Who are the Kunlun slaves in China's history books?
When it comes to Kunlun slaves, many people will think of Kunlun Mountain. In fact, there is no connection between them.
The earliest historical period of Kunlun slaves in China can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. At that time, nobles prevailed and slaves were raised at home. This kind of slaves mainly came from tribute and trafficking. At first, they just performed songs and dances and did some heavy servant work.
In ancient times, "Kunlun" not only referred to Kunlun Mountain, but also described people with dark skin. Do you know why they are called Kunlun slaves? At that time, people usually judged whether they were Kunlun slaves by their skin color. Kunlun slaves have short limbs and short stature, but they are flexible, good at swimming and good at water. Some Kunlun slaves came from distant Africa and some from Southeast Asia.
No matter what skills Kunlun slaves have, they can't get rid of the tragic fate of slaves in essence. Some defeated prisoners in their own countries were plundered by the victors and became slaves in Kunlun; The other is from tribute, but in this case, the number of Kunlun slaves who pay tribute is very small. The most important kind of Kunlun slaves comes from trafficking. Because nobles like to raise Kunlun slaves, engage in miscellaneous farming and even tame wild animals. Moreover, the nobles kept up with each other, so some businessmen and nobles began to buy and sell slaves in Nanyang. These slaves are what we call Kunlun slaves.
Now there are some murals about Kunlun slaves in some unearthed Tang Dynasty murals and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. Kunlun slaves are not only engaged in odd jobs, but also good at singing and dancing because of their agility, and they will also enter the court to perform related performances.
How did Kunlun slaves come from?
First, the indigenous "Kunlun slaves" in Southeast Asia.
Some Kunlun slaves in the Tang Dynasty came from Southeast Asia and some from Africa. Kunlun slaves from Southeast Asia are not black people in the traditional sense. They just grow up in a tropical environment where the sun is strong and their skin is tanned by the scorching sun. They look black. They are actually indigenous to the yellow race in Southeast Asia and Asia. Most of them yearn for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, want to go to the Tang Dynasty to develop and create a career, dream of achieving great achievements in the Tang Dynasty that cannot be achieved in their hometown, and voluntarily go to the Tang Dynasty.
Second, African black "Kunlun slaves"
Many Kunlun slaves came from distant Africa. You may wonder, how did they travel long distances across Qian Shan to reach the Tang Dynasty in Asia when the traffic was extremely underdeveloped at that time? The answer is that because of the shortage of food and water in Africa, blacks can't eat enough and can't meet their basic food needs. Arabs who happened to be good at business passed by and found possible business opportunities, so they lured blacks with food, arrested them, shipped them to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and traded slaves with the nobles in the prosperous Tang Dynasty to make huge profits.
Most Kunlun slaves are docile and obedient, and he does whatever his master tells him to do. He can bear hardships and is strong, and he is very popular with the nobles in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Due to the high value of Kunlun slaves, Kunlun slaves have also become a project for nobles to compare, as if whoever owns more Kunlun slaves is the most powerful.
Why were Kunlun slaves particularly popular in the Tang Dynasty?
In fact, there are several reasons:
First, Chang 'an, the capital at that time, was a world-famous metropolis with strong inclusiveness. These exotic slaves were very popular with wealthy families at that time.
Second, Kunlun slaves are physically strong, but gentle, hardworking and practical. Therefore, they are more precious than ordinary slaves. For the rich, it is a great honor to take one or two Kunlun slaves with you every time you go out.
Third, Kunlun slaves are very good at taming wild animals and foreign languages. In the Tang Dynasty, some rich people kept wild animals as pets, and naturally Kunlun slaves became animal trainers. Moreover, the Sui Shu records that the generals of the Sui Dynasty led troops to attack several island countries in Southeast Asia and captured several Kunlun slaves. They were supposed to be in charge of some chores, but they were surprised to find that they could speak the languages of several countries, so they were asked to be translators.
These are the reasons why Kunlun slaves are so sought after, but in the final analysis, they are human beings and should enjoy the same rights as others, but because they are weak, they are bullied by other countries and the people become slaves. This is worthy of every country's vigilance.
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The Tang Dynasty flourished for a long time in the history of the ancient feudal dynasty in China, and once became one of the most prosperous countries in the world. People in many other countries in the world yearn for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, want to go to the Tang Dynasty to see its prosperous period, or want to seek benefits and establish business ties with the Tang Dynasty. At that time, Chang 'an was an international metropolis, with a high degree of opening to the outside world and all-encompassing, and accepted most foreigners to Chang 'an for development. It is for this reason that black Kunlun slaves appeared in the Tang Dynasty and flourished.
At present, most of the Kunlun slave figurines discovered in archaeology are topless and wearing sheepskin shorts. This clay figurine, however, is wearing a robe and tied around his waist, which is obviously an acceptance of the living habits of the Tang people.