Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 638 Coconut Tribe
There are two big tribes in Chenla, one is the coconut tribe in the north, and the other is the betel nut tribe in the south.The customs of the two tribes are very different, and conflicts continue. However, for the unification of the Champa Kingdom, they sometimes marry to influence the candidate for the Champa King.

"The system of the Champa Kingdom is very strange. They divide the subjects into four castes, namely Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra. Officials are only selected from the first two castes. In addition, different castes cannot pass , The descendants of a caste will always be of this caste, and transgression is absolutely not allowed." The Han people living in Vijaya acted as guides, leading Cao Bianjiao and others to the coconut tribe.

The area where the Coconut Tribe in the north of Champa is located has long been embezzled by the Ruan family, and they have to pay taxes to the Ruan family every year.So Cao Bianjiao led his soldiers to Vijaya, the southernmost part of the Annan Kingdom, which once occupied the territory of the City Kingdom. The first thing he did was to visit the elders of the coconut tribe here.

In the current Champa Kingdom, only the Tong Binlong area in the south is left, where the betel nut tribe is very powerful.The Sixth Corps brought by Cao Bianjiao was not familiar with the terrain here. If they wanted to capture the Tong Binlong area and defeat the betel nut tribe as soon as possible, they had to ask the locals for help.Among the locals, no one is more familiar with their rival and marriage partner, the betel nut tribe, than the coconut tribe.

"If you were born as a Vaisya or a Sudra, wouldn't you be unable to become a general in your life? Not to mention that princes and generals have a relative." Cao Bianjiao couldn't help being surprised when he heard about the strict caste system here.

"It's not just that he can't be a general in his life. The lower the caste, the lower the status. He is often beaten to death because of overstepping. The same is true for his descendants. The strangest thing is that their people also regard him as It is a matter of course, keeping one's own law and order, and not knowing how to resist." The local Han said, "We Chinese who live or trade in Champa are also divided into different castes by them and enjoy different treatment."

"Oh? Even our Huaxia people are divided into castes?" Cao Bianjiao was quite interested.

"If it is a big businessman or the patriarch of a big family, it will be recognized as a Kshatriya by the Champa, and if it is a laborer on a merchant ship or an ordinary Chinese who has drifted here with his family, he will be recognized as a Vaisya." The Han said.

"The status of our Han people here is not low." Cao Bianjiao said, "However, after our Cochin Chief Secretary completely controls this place, the caste system here will be abolished sooner or later, otherwise it will be too detrimental to the spread of Confucianism."

Confucianism has the idea of ​​governing the country, regulating the family, and bringing peace to the world. The reason why Confucianism occupies the mainstream ideological position in China is that, in addition to having many essences, it is also inseparable from the imperial examination system.The imperial examination is one of the few ways for children from poor families and ordinary people to become the ruling class.It is precisely because learning Confucian classics has the opportunity to become a leader, so scholars all over the world will hold Confucian classics as the supreme dogma.If it is to promote Confucianism in a country with a caste system, the motivation of the people may not be enough.Those of the lower castes only believe in becoming nobles in the next life, and are willing to bear the pain of this life, so they don't care about governing the country, keeping the family and the world.As a result, power was tightly held in the hands of the nobles represented by religious personnel, which would also have an impact on the rule of the Chief Secretary of Cochin.

Although the coconut tribe is called a tribe, it is actually a village with a large number of people. Cao Bianjiao entered the leaf tribe and turned left and right under the guidance of the leaves tribe until he came to a pagoda.

A bald old man led dozens of nobles of the Brahmin and Kshatriya caste on the stone steps of the pagoda, and Cao Bianjiao and others who came towards the bottom put their hands together.

Cao Bianjiao also clasped his hands together to return the salute, but he was thinking in his heart that these Brahmins took themselves too seriously. The small coconut tribe had surrendered to the Ruan family, and they dared to wait for him, a general from the kingdom of heaven. Which sect in the Central Plains would not receive him in trepidation?Even so, Cao Bianjiao did not express his inner dissatisfaction, but went to the countryside to do as the Romans did.Wait until the Chief Secretary of Cochin sends officials over in the future, and then find a way to rectify them.

Cao Bianjiao brought a few local Han people with him as translators.

"We are the Kyushu Army from the Central Plains. Please forgive me for disturbing your tribe." Cao Bianjiao said politely.

Dozens of Champa nobles listened to the escape from the local Han people, and felt that Cao Bianjiao had a good attitude and smiled slightly.

"I don't know what the adults from the north do?" asked the bald old man.

"It's not expensive, but I just want some young men from the Coconut Tribe to go south with us to pacify the Tong Binlong area, and bring the Tong Binlong area under the management of our Chief Secretary of Cochin." Cao Bianjiao said.

The faces of the bald old man and the Champa nobles behind him changed slightly. They never thought that people from China would have such ambitions. They thought they were just visiting the Coconut Tribe to appease them and worry that they would cause trouble.

"I don't know why the Kingdom of Heaven came up with the idea of ​​Bintong Dragon? The area of ​​Bintonglong is full of mountains and forests, and the miasma is pervasive. At present, King Champa is ruling Bintonglong. If there is any trouble, he will lead his soldiers into the forest. , wait for the opportunity, I am afraid it will not be easy to defeat him. What's more, there are betel nut tribes behind King Champa, without tens of thousands of troops, it is impossible to conquer Bin Tonglong." The bald old man said slowly.

"Hahaha, an army of tens of thousands?" Cao Bianjiao smiled to the officers who came behind him, "If we come with an army of tens of thousands, I'm afraid not only Tong Binlong will be conquered, but also Chenla, Siam, Lancang, and Toungoo countries."

Several accompanying officers couldn't help but smile. Maybe the terrain is an insurmountable problem for the Kyushu Army, but with the Nanyang Fleet, they can still easily send troops along the coastline.

The bald old man and most of the Champa nobles could not understand Chinese, so they asked the local Han people what Cao Bianjiao said.

"Just tell them that we only have 5000 people this time, which is enough to capture Bintonglong. But we don't want too many casualties, so if we want to ask them to lead the way, it is best to send out a group of young men who are familiar with the local area. .” Cao Bianjiao said.

The local Han people explained to the bald old man and the Champa nobles in Champa language. Unexpectedly, the bald old man and all the Champa nobles also laughed and kept talking.

"What are they laughing at?" Cao Bianjiao asked.

"They... think that 5000 people will not be able to capture Bintonglong. The mountains and forests of Bintonglong are dangerous. 5000 people are just going to die." The local Han people carefully observed the changes in Cao Bianjiao's expression, for fear that the general who held military power would be angry.

(End of this chapter)