(East-West Question) Zhang Yun: How did a negotiation turn the Hexi Corridor into a plough more than 700 years ago?
China News Agency, Beijing, May 2, Question: More than 700 years ago, how did a meeting make the Hexi Corridor turn a sword into a plow?
Author Zhang Yun (researcher and former director of the History Institute of China Tibetology Research Center)
In 1247, in Liangzhou, China (now Wuwei, Gansu), an important meeting left an indelible mark in the history of the development of the Chinese nation.
It turned the Hexi Corridor from war to peace, from "isolating the Qiang and Hu" to linking exchanges and integration of various ethnic groups, from the pass on the Silk Road to the passage of mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations.
How can the "Liangzhou League" be able to grasp the trend of historical development, and how does it show the responsibility and wisdom of the leaders of various ethnic groups in China?
Unify China, the Mongolians kicked off the war
After the unification of the Qin and Han Dynasties, the unification of the country has become an ideological concept with broad consensus in Chinese society, and it has also become a political practice that all ethnic groups in China pursue and strive to achieve.
After a temporary split, there will always be a unified dynasty with a larger scope and closer internal ties.
In 1206, Yuan Taizu Genghis Khan (1162-1227) unified the Mongolian ministries, and opened the prelude to the war to end the division, expand the territory, and unify China.
In 1218, the Western Liao regime that wiped out the Khitans; the Xixia regime that wiped out the Party Xiangren in 1227; the Jin Dynasty regime that wiped out the Jurchens in 1234, etc.
In 1260, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, proclaimed the emperor, established the "Zhongtong" of the Yuan Dynasty, and established the capital Kaiping (Shangdu).
In 1271, Kublai Khan took the meaning of "Da Zai Qian Yuan" in "Book of Changes" and changed the country's name to "Da Yuan", and set the capital in Dadu (now Beijing) the following year.
In 1279, the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) regime was destroyed, which ended the coexistence of multiple regimes in China since the end of the Tang Dynasty. Unify.
Baita Temple, located in the downtown area of Beijing, is a well-preserved historical and cultural relic of the Yuan Dynasty.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yi Haifei
In this process, the local government of Tibet, with the Liangzhou League as a landmark event, was brought under the central jurisdiction, which was an important and unique part.
Gathering consensus, Sakya Pandita went to Liangzhou
Since the collapse of the Tubo Dynasty, the Tibet region has been divided for nearly 400 years.
"Song History · Tubo Biography" said that "the ethnic groups are scattered, thousands of large families, hundreds of small families, and there is no reunification."
In 1229, Yuan Taizong Wokuotai (1186-1241) became the Khan, and divided parts of the original Western Xia and Ganqing into his second son Kuoduan (1206-1251) as a fief.
In 1239, the Kuoduan faction general in Liangzhou led up to 10,000 troops to enter Wusizang (i.e. Tibet), and the troops went to the Rezhen Temple in northern Tibet. Hundreds of monks were killed by force, which shocked the local area .
Da Dao and his entourage learned about the political and religious situation in Tibet: "The Sangha community is dominated by the Ganden sect; the Dharma King Dalung is the wiser when it comes to caring for the situation; the honor and virtue are the Dagongjing Russia; the knowledge of Buddhism is the Sakya Panzhi. After careful planning, Kuoduan decided to send a "golden letter messenger" to invite the leader of the Sakya sect, Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen ("Saban", 1182-1251) to come to Liangzhou. They negotiated the grand plan of Tibet's subordination, and tried to achieve the rule of Tibet through peaceful and political means.
Saban was the first person in the history of Tibet to receive the title of "Panzhida" (pa??ita, a great scholar with extensive knowledge).
In 1244, Saban, who received the letter of request from Koduan, immediately brought along Phagpa (1235-1280) and Chana Dorjee (1239-1267), who were still young, for the well-being of all living beings in Tibet and the promotion of Buddhism. The two nephews, regardless of personal safety and advanced age, set off for Liangzhou.
Along the way, he went over the mountains and mountains, and he was tired of traveling and frequently met with political and religious leaders of various sects in Tibet. While discussing Buddhism, he also exchanged views for the upcoming talks in order to form a consensus.
After three years of long-distance travel, in 1246, Uncle Saban arrived in Liangzhou and was stationed in Xihuahua Temple.
The bronze statue of Saban in the Wuwei City Museum.
Photo by Sun Haozhou issued by China News Agency
Full talks to achieve "Book to Wusi Tibetans"
After full talks, Saban and Kuoduan agreed that Tibet would be officially brought under the administrative jurisdiction of the central government of the Yuan Dynasty, thus realizing political unification.
Liangzhou is the traffic chokepoint on the ancient Silk Road in China - an important pass of the Hexi Corridor. It is not only "the stronghold of the world, the country's vassal guard", but also the reputation of "Five Liangjinghua, Hexi Metropolis". It has always been a multi-ethnic and multicultural city. At the intersection, Chinese and foreign businessmen gather, and people from all over the world gather.
Kuoduan sits in Liangzhou, is in charge of the east-west transportation hub, and controls the north-south connection hub. Its geographical location is very important.
In the first month of 1247, Kuoduan returned to Liangzhou from Helin (now Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) and immediately held a meeting with Saban. The talks with far-reaching historical influence were later called Liangzhou Huimeng.
The talks were carried out in close interaction. Saban not only explained the essence of Buddhism to Kuoduan, but also cured him of the stubborn diseases that had plagued him for many years. At Kuoduan's request, he created a Mongolian script with 44 letters, which became the Later, the origin of the "Basaba word".
The main points of the talks in Liangzhou are reflected in the "Book of Tibetans and Tibetans from Saban to Wusi".
The two sides determined that, on the premise that Tibet is under the jurisdiction of the Great Mongolia, the officials of the Tibetans should remain in their original positions, and write down the names of officials, the number of people, and the amount of tribute in three copies, one to be sent to Sagada, and the other to be handed over to Sagada. Lu Huachi (the one who prints the palm), a copy is received by the chiefs of all parts of Tibet; at the same time, a map of those who have surrendered and those who have not returned is drawn so that they can be treated differently; finally, the leaders of all parts of Tibet must consult with the messengers of Sakya inscriptions. And pay native tribute.
After the talks, Uncle Saban stayed in Liangzhou, and Saban continued to spread the Sakya teachings to Kuoduan, members of the Mongolian royal family, and believers in Liangzhou, and exchanged ideas with leaders of different religions.
It is said that with the strong support of Kuoduan, Saban carefully planned to rebuild and expand four Buddhist monasteries around Liangzhou City, namely the Eastern Huanhua Temple, the Western Lotus Temple, the Southern Jinta Temple, and the Northern Haizang Temple.
Phagpa studied Buddhism with his uncle and inherited the mantle of the religious leader of the Sakya sect.
Chana Dorje wore Mongolian clothes, learned Mongolian, and was trained in administrative management. Later, he married Princess Mercadon, the daughter of Kuoduan, and became the consort of the royal family, and was named King Bailan.
Saban passed away in 1251 and was buried in the Huanhua Temple in Liangzhou.
The Huanhua Temple (also known as Baita Temple) in Liangzhou, where Saban passed away.
Photo by Sun Haozhou issued by China News Agency
Promote integration and inject vitality into the Chinese nation
The Liangzhou Alliance, through peaceful negotiation, ended the situation of division and scuffle among local political and religious forces in Tibet, brought Tibet under the jurisdiction of the central government, and achieved the reunification of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the unification of the whole country. A great initiative, which not only reflects the firm belief in realizing reunification and the responsibility to promote reunification, but also demonstrates the wisdom and courage of adhering to the principle of peace and promoting unity and harmony, making it a typical case in the formation and development of a unified multi-ethnic China. , for the Yuan Dynasty to establish political system, appoint and dismiss officials, check household registration, collect taxes, establish post stations, garrison troops, and enforce laws in Tibet. Laid a solid foundation.
The Liangzhou Huimeng not only made the previous generation's policy of "isolating Qiang and Hu" in the Hexi Corridor into history, but also transformed the Hexi Corridor into a hub that closely connects the east, west, north and south, which not only opened up the relationship between Mongolian and Tibetan people The new chapter in the history of the Hexi Corridor has also promoted the closer exchanges, exchanges and integration of the multi-ethnic groups in the Hexi Corridor and even all ethnic groups in China, injecting great vitality into the formation and development of the Chinese nation.
Large-scale historical scroll thangka "Liangzhou Huimeng".
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yang Yanmin
In today's era, the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. How to proceed from the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, establish a grand view of history, explore historical laws, draw on historical experience, and open up a broad new world for the consciousness of the Chinese nation's community. The state talks are undoubtedly a dazzling presence, revealing responsibility and wisdom, as well as courage and strength.
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About the Author:
Zhang Yun, born in 1960, Ph.D. in history, second-level researcher and doctoral supervisor of China Tibetology Research Center, national-level candidate for "New Century Hundreds of Thousands of Talents Project", enjoys special government allowances from the State Council, and won the National May 1st Labor Medal, China Director of the Tibetan Cultural Protection and Development Association, and executive director of the National Council of the China Human Rights Research Association.
There are innovative achievements in the fields of Tibet-related, ethnic and frontier history research.
As the executive editor-in-chief of the multi-volume "General History of Tibet", he has authored more than ten titles such as "Research on the Local Administrative System of Tubo in the Yuan Dynasty", "Ancient Tibet and Persian Civilization", "Tibet in a Unified Multi-ethnic Country", etc., which have been published in China Many government awards, China Tibetology Research Everest Award, etc., and many research reports on practical issues have been valued by the government.