries along the way were all shocked when they heard that the Han army had conquered Dawan State. Princes and nobles from all over the country sent sons and nephews to follow the Han army back to the Central Plains. They paid tribute to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and stayed in the Han Dynasty as hostages to show their loyalty to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. So far, Zhang Qian's strategy of expanding the influence of the Han Dynasty in Central Asia through diplomatic means and trade has been successful.
The biggest implementer of this diplomatic strategy is undoubtedly Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, but Zhang Qian, as an advocate and practitioner, deserves more respect. Unfortunately, Zhang Qian didn't wait until his ambition was realized, and he died the next year after returning from Wusunguo.
It was not until 5 1 year BC that Uhaanyehe, a Hun, bowed to Xuan Di, the great-grandson of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, and Zhang Qian's strategy ensured the stability of the Han family. In the same year, Caesar, the great conqueror of the West, conquered Gaul and began to invade Britain.
The successful strategies of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Zhang Qian won the guarantee of trade, construction and unification for China. At the same time, Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions is of far-reaching significance to China and western history. In BC 105, the emissary followed in Zhang Qian's footsteps and came to today's Iranian territory, where he met the king of the interest country. The envoys of the Han Dynasty laid gorgeous and smooth silk at the monarch's feet. The king was so happy that he gave it back to Emperor Wu with ostrich eggs and a magic troupe. This marks the formal establishment of the Silk Road connecting Eastern China and the Western Roman Empire. In the following years, Zhang Qian's name was remembered by people in the East and West.