According to the provisions of the peace treaty, the Song Dynasty gave Liao 100,000 taels of silver and 200,000 silks every year, and each side kept its own territory. Longxu, the emperor of the Liao Dynasty, is called a brother, and Song and Liao are brothers (note: Song is the brother and Liao is the brother). This is the famous Ehime League in the history of China. The signing of "the alliance of Buddhist monasteries" is beneficial to both Song and Liao dynasties.
So, what's the point of signing a treaty like the Yuan Tan League?
First of all, it has promoted the relations between the two countries. After 100 years, there was no large-scale war between Song Dynasty and Liao State, and the economic, trade, political and cultural exchanges between the two countries became more and more frequent. After the Covenant was concluded, in the second year, the Song Dynasty sent people to Liao to celebrate their birthday. When Song Zhenzong wrote a book, he called himself the Southern Dynasty, taking the Khitan as the Northern Dynasty. There was no large-scale war between Song and Liao for more than 100 years, and the two sides exchanged courtesy, and the two sides did * * * as many as 380 times. There was a famine in the Liao Dynasty, and people were sent to the border for disaster relief in the Song Dynasty. The news of Song Zhenzong's collapse came.
Secondly, it promotes economic development and the stability of national borders. Although, in the Covenant, the two sides stipulated that the Song Dynasty must pay tribute regularly, which brought the border stability of the country 100 years and promoted the economic prosperity of the Northern Song Dynasty to a certain extent. Moreover, at that time, the Song Dynasty paid more attention to literature than martial arts, and it only cost a little to get peace. Therefore, some scholars believe that it is worthwhile to pay the price for this.
Finally, to a certain extent, it led to the weakness of military power in the Song Dynasty. From a certain point of view, the alliance with Yuan Tan was the result of the Song Dynasty's compromise to the other side in a favorable military environment. Why do you say that? As we have said above, the Song Dynasty won with the military experience left by its predecessors, but in fact its strength was very weak. If the military strength of the Song Dynasty could be stronger, how could such a compromise be made?
Therefore, if the Liao and Song sides continued to fight at that time, the outcome would be very difficult to distinguish. This will not only lead to the economic recession in the Song Dynasty, but also increase the tax pressure of the people, which will lead to peasant uprisings and other problems. Therefore, in order to avoid war and seek peace, the Song Dynasty offered to form an alliance with Yuan Tan. After signing the Covenant, the court in Song Dynasty lived a quiet life, focusing on enjoying prosperity and fun, completely forgetting Song Taizu's great ambition to recover sixteen states. Since then, the national strength of the Song Dynasty has gradually weakened, and the social atmosphere has been extravagant and sluggish.
After the Battle of Yizhou, the Song Dynasty made a peace treaty with Liao: Liao and Song were brotherly countries, and Song gave Liao 65,438+12,000 silver and 200,000 silks every year, with Baigou River as the boundary. Because Gezhou (Puyang, Henan) was also called Ge Yuan County in Song Dynasty, it was called "Ge Yuan League" in history. Prior to this, Liao had invaded the Southern Song Dynasty for many years. After signing the Covenant, there was no large-scale war between Song and Liao for a hundred years, and the border of Song Dynasty was peaceful for one hundred and twenty years.
In fact, in the battle of the named country, Song Zhenzong's personal expedition greatly boosted Song Jun's morale, and even LiLin Xiao, commander-in-chief of the Liao army, was shot to death, which hit the morale of the Liao army. But why did the Song Dynasty sign a contract with Liao instead and send ancient coins? There are several main reasons:
1. At that time, the Song Dynasty did not gain a decisive advantage in the war. You know, the Song Dynasty has always been in a passive position in the war with the northern minorities. In the first world war of Gaolianghe, Song Taizong was even beaten and fled in an ox cart. Although the commander of the Liao army was narrowly shot in the battle of Aiyuan, the main force of the Liao army was not damaged. Keep fighting. What if he is defeated? Many ministers in the Song Dynasty, especially Song Zhenzong, actually had no confidence in winning this battle.
2. The Song Dynasty had strong economic strength. For the annual income of the Song Dynasty, 300,000 yuan was just a small sum of money, while at that time, it would cost 3 million yuan to fight a war, with countless casualties. So when you can solve things with small money, why use big money to fight to the death?
The emperor feared the enemy like a tiger, and the pacifists gained the upper hand. At that time, Kou Zhun, the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, fought the main battle alone, but Song Zhenzong was afraid of the enemy like a tiger and just wanted to make peace. The ministers in the DPRK were also afraid of the Khitan, and expressed their support for the collegiate bench in succession, and even joined forces to attack Kou Zhun's self-esteem. In desperation, Kou Zhun had to agree to make peace with the Khitan.
Liao was strong and Song was weak, and Liao people often invaded Song with their war horses and machetes, and Song sent troops to encircle and suppress them repeatedly. In order to avoid trouble, they can only sign a contract and send ancient coins.
A. The intensification of the conflict in Song Liao
At the beginning of 10 century, Lu Ye Abaoji, the leader of the Qidan nationality, unified the ministries of Qidan and established the Liao regime.
During the Yeludeguang period of Emperor Taizong of Liao Dynasty, sixteen states were occupied. Since then, the conflict between Liao and the Central Plains dynasty has become increasingly fierce.
In the later period, the Northern Song Dynasty maintained friendly relations with Liao, and the two sides exchanged envoys.
After Song Taizong and Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, they launched several wars against Liao, all of which ended in failure. Since then, the Northern Song Dynasty has always adopted a defensive policy.
2. The signing of the Yuan Dynasty Alliance
During the period of Zhao Heng (1004) in Song Zhenzong, Emperor Luye Longxu of Liao Dynasty led 200,000 troops to attack the Song Dynasty on a large scale, until Kuizhou on the Yellow River was at the gates, threatening Kaifeng, the capital, and the court in the Northern Song Dynasty was in a panic.
Kou Zhun, a famous figure in the Northern Song Dynasty, righteously urged the emperor to personally expedition. When Song Zhenzong appeared on the north tower of Aicheng like a god.
Song Jun suddenly cheered "Long live" and echoed dozens of miles away. Song Jun morale, liao army fearfully. The commander-in-chief of the Liao army was shot dead by an arrow and fled in haste.
At that time, the situation was very favorable to the Northern Song Dynasty, but Song Zhenzong and Zhao Heng were actually genuinely afraid of Liao's imposing manner, believing that the two sides had been at war for a long time and had won or lost each other. On the condition of giving Liao 300 thousand yuan a year, they took the initiative to make peace, and the two sides formed an alliance and made up in Zhangzhou. They talked about a brotherly country and Song was a brother!
Gezhou was originally named Ge Yuan, so this Song-Liao Covenant is called "Ge Yuan League".
After a long period of time, Liao and Song maintained a peaceful situation.
Three: Why did Zhao Hengfei of Song Zhenzong ask for peace?
In the Northern Song Dynasty, when the situation was favorable, Song Zhenzong took the initiative to make peace and signed a contract to send money. The purpose of war is to stop the war, for peace.
The alliance of Buddhist monasteries ended the 25-year-long war between Song and Liao Dynasties, and it was also the beginning of the Song Dynasty's annual payment of coins to Fanfang for peace!
We want to say that at that time, Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng's heart must have turned, reasoning, and finally determined to sign a contract and send money to make peace.
This world is Zhao's world! Peace, perhaps for a feudal emperor, has a meaning and calculation that ordinary people can't understand:
? Right and wrong in history, right and wrong, let future generations comment!
In the autumn of A.D. 1004, Xiao Taihou and Emperor Shengzong of Liao Dynasty marched south and invaded the border of the Song Dynasty.
Song Zhenzong, the emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty at that time, was the son of Song Taizong and the third emperor of the Song Dynasty. Unlike his father and uncle, Song Zhenzong is rather timid. When fashion didn't really fight back, the emperor was surrounded by courtiers, who advised him to flee to the south, or to Bashu or Jinling, while Song Zhenzong himself preferred to flee. Finally, because Prime Minister Kou Zhun argued, he had to compete for the state capital with a great army. Due to Song Jun's persistence and counterattack, the Liao army failed to capture a strategic city, and even lost General Little Taran. Coupled with the depth of the hinterland of the Great Song Dynasty, the front line was lengthened and the supply was very difficult. Objectively speaking, the expedition of Liao army was not worth the loss and was at a disadvantage. There can be no more fighting, and peace is imperative.
In desperation, Xiao Taihou can only convey the desire for a truce to the Song Dynasty through the surrender of Wang Jizhong. Song Zhenzong also agreed to make peace, and despite the opposition of Kou Zhun and others, he sent a Confucian temple to hold peace talks, and finally signed a covenant named Yuan. There are three main contents of the Zen Temple Alliance:
1, Song and Liao called it a brotherly country, and the border between the two countries ceased forever. People in the border areas of the two countries do not invade each other. If the thief escapes, he shall not cross the border to arrest him privately; 3. Song Dynasty paid Liao 65.438 billion taels of silver and 200,000 silks.
The first two articles of this paper are very reasonable, and countries that call each other brothers also put each other on an equal footing. The crux of the problem is this last one, that is, the new year's coin system. Why did the Song Dynasty sign such a treaty with the enemy on the premise of military superiority?
My understanding is only two words!
The first word: fear. In 960 AD, Zhao Kuangyin established Dasong, which basically unified the north and the south through the strategy of south first and then north. After his death, his younger brother Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne, eliminating the Northern Han Dynasty, the last separatist regime in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Since then, the Song Dynasty has completed the task of reunifying the north and the south, but there is still a more severe task, that is, surrendering sixteen states. As early as the late Jin Emperor Shi Jingtang's time, he ceded sixteen states to Qidan (Liao) in order to claim the title of emperor. Sixteen counties did not belong to the Central Plains from now on, and became a strategic place to control the Central Plains. After Zhao Guangyi destroyed the Northern Han Dynasty, he attacked Liao and was defeated by Gaolianghe. He himself has also achieved the reputation of the car god of Gaolianghe. Zhao Guangyi never gave up his obsession with sixteen counties. During the reign of Yong Zhengdi, the Northern Expedition was organized again, and this time the Northern Expedition also failed. This was Emperor Yongxi's Northern Expedition, and the Song Dynasty changed from offensive to defensive. Since then, Wei Jun's attitude towards the border regime in the Song Dynasty has turned to fear.
The second word: value. Is this paper worth it? I think it's worth it. It has been many years since Liao invaded the Southern Song Dynasty. This paper agreement kept the border areas of the Southern Song Dynasty peaceful for the next 120 years. Moreover, the main arms of Liao country are cavalry, which are good at long-distance raids and not good at guarding cities. The main arms of the Song Dynasty were infantry, which were good at guarding the city and not good at attacking. Once a war breaks out, border cities often change hands several times, but they can't get substantial territory from each other. And the long-term war has seriously hindered the economic development of the two countries. In fact, the old coins given to Liao in the Song Dynasty only accounted for a small part of the economy in the Northern Song Dynasty, which was almost negligible. In addition, after the peace in Song and Liao Dynasties, the border areas were allowed to open trade, and most of the old coins could be earned back. Therefore, for the Northern Song Dynasty, it is worthwhile to sign the alliance of Buddhist monasteries. As long as the old coins are transported every year, the border areas will be peaceful, the country will develop steadily, and a large amount of military expenditure will be saved.
The single-source alliance enabled the Northern Song Dynasty to achieve peace in the border areas for more than 100 years. During this period, the country was stable, the society was prosperous and the economy was prosperous. In that era when the strong met, it created a rare prosperity.
Speaking of the Song Dynasty, you may think of his cowardice, which is the most cowardly in China's history! Song dynasty did not inherit the glory of Tang dynasty, but turned to an introverted country. So that it is helpless and inevitable to be beaten everywhere and treat foreign ethnic minorities. Why did Song Dynasty sign a contract with Liao State to send ancient coins?
The Northern Song Dynasty fought with Liao for more than twenty years before signing the Song-Liao Alliance. During the reign, Liao and Liao Shengzong led an army to attack the south of Song Dynasty, which made them suddenly panic and wanted to flee to the south. Finally, Kou Zhun, the prime minister, tried to dissuade him from bidding in Kuizhou, but Song Jun's defense didn't make Liao take any advantage. For various reasons, Liao wanted to be strong. Signed the alliance of longyuan. According to the contract, Liao Dynasty and Song Dynasty were about brother countries, and Song Dynasty gave Liao 102,000 silver and 200,000 silks every year, with Baigou River as the boundary, which was the background at that time.
Therefore, in the system of Song Dynasty, the self-esteem of generals was always suppressed. This restriction on military commanders led to the weakness of Song Jun. In addition, Liao country was established by grassland people, and its fighting capacity is very strong. In contrast, the failure of the Song Dynasty is inevitable.
The military ability of Song Dynasty was weak, so it could not defeat Liao. Song and Liao signed an alliance. Although they send 102,000 pieces of silver and 202,000 pieces of silk to Liao every year, they have brought peace for decades. In fact, it is also very cost-effective. The Song Dynasty sent so many things to Liao, which probably only took two or three governments a year's tax revenue, which was equivalent to nine Niu Yi Mao.
The Song-Liao Agreement is a part of the Single Source Alliance. At that time, the Liao army invaded the south, and Song Zhenzong went to Dingzhou to fight against Liao at the urging of Prime Minister Kou Zhun. On the premise that the battlefield environment was favorable to the Song Dynasty, Liao sent envoys to make peace. The two sides then signed the "Temple League". It was agreed that the Song Dynasty would export 302,000 pieces of silver and 300,000 pieces of silk to Liao every year, and the two sides designated border trade fairs to strengthen trade. For the Song Dynasty, it was a humiliating treaty. Sixteen counties not only failed to recover, but also exported tributes every year as compensation for lost land. However, since the signing of the treaty, the Song-Liao border has maintained peace for more than 100 years. Make the Northern Song Dynasty maintain economic prosperity for a long time. Due to the trade surplus, the annual tribute can be earned back from the market. This situation continued until the end of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Song did not take advantage of Liao in military strength. During his reign, he fought Liao several times, but almost all failed. Of course, there are some improper tactics in commanding operations, but compared with the military strength of both sides, neither side can completely destroy the strength of the other side. After that, the attack and defense changed, and Song turned from defending to attacking. Liao continued to invade the south, and Song was exhausted. However, in the most critical Iraq war, Song Zhenzong and Zhao Huan went out in person under the persuasion of ministers, which greatly boosted Song Jun's morale, successfully resisted the invasion of Liao and held on to Iraq. After that, the two sides entered into a Yuan League, stipulating that Song would pay the annual currency to Liao every year in exchange for the peace of the Song-Liao border. Judging from Liao's acceptance of such a covenant, Liao did not have the ability to destroy Song in a short time, so it was better to gain practical benefits than to lose troops. For the monarchs and subjects of the Song Dynasty, it seems humiliating, but it is actually the most realistic and helpless consideration, because at this time, a natural barrier of the Central Plains Dynasty-the sixteen states of Youyun (given to the Liao State by Shi Jingtang in the Five Dynasties) has been in the hands of the Liao State, and Song Jun, with infantry as the main force, has to resist the attack of the Liao Army with cavalry as the advantage on the front of the North China Plain for more than 2,000 miles, which is undoubtedly a loss of attention, and the left and right sides cannot care for each other and are exhausted. In the long run, the fatigue of teachers and soldiers is likely to shake the foundation of the country, because the country established by agricultural peoples places great emphasis on rest and health. After years of war, a large number of young and strong people will inevitably go to war, leading to the desolation of farmland and the decline of agriculture, which in turn will lead to the intensification of social contradictions. Therefore, signing a contract to send lucky money is a helpless and realistic choice. Second, judging from the cost of war, the cost of war in Song Dynasty was much higher than that in Liao Dynasty. The national war established by the agricultural nation emphasizes that "the soldiers and horses have not moved food and grass first", and replenishment is very important. The consumption of supply is the loss of national strength. As a country established by nomadic people, Liao, on the other hand, does not need the supply of grain and grass. Every act of war is a supplement to national strength. By invading the border, plundering a large number of materials and people, supplementing wealth and labor, the cost of issuing coins every year in the Song Dynasty is far lower than the military expenditure brought about by the Song and Liao wars every year, and it can also win time to recuperate and develop production. It is really a helpless and realistic choice.
The military weakness in Song Dynasty is the fundamental reason.
The rulers of feudal dynasties always took the maintenance of rule as their primary goal. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, martial arts was particularly popular, and the rank system made the military attache group very strong, and local festivals even posed a direct threat to the rule of the central government.
Drawing lessons from Sui and Tang Dynasties, Song Taizu decided to take the road of governing the country by civil servants. On the one hand, he reformed the military system, separating and restricting the command, conscription and logistics equipment to prevent the military group from growing; On the other hand, a civilian was appointed as the supreme commander of the military, to prevent the recurrence of "Chen Qiao mutiny, adding a yellow robe".
The military system in the Song Dynasty directly led to military weakness. Song Taizu once led an army to the Northern Expedition, trying to recover sixteen states of Youyun, but failed miserably. Later emperors were not as good as Mao militarily, so it was natural to make peace with Liao.
Although the weak Song Dynasty could not expand its territory like the Tang Dynasty, the developed economy provided a strong guarantee for national defense. Even the Southern Song Dynasty, which was in a peaceful corner, could resist the invincible Mongolian army for half a century. It was the country that resisted the Mongolian attack for the longest time at that time, and its resilience was evident. Although the Liao army was strong, it was impossible to conquer the Song Dynasty, so it simply accepted the peace treaty and accepted the tribute of the Song Dynasty.
Although it is a shame to pay the annual currency, it guaranteed the universal peace between the Song and Liao countries and provided a favorable international environment for the economic prosperity and development of the Song Dynasty. Compared with the vigorous economic development in Song Dynasty, the expenditure of New Year's money is only nine Niu Yi cents. With the rise of Jin State, Liao State has no time to care about the south. It was not until the state of Jin destroyed Liao that the peace between North and South was broken.
At that time, the military strength of the Northern Song Dynasty was relatively strong, and it won many battles with Liao, but it chose to sign some unfavorable contracts, such as the famous Yuan Tan League. Why?
I think the reasons for signing the unequal treaties in Song Dynasty are as follows: 1. At that time, the economy was booming and Liao was given some money. At that time, Song Dynasty was the most prosperous country in the world, accounting for 80% of the world GDP. Liao people invaded only for money and food, so it is better to give them some money, so that both sides will be good.
2. In the Northern Song Dynasty, because Mao was a conspirator, he constantly suppressed military officers and improved the rights of civil servants to ensure that no military commander would rebel, and then rebelled and destroyed the Song Dynasty. Compared with the risk of national subjugation, losing a little money seems nothing.