If there is an employment relationship, banknotes (national credit system), industrial products (porcelain) export trade, and national taxes are mainly industrial and commercial taxes (this should be defined as an industrial country or a commercial country even by modern standards). ), then the germination of capitalism appeared in Song Dynasty China!
The dreamlike Song Dynasty
The pinnacle of China's feudal dynasty was the Song Dynasty, not the Tang Dynasty. The Song Dynasty was the dynasty with the most prosperous economy, the most developed science and technology, the most prosperous culture, the highest art, and the richest people's living standards in Chinese history. The Song Dynasty was the most glorious dynasty for China and the country with the most inventions and creations in the world at that time. The Song Dynasty was also the period when China contributed the most to the world. More than half of the important inventions in Chinese history appeared in the Song Dynasty. At that time, three of China's so-called four great inventions were invented or began to be put into practical use on a large scale, including gunpowder, the compass, and the compass. Important reforms in printing, banknotes, vertical thread weaving, and porcelain craftsmanship. The navigation, shipbuilding, medicine, crafts, and agricultural technology of the Song Dynasty all reached heights unprecedented in ancient times and difficult to match in the future. The Song Dynasty also developed a new science, technical science. These brilliant achievements are directly related to the comprehensive civilization of Song Dynasty. The GDP of the Song Dynasty accounted for 50% of the world's GDP. The country's comprehensive strength, both in terms of quality and quantity, made the Song Dynasty the largest country in the world at that time. The Song Dynasty had reached the peak of the feudal dynasty, and the sprouts of capitalism had appeared.
1. [Economy and Commerce of the Song Dynasty]
The Song Dynasty was the only dynasty in ancient China that did not implement the policy of "suppressing business" for a long time. Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, it has controlled mines and organized the development of tea and salt. As a result, a large number of farmers liberated from the land invested in commercial handicrafts, and the private economy was stimulated and developed by leaps and bounds. Created unprecedented wealth and prosperity. At the beginning of the founding of the Song Dynasty, Song Taizu Zhao Jianyin called on people to "accumulate more money, sell land and houses, and leave children and grandchildren, and sing and dance for the rest of their lives." , asking officials to study how to manage money and get rich. Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty believed that "finance should be managed first" and issued an edict that "finance should be managed first before political affairs". These policy orientations led to a prosperous commercial tide, rapid development of commerce, and rapid development of the bank industry, which led to the emergence of the earliest banknotes and banks in the Song Dynasty for the first time in the world's human history. Banks can provide loans and make payments in other places. During the Northern Song Dynasty, large quantities of gold, silver, copper, iron, coal and other mineral deposits were mined, and the earliest manufacturing and processing plants in world history appeared across the country. Such as shipyards, firearms factories, paper mills, printing factories, weaving factories, official kilns in various places, etc. Workers in the factory receive their wages on schedule. In the Southern Song Dynasty, there were seven to eight thousand craftsmen in the arsenal. There are more than 1,200 apprentices in the establishment of the Huihui Sub-bureau. There are more than 400 weavers in Ayajinyuan. In addition to public factories, some private factories also appeared and prospered in large numbers. Because of the unprecedented prosperity of the economy, the amount of coins minted in the Song Dynasty was very large. For example, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, 5.06 million coins were minted annually nationwide. (The most prosperous year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Dynasty was 320,000 coins minted).
The forms and types of currency in the Song Dynasty were too rich. Copper coins and silver ingots were the standard currencies of the Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, copper coins and iron coins were used together, and some Song coins contained alloy components. There are also some silver coins. The coins of the Song Dynasty are the most accomplished coins in ancient Chinese history in terms of type, quantity and quality. The beautiful calligraphy inscribed on Song coins were mostly written by famous artists and emperors. The seal script and official script are both authentic and cursive, and the ancient seal script and thin gold script are restored. All kinds of exquisite coins are addictive, and the artistic craftsmanship of Song coins is the highest. Song Qian was the favorite and strongest currency of surrounding countries at that time. Song money became the treasure of the treasury of the countries in the South China Sea. Although countries such as the Liao Kingdom and the Jin Kingdom also imitated Song coins to make money, Song coins were the most widely circulated in the Jin Kingdom. Until now, there are still the largest number of Song Dynasty coins unearthed. Today, they have been unearthed in vast areas ranging from Japan in the east to Europe and Africa in the west. This shows the prosperity and strength of Song Dynasty. In order to avoid the trouble of carrying large amounts of copper coins, the earliest paper currency "Jiaozi" appeared among the people in Sichuan around 998 AD (the first year of Xianping). This is the earliest paper currency in our country and in the world. But this kind of paper money is only equivalent to a guaranteed token. The types of banknotes printed and issued by the Song Dynasty government include Jiaozi, Qianyin, Guanzi, Huizi and other types. In 1023 AD (the first year of Tiansheng), the Song government opened the world's first official institution responsible for the issuance of banknotes, "Yizhou Jiaoziwu", which was the world's earliest central people's bank.
In 1024 AD, the Song government began to print and issue "Jiaozi". This kind of "Jiaozi" copper plate color printing, with birds and animals, patterns, patterns or stories printed on it, is extremely exquisite. Such bills are like public bonds, issued on a demarcated basis. Initially, Jiaozi was divided into two years. When new Jiaozi was issued, the old Jiaozi was abolished and recycled. From 1072 AD (the fifth year of Xining), although one circle was still issued every two years, every Jiaozi was issued. The circulation period is increased to four years. The face value of Jiaozi is a fixed face value from Yiguanwen to Shiguanwen. It is based on iron money and has issuance reserves. It basically has the characteristic elements of modern standard currency. Its use is becoming more and more widespread. The use of bills provided convenient conditions for business prosperity. In the fourth year of Chongning in the Northern Song Dynasty, a new style of banknotes called "Qian Yin" was issued in Jiangbei and North China. However, it was only printed for one line and was stopped due to poor circulation and unable to be used smoothly. In 1107 AD (the first year of Daguan), Sichuan Jiaozi was renamed Qianyin, and Jiaoziwu was also renamed Qianyinwu. They began to print and issue a large number of banknotes. Due to the large number of issuances, Qianyin suffered a serious devaluation. In 1110 AD (the third year of Daguan), the circulation was limited to about 1.25 million coins during the Tiansheng period, and the circulation area was also limited to Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Hedong areas where iron money was used. Later, the introduction of exchange and suspension of old money was adopted. , increasing reserves and other methods to restore the value of money. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the Song government established the "Xingzaihuiziwu" in Hangzhou to specifically manage the printing of "Huizi". Huizi of one thousand, two thousand, three thousand and two hundred, three hundred and five hundred denominations were printed successively. Huizi uses three years as the "boundary". When it expires, it will be discarded and the old will be replaced by the new. From AD 1171 to AD 1240, *** issued the Eighteen Realms Huizi. Later, the government stipulated that the 17th and 18th circles could be circulated permanently. This is truly pure paper money issued by the government. Paper money gradually replaced copper coins as the primary medium of exchange. The rapid development of business has played a driving role.
The Song Dynasty adjusted the traditional legislation of previous dynasties that emphasized heavy punishment and despised people. It paid equal attention to justice and interests and attached great importance to economic legislation. The content of laws and regulations involves all aspects of social and economic activities, and special monopoly laws are set up, such as salt laws, wine laws, tea laws and other laws. The Song Dynasty became the most active period for economic legislation in ancient China. Legislative activities were frequent, and regulations involved all aspects of social and economic activities. The formulation and implementation of regulations were unprecedentedly imaginative. The economic laws of the Song Dynasty paid attention to the interest distribution relationship between the state and economic actors and complied with the laws of the commodity economy. The huge fiscal revenue obtained by the Song Dynasty was the result of the rapid development of the national economy, the extreme prosperity of industry and commerce, and the improvement of productivity levels. Abundant social financial resources enable the government to ensure government revenue without demanding excessive taxes on the people. This alleviates social conflicts and enters a virtuous cycle of governing the country. The economy of the Song Dynasty, especially the secondary and tertiary industries, has been greatly developed, and people's living standards have reached unprecedented heights. In 1077 AD, the total tax revenue of the Northern Song Dynasty was 70.7 million guan, of which 21.62 million guan from agricultural taxes accounted for 30%, and 49.11 million guan from industrial and commercial taxes accounted for 70%. The main body of national fiscal revenue is no longer agriculture, but industry and commerce. The Song Dynasty has already stepped out of agricultural civilization. During the Song Dynasty, China's agricultural society was already beginning to move towards an industrial and commercial society. Copperplate printed advertisements also appeared in the handicraft industry of the Song Dynasty. It predates the printing of advertisements by Western capitalism by more than three hundred years. The great scholar Su Dongpo once wrote an advertising poem for an old woman who made oily food, which greatly boosted her business. Shen Kuo's theory of currency circulation velocity has reached the level of modern monetary theory. In addition, "tabloids" similar to modern newspapers appeared in the Song Dynasty. The earliest sprout of capitalism in China was born in the powerful commercial wave of the Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty was the era when the citizen class formally emerged in Chinese society. A large number of craftsmen, businessmen, and small owners formed the middle class of the Song Dynasty. They are financially wealthy and have their own independent value pursuits. The wealthy and leisure life of the citizens, as well as their aesthetic taste and life interest, contributed to the high cultural prosperity of the Song Dynasty. Opera, acrobatics, music, poetry, novels, etc. all flourished in the Song Dynasty. Large-scale urbanization began in the Song Dynasty. For the first time, large cities appeared in China that were primarily centered on commerce rather than administration. The developed transportation in the Song Dynasty was the most developed in the feudal history of mankind. In the Song Dynasty, a postal pavilion was set up every ten miles and a post station was set up every thirty miles. Official roads are dotted all over the place and extend in all directions. The Song government attached great importance to the postal service's "rule of law" approach, which ensured the normal operation of the postal service. "The Dijing is sold by the White Pagoda Bridge, and the long pavilion and short post are clearly visible." The Dijing is a map, and the map of the Song Dynasty was already quite accurate.
The four capitals of the Song Dynasty were Kaifeng Prefecture in Tokyo, Luoyang Prefecture in Xijing, Daming Prefecture in Beijing, and Yingtian Prefecture in Nanjing. The population of large cities in the Song Dynasty was concentrated. Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, were both large cities with a population of more than one million. In the Song Dynasty, there were six counties with a population exceeding 200,000, just like Quanzhou. The number of cities with more than 100,000 households in the Song Dynasty increased from a dozen in the Tang Dynasty to forty-six. (Venice, the largest and most prosperous city in the West at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, had a population of only 100,000.) There is an hour hand hung on the towers of all the main roads in the city. Each clock is guarded and cared for by a person. He struck the copper ring to tell the time, and the sound echoed even in the narrow alleys. Then he used words to show the time to people. The Northern Song Dynasty was prosperous and powerful for more than 160 years. The capital of Bianliang (now Kaifeng, Henan) was "ten times more populous than the capital of Han and Tang Dynasties." Bianliang City not only had smooth and developed dry roads, but also developed water transportation. "Gunfu is titled Qingbian every year", "Lianpian Caoge enters China". "There are millions of households in Biandu, all of them rely on coal, and not one of them burns firewood." Bianliang City in the Song Dynasty already used coal (called burning stone in the West) instead of wood for cooking and heating. At that time, people in the West used wood to chop firewood for cooking and heating. None of the major cities in China after liberation in 1949 have reached this point. The birth of the emerging citizen class and the prosperous and comfortable life made people in the Song Dynasty have a strong sense of consumption, which greatly stimulated the prosperity and development of tertiary industries such as tea houses, wine markets, and entertainment industries. The cities of the Song Dynasty were not like the cities of the Tang Dynasty that went dark at night. Songcheng was a brilliant city of light at night. Because the Song Dynasty did not impose a curfew like the Tang Dynasty, Song people had a nightlife. As soon as night came, people in the Song Dynasty lit up lights in their rooms, at the door of their homes, and at the entrance to their courtyards, so there were lights everywhere. People who travel at night carry all kinds of lanterns. So at night the whole city twinkles. At night the lights in the city are brightly lit, and the hawking goes on until dawn. Various opera performances were performed in fixed entertainment venues such as "Wazi" and "Goulan", and citizens gathered to watch. The restaurants are busy at night, and the streets are packed with people until the sun rises again. "There are one or two noodle shops on the main street and the Shixifang Western Noodle Shop, where people buy and sell all night long, and there is no end to the business." "In the rest of Qiao Daofang Lane, there are also night markets selling fruit candies and other products, and there are also fortune tellers hawking on the streets. For example, market food is sold on stretchers until midnight. Even if there is heavy rain and snow in winter, there are also night markets." "The wine barracks are full of mixed songs, and the nights are as long as the first half of the first month.", "The singing and dancing in Liangyuan are full of romance, and the wine is like a knife to relieve sorrow. I recall the joy of being young, and going to the Fan Tower late at night with the lights on.", "Muran Looking back, that person was in a dimly lit place." "When will the singing and dancing of the West Lake and the Qingshan Tower outside the mountains stop? The warm wind makes the tourists drunk, and they think Hangzhou is Bianzhou." The tourists are not just the emperor's relatives, dignitaries and other few Song people, but the vast number of citizens in the city , most Song people. Song people lived such a prosperous and happy life. The Song Dynasty did not have the poverty of "the roads are frozen to death" and the pessimism and despair of "the country is broken and the mountains and rivers are there, but the spring of the city is deep with vegetation." There is only the optimism and prosperity of "When will the West Lake singing and dancing end"?
The Song Dynasty developed the south and actually developed the territory. He has made unparalleled contributions in making southerners more like Chinese people. Although there was some development in ancient times, the south is still mostly a barren land compared to the north of the Central Plains. This kind of development is not a development of war, but a cultural and economic penetration invasion. The prosperity of the Song Dynasty made southerners become real Chinese. Various ethnic minorities in the south have also gradually integrated into the Chinese nation. After the Song Dynasty, China was no longer divided between the north and the south. The Central Plains people from all over China, the northerners and the southerners, had gradually merged into a whole in the prosperous Song Dynasty. Zhenzong and Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty broke the tradition of "Southerners not being prime ministers". Wang Yinruo from Linjiang and Ding Wei from Suzhou served as prime ministers. In the ninth year of Kaibao's reign, Yuelu Academy, the first of the four universities, was built in Changsha, Hunan, which was once the land of Sanmiao. Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty personally wrote the four characters "Yuelu Academy" on the main entrance, which remain to this day. Zhu Xi, a literati from the Song Dynasty, and other literary and thought masters came here to teach and teach democratic ideas such as Confucian classics, establishing a country to bring order to the world, and valuing the people and respecting the monarch. From the autumn of 1024 AD to the spring of 1028 AD, Fan Zhongyan personally led more than 40,000 migrant workers in Taizhou to complete the construction of more than 150 miles of sea dikes. Since then, salt fields and farmland have been guaranteed, allowing thousands of families who had been relocated due to disasters in previous years to return home. In order to commemorate Fan Zhongyan's contribution, this seaweir was called "Fangong Dike". When Fan Zhongyan was demoted to Suzhou, he completed the Suzhou water conservancy project after more than a year of hard work with migrant workers. The relatively barren Suzhou has become a large granary that guarantees harvests despite droughts and floods. In 1085 AD, Su Dongpo was demoted to Hangzhou. At that time, Hangzhou was still a relatively backward area. Su Dongpo built six wells to solve the problem of water supply for the whole city.
They also comprehensively renovated the West Lake and dug out a large amount of mud from the bottom of the lake to build a willow embankment connecting the north and the south. People named it "Su Causeway" in memory of Su Dongpo. "Spring Dawn on Su Causeway" is still one of the scenic spots in West Lake. Throughout his life, Su Dongpo traveled to Mizhou, Xuzhou, Huzhou, Hangzhou, Yingzhou, Yangzhou, Yingzhou, Huizhou and other places, reaching as far south as Hainan Island. It can be said that along the way, he supervised farming, built water conservancy projects and solved the problems of the people. Officials who made mistakes or were demoted due to political disagreements in the Song Dynasty were generally exiled to backward areas in the south. This gives them the opportunity to serve the country, prove themselves, and benefit the people there.
The two Song Dynasties were a critical period when the social and economic development level of the Taihu Lake Basin jumped to the forefront of the country. The number of cultivated land in Suzhou before and after Yongxi (984 AD - 987 AD) did not exceed 1,400,000 acres at most. During the Jingyou period (1034 - 1037 AD), Suzhou's taxable land was 3,400,000 acres. The number of cultivated fields has increased nearly 1.5 times in the past 50 years. In the second year of Duanping (AD 1235), the total cultivated land in Suzhou increased to about 12,000,000 acres, which was 3.5 times that of Jingyou and 8.5 times that of Yongxi. The Song government attached great importance to dredging and weir projects, and often carried out large-scale water conservancy projects, greatly improving productivity. Created a successful experience. First of all, water conservancy projects to dredge rivers, lakes, harbors and rivers can eliminate the harm of waterlogging in vast farmland and benefit from irrigation. For example, in 1055 AD (the second year of Zhihe), 156,000 civilians were mobilized to dredge Jing 64, Pu 44, and Tang 6, and build Zhihe Pond. "There are no wetlands in the fields, and the people will not get sick." Both sides of the bank are blessed with fertile land. Millions of hectares have benefited from it. In 1119 AD (the first year of Xuanhe), Zhao Lin employed more than 2.78 million workers and spent 19 months dredging 1 river, 1 port, 4 pu, and 58 rivers, so that Pingjiang Prefecture had "no floods in twenty years." In 1115 AD (the fifth year of Zhenghe), Jiangyin dredged the Henghe River, Shidun River, Dongxinhe River and Daihong Port, so that "the fields of ten villages nearby were suffering from frequent droughts and floods, and the troubles were eliminated", and the farmland benefited from 6,573 hectares. In 1167 AD (the second year of Qiandao), the Guhuipu River channel was dredged, and "tens of thousands of acres of farmland destroyed by the old water were still fertilized." Opening and dredging rivers, lakes, harbors and rivers not only ensures that the Taihu Lake water system can flow smoothly into the rivers and seas, but also enables local farmland to effectively resist floods and droughts. Under the comprehensive effect of various water conservancy projects, the farmland construction in the Taihu Lake Basin benefited greatly, and it was the area with the highest concentration of water conservancy fields in the country during the Song Dynasty. Someone made statistics on various water conservancy projects, water conservancy fields and their total cultivated land during the Xining period of the Northern Song Dynasty. The two Zhejiang roads where the Taihu Lake Basin is located ranked first, with 2,294 water conservancy projects and 10,484,842 acres of water conservancy fields, accounting for 10,484,842 acres of total cultivated land. 28.8% of the cultivated land. Before and after Chunxi of the Southern Song Dynasty, there were more than 2,100 water conservancy projects on the West Zhejiang Road with the Taihu Lake Basin as the main body, which was close to the sum of the two Zhejiang provinces during the Xining period. "History of the Song Dynasty·Shihuo Zhi" says: In western Zhejiang, "the water conservancy fields became richer in the Central Plains after crossing to the south, so water conservancy flourished". Taihu Lake's water conservancy has ensured that "low fields are often free of floods, high fields are often free of drought, and within a few hundred miles, harvests are often abundant." "The coast of Ju'an is surrounded by wild rice plants, which turn the land into a land of swamps. The algae and reeds are cultivated into a land of rice." It became the best area for intensive agriculture in the Song Dynasty.
After the Song Dynasty crossed south and established its capital in Hangzhou, a large number of people from the north and the Central Plains migrated to the south. Elites from all over the country gathered in Hangzhou. The South became even more prosperous. The migrating people were afraid that their descendants would not know where their ancestors came from, so they developed the culture of ancestral halls. In 1102 AD, the population of Hangzhou was only 200,000 households. In 1274 AD, the population reached 1.24 million households. Most of the population in Hangzhou are immigrants. The Song Dynasty's development and management in the south laid the foundation for the prosperity of the south. Since then, the south has been the most economically developed region in China in all dynasties.
2. [Song’s Science and Technology]
Song porcelain was the national symbol of China at that time. The five famous kilns in the Song Dynasty were Ru kiln, Guan kiln, Jun kiln, Ge kiln and Ding kiln. It can be said that the first commercial industry in the human world was the porcelain industry of the Song Dynasty. Many techniques of Song porcelain have been lost. Many of the craftsmanship levels of Song porcelain are difficult to achieve even in modern times. The porcelain of the Song Dynasty was so exquisite that it can be said that almost all the famous porcelain kilns left over from the Song Dynasty are priceless.
Shen Kuo, a famous scientist in the Northern Song Dynasty, conducted research on astronomy, calendar, medicine, mathematics, etc.
Shen Kuo wrote "Mengxi Bi Tan" to record a large number of scientific and technological achievements and scientific discoveries, such as the discovery of geomagnetic angle, the record of triboelectricity phenomenon, and the discussion of optical problems, etc.
The earliest person to use thermal weapons in human history was the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty also used a compass to march an army.
At that time, China's shipbuilding technology was the most advanced in the world. The merchant ships of the Song Dynasty were the largest ships imaginable at that time. Some had six-layer masts, four-layer decks, and twelve large sails, and could carry more than a thousand people. The Song Dynasty was the most important maritime trading power at that time, and Quanzhou and Mingzhou were the largest maritime trading ports at that time. Taxes from maritime trade are the government's main source of finance, accounting for half of its fiscal revenue.
The Song Dynasty was the most prosperous period of ancient Chinese mathematics and the pinnacle of ancient Chinese mathematics. Unfortunately, Chinese mathematics began to decline after the Song Dynasty. Although ancient Chinese mathematics still developed sporadicly during the Yuan Dynasty, there was no overall environment for the continued development and application of Chinese mathematics. Mathematics in the Song Dynasty of China was a miracle of the world, but it was also a tragedy for Chinese science...
Three [Political Democracy in the Song Dynasty]
Zhao Kuangyin was proud of the separatist rule of the princes. He is deeply aware of the harmful effects of feudal rule on the people of the country. Song Taizu's release of military power over a cup of wine drew on the experience and lessons of the Tang Dynasty's feudal feudal regimes (which essentially meant the country was divided into four parts by force). It is a far-sighted strategy to strengthen centralization and promote the reunification of the motherland. Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin not only did not kill meritorious ministers, but also stipulated in legal form that the emperor could not whip ministers in the court in the future. It is not allowed to insult the ministers. Subjects are not allowed to kill except for treason and rebellion. Taizu of the Song Dynasty passed down the "oath plate" that "no scholar-bureaucrats or those who write letters to the emperor shall be killed" and "any descendant who takes this oath will be killed by heaven". Emperors of all dynasties strictly implemented this ancestral precept. Even Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty who killed Yue Fei and came to power due to the war, only killed three times. This is extremely rare in other dynasties. The rulers of the Song Dynasty attached great importance to learning from the historical lessons of China's past. Sima Guang compiled the famous "Zizhi Tongjian". Marked by the establishment of political advisors, the Song Dynasty implemented a collective leadership system of prime ministers and auxiliaries, which was a sign of a more rational operation of centralized power. To a considerable extent, the emperor must also listen to the collective opinions of the ministers and ministers. It should be said that the supreme ruler cannot handle the affairs of the government or decide the fate of ministers or even the life and death of his ministers based on his own joys and sorrows. The "civilianization" of national governance is a trend of historical development. The Song Dynasty established the country with benevolence and righteousness, and the political situation was clear and clear. In the Song Dynasty, there was no separatist rule by local forces, nor did eunuchs, concubines, and relatives have the power to interfere in political affairs and disrupt the country. There was no literary prison in the Song Dynasty. Officials would not lose their heads, have their whole families beheaded, or have nine clans wiped out because they said the wrong thing or wrote the wrong word. The Song Dynasty specially established the Yanguan system. During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, he further increased the power of Taiwan's remonstrances and the intensity of court debates. Governing the country with culture is a symbol of China's progress from a barbaric society to a modern civilization. The open and generous political atmosphere enables officials to dare to criticize government affairs and express their own political opinions. As a result, a large number of officials emerged in the Song Dynasty who dared to give direct advice in Chinese history, such as Kou Zhun, Fan Zhongyan, Bao Zheng, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi and other great names. Only in the Song Dynasty in Chinese history could Bao Zheng quarrel with Emperor Renzong face to face in the court, and Bao Zheng's saliva splashed on Emperor Renzong's face. Even if Song Renzong was angry again, he didn't do anything to Bao Zheng. Bao Zheng still had the courage to give direct advice and was still promoted to an official. "In the reign of Renzong, those who are in doubt and in prison should be treated lightly." Song Renzong always dealt with difficult cases lightly. This shows the enlightenment and democracy of the emperors of the Song Dynasty. The entire society respects intellectuals, and the status of cultural people has increased unprecedentedly. All dynasties in the Song Dynasty cherished talents and treated officials favorably. Even if Lu Duoxun and Ding Wei were plotting for the throne, such major crimes were just a matter of exile. There was no so-called officialdom in the Song Dynasty, and lower-level officials could sue superior officials. Even the prime minister who is "below one person and above ten thousand people" is not immune to this. Among them, Bao Zheng impeached his immediate boss and several officials with higher positions than him. Figures like Bao Zheng could only emerge in the enlightened Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, it was not uncommon for people to sue officials. Anti-corruption instructions were posted on the doors of government offices at all levels. People could appeal and sue officials until they won the case.
A large number of Europeans and Asians did business or settled in China. At that time, there were a large number of mixed-race people in Quanzhou. Among them, the Song Dynasty assimilated a large number of Jews. This is "unprecedented and unprecedented" in human history.
It is only recorded that there were 17 large Jewish families in Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty. They settled in China after accepting the three chapters of the agreement to "become to me in Zhongxia, abide by the ancestral customs, and leave behind Bianliang". The assimilation of Jews shows the prosperity of the Song Dynasty in all aspects. It can be seen that Chinese civilization and science and technology spread and influenced the West during the Song Dynasty. People of various faiths lived together in harmony in the enlightened and prosperous society of the Song Dynasty. Harmony without difference is the overall portrayal of the Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty became the second period of academic freedom in Chinese history since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In the Song Dynasty, for the first time, there were signs of the convergence of craftsmanship and philosophy traditions. The four famous academies of the Song Dynasty (Yuelu Academy, Bailudong Academy, Ehu Academy, and Songyang Academy) became holy places for Confucian disciples to absorb cultural milk. "There are three hundred Daolin disciples and a thousand disciples in the academy." Taixue has student dormitories and a stadium. Candidates for Taixue come from all over. The food expenses for Taipei students are completely covered by the government, which costs about 3,000 guan per person per year. The Song government only provided food expenses for Taixuan students, spending more than 5 million yuan every year. Rejuvenating the country through science and education not only promotes the prosperity of science and technology, commerce, literature and art, but also promotes diversified political thinking and the establishment of factions with democratic and enlightened political revenge ideas.
The political arena of the Song Dynasty was not a backwater. There were democratic party disputes in the Song Dynasty, and there were reformers, conservatives, war-fighting factions, peace-promoting factions, etc. in the Song Dynasty. Reformists and conservatives are not simply two factions. Nor is it fixed. In 1042 AD, Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang revised the reform laws and implemented the "Qingli New Deal". In 1069 AD, Wang Anshi carried out the political reform. Sima Guang opposed the reform, so did Ouyang Xiu, and so did Su Shi. But the arguments against and against are also different. When the reformists were in power, Su Shi opposed excessive reforms, and when the conservatives were in power, he opposed and abandoned all new laws. Sima Guang and Wang Anshi respected each other, but they had different political opinions. Although the two groups have different views and positions, they are not motivated by personal gain but put the interests of the country and the people first. Song's partisanship is a model of democratic politics.
Five [Military Martial Arts of the Song Dynasty]
The Song Dynasty made progress in the military system. It separated the military and political organs from the command system, and separated the mobilization system from the command system. These are all Characteristics of modern military. The Song Dynasty persisted in making the country prosperous and the people strong for more than three hundred years despite the lack of defense facilities on the Great Wall. It cannot be said that the Song Dynasty and the Song Army were too weak.
In the age of cold weapons, the more barbaric, the more powerful, and the more backward, the more vicious. If you are backward and poor, you have the incentive to rob those who are richer than you. The Liao Kingdom was more barbaric than the Song Dynasty, so the Song Dynasty gave money and silk to the Liao Dynasty. Jin was more barbaric than Liao, so Jin destroyed Liao. The Mongols were more barbaric than the Jin people, so the Mongols destroyed the Jin people. The Mongols were much more barbaric than the Song people, so of course the Song Dynasty could not defeat the Mongols. Throughout the history of the world, ancient civilized countries were wiped out by nations that were more backward and barbaric than them.
The richer a person is, the more afraid of death he is; the happier a person is, the more he loves life. The poorer a person is, the less afraid of death he is. A hungry person is more ruthless than a full person. A person who worries about food and clothing will fight bravely than a person who has no worries about food and clothing. A robber will be more powerful than a scholar. Song people were too civilized and used to living a comfortable and wealthy life. Song people were born for production, creation, and peace. The Mongols were born to ride horses, plunder, and fight.
What is terrifying about the Mongols is that they not only possess the brutal fighting power of primitive nomads, but also possess the advanced and superb technology of civilized nations. When the Mongols attacked the next city, the only kind of people left behind were the city's artisans. In ancient times, the Mongols were just like in modern times. They not only possessed the fearless spirit of the Afghan Taliban, but also possessed high-tech armed technologies such as American atomic bombs.
The war between the Song and Yuan Dynasties was the most disparate ethnic war in Chinese history. Because one is the peak feudal civilization that is developing toward capitalism, and the other is the civilization of a newly formed nation that is in its primitive period.
The demise of a country or dynasty is not necessarily due to its own decadence and internal chaos, the monarch’s incompetence, or the people’s hardship. A prosperous country may be faced with external barbaric forces, and may be caused by a momentary strategic decision-making error or a war failure.
The emperors and rulers of the Song Dynasty were relatively enlightened and meritorious compared to the rulers of other dynasties. The demise of the Song Dynasty was not inevitable but accidental. There are many reasons for the demise of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty was not defeated by one nation and one dynasty at once, but by the combined efforts of multiple nations and dynasties many times. Mongolia launched its attack on the Song Dynasty, the most prosperous and powerful country in the world, after annihilating the Western Liao, Xixia, Huacizm and other countries, pacifying the Middle East, conquering most of Europe, ruling most of the world, and subsuming all the surrounding countries of the Song Dynasty. . The Song people were too civilized, but they used advanced technology, gunpowder and warships to suppress the powerful Mongolian coalition for decades. The Song Dynasty was the country that lasted the longest under the brutal Mongolian iron heel. The Song Dynasty was the creator of civilization, while Mongolia was the plunderer of civilization. The failure of the Song Dynasty was because the Song people were too civilized, and the demise of the Song Dynasty was because the Song Dynasty developed too fast and was incompatible with the barbaric world at that time...
There is nothing to be ashamed of when a civilization is wiped out. Although Greece and Rome were both wiped out by barbarism, their civilization is still the pride of Westerners! People around the world still admire the height of civilization they created. No one in the West will slander Greece and Rome, and no one will revere the Turks and Turks. No country or nation will admire an uneducated, rude and powerful robber. But some of us Chinese people are a little strange now. We slander and criticize the dynasty that represents the pinnacle of Chinese civilization, and praise and beautify the barbarians who massacred our ancestors who created an outstanding, advanced and superb civilization in human history. We don't seem to know who our ancestors are. It is hard to imagine that today's Jews would worship Hitler and insult and belittle their Jewish ancestors who were massacred by Hitler. And this is exactly the case in China... We are used to beautifying the cold-blooded bandits who massacred our ancestors butchers into great heroes! We are used to slandering and scolding the great Song Dynasty, which brought so much honor and pride to China in the world. In this world, only the Chinese are keen on reviling their own ancestors. In the West, it is difficult to see Westerners reviling Aristotle. In China, we not only criticize Zhu Xi, but also Confucius, who has been hailed as a saint by our ancestors for thousands of years and is revered as a great thinker in various countries around the world. As a Chinese, if he can even criticize Confucius and Zhu Xi, what else can he not do? Is he still Chinese? The ancient Greek Olympic civilization continues to flourish in the world and in China! However, Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties, which represents the essence of Chinese traditional cultural thought, has been criticized by the Chinese themselves as being useless. Most Chinese people today do not know how good, superior and rare their ancestors were. We were cut off from the inheritance and continuity of Chinese civilization by barbaric massacres. Do we still deserve to be called descendants of the Song people?
Here we only talk about how good Song Dynasty is, not what is bad about Song Dynasty. Because Song's shortcomings are well known to everyone and have been exaggerated by education and propaganda. However, Song's good qualities were ignored or regarded as bad. The Song Dynasty was destroyed, and the good things of the Song Dynasty were regarded as bad and the reasons for its demise. We people today have an unfair evaluation of the Song Dynasty, we are unfair to the Song people, and we are unfair to our ancestors. Even Westerners who despise the arrogance of Eastern civilization can't help but admire the height of civilization created by the Song Dynasty. Why do we despise the civilization that was the pinnacle of our ancient society? But after all, only a very small number of Westerners were able to come into contact with and study Song Dynasty civilization. Does our civilization have to be discovered by others? If we don’t speak up for our ancestors, then do we have to rely on a very small number of Western experts and scholars who study Chinese history to speak out fairly? We should be proud of the Song Dynasty's contribution to world civilization. We should be proud that we are descendants of the Song people.