My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 629 Accurate

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The ethnic minorities living in what is now southern Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and western Guangxi ruled the "Southwest Yi" during the Qin and Han dynasties. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, before Emperor Wu of Han developed the area, "the chieftains of the Western Yi numbered in the tens, with Dian being the largest; north of Dian, the chieftains numbered in the tens, with Qiudu being the largest."
"This place was once covered with weeds, where people cultivated the land and hid in the fields." As the Western Han Dynasty entered its most prosperous period, following the Qin Dynasty's expansion into Ba and Shu, Emperor Wu of Han used Ba and Shu as bases to launch a high tide of development in the "Southwest Yi" region.

Emperor Wu of Han's development of the "Southwest Yi" region began in the sixth year of Jianyuan (135 BC) and ended in the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), lasting for a total of 26 years.

The main content of the development was the expansion of territory. Through this development, the historical task of initially establishing a county in the "Southwest Yi" region was completed.

Emperor Wu's development of the "Southwest Barbarian" lands began in the sixth year of Tang Meng's reign when he ventured out to the southern Yue region, "desiring to eat the delicacies of Meng and Shu." Tang Meng, on the one hand, "generously bestowed" wealth upon the Marquis of Yelang, and on the other hand, instructed him to cultivate virtue.

Finally, in the sixth year of Emperor Wu of Han's reign, the Yelang Tower agreed to the rebuke of the officials. Emperor Wu then established the Jianwei Commandery, which consisted of parts of southern Sichuan and the Yelang region.

Emperor Wu established prefectures and appointed officials in the "Southern Barbarian" region, which also had a significant impact on the "Western Barbarian" region.

The Biography of Sima Xiangru in the Records of the Grand Historian states: "At that time, the ruler of Qionglu heard that the Southern Yi had communicated with the Han and received many rewards. He wished to become a concubine and asked for officials to be like the Southern Yi."

The chieftains of the Qiong and Lu people took the initiative to express to the Han government their willingness to establish prefectures and officials like the Southern Yi.

Emperor Wu sought the opinion of Sima Xiangru, a native of Shu. Xiangru said, "The western barbarians of Qiong and Lü can be established as prefectures." Emperor Wu then appointed Sima Xiangru as General of the Palace Attendants, sent him back to Shu with imperial credentials to oversee the matter, and also to comfort the elders of Shu.

Sima Xiangru successively entered the fraternal ethnic tribes in the west and southwest of Shu Commandery, such as the Qiongren, Chunren, and Rantiao, to negotiate and consult with their leaders and to promote the power and virtue of the Han Dynasty.

At that time, many tribal leaders were willing to become ministers of the Han Dynasty, and "those who wished to receive titles numbered in the hundreds of millions." Through Sima Xiangru's efforts, "the western barbarians of Qiong and Lü were each given a commandant and more than ten counties, which were then placed under the jurisdiction of Shu."

Through Sima Xiangru's mission, the Han government's rule extended westward, from the Mo River (now Qingyi River) and Ruo River (now Yabi River) as the boundary, reaching into the western part of present-day Ganzi Prefecture and Liangshan Prefecture in western Sichuan. A commandant was established there, governing more than ten counties, under the jurisdiction of Shu Commandery.

In the south, the Han government's rule connected with the newly developed Yangke region, and it established passes and built some roads and bridges to connect the frontier with the interior.

Emperor Wu of Han's development activities lasted for nine years, ending in the third year of Yuanshuo (26 BC).

The second large-scale development of the "Southwest Barbarian" region began in the first year of Yuan Shou (122 AD) when Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, returned from his mission to Bactria (present-day northern Afghanistan). He said that when he was in Bactria, he saw Shu cloth and Qiong bamboo canes. When asked where they came from, he said, "They came from the southeastern country of Sindhu, which is several thousand li away. They were obtained from Shu merchants."

At that time, the Xiongnu had cut off the northern passage between Han and the Western Regions. Zhang Qian then submitted a memorial to reopen the "Southwest Barbarian" lands so that Shu could maintain contact with Bactria and other countries via the Kingdom of Sindhu (present-day India).

Emperor Wu ordered Wang Ranyu, Bai Shichang, Lü Yueren, and more than ten others to go to Shu to seek a way to the Kingdom of Sindhu. They split into several groups, starting from Shu Commandery and Jianwei Commandery respectively. One group went out of Ran, another out of Xi, another out of Qiong, and another out of Shuang.

Although the exploration mission ultimately failed, the Han government was able to make contact with and learn about the situation of various ethnic groups in the southwestern border region once again.

From the first year of Yuanshou (112 BC) to the second year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of Han carried out another large-scale development activity of "expanding territory and establishing prefectures".

They successively established prefectures and appointed officials in the "Southwest Yi" region. In what is now eastern Guizhou, they established the Yu Ke Prefecture; in the area inhabited by the Qiong people, they established the Yue Hong Prefecture; and in the area inhabited by the Za Ren people, they established the Shen Li Prefecture.

Wenshan Commandery was established in the Ran and Sao areas, and Wudu Commandery was established in the area where the Baima Di people lived in western Guanghan.

In the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), the Han Dynasty established Yiyi Prefecture in Dian and appointed officials. The King of Dian came to the court.

Emperor Wu then bestowed the title of King Ren'ang of Dian upon him, allowing him to continue ruling the various tribes in the region. After the county was established, a large number of immigrants were also sent to the area.

At that time, many officials of the imperial court personally went to various places in the southwestern border regions, or led troops to conquer, and established prefectures and served as officials. Ma Qian, who was serving as a court physician at the time, was also "sent on a western expedition to the south of Bashu, and then conquered Qiong, Kuai, and Kunming in the south before returning to report his mission."

Sima Qian traveled among the various ethnic groups in the southwest, promoting the virtues of the Han people and investigating their customs.

In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era, Emperor Wu established thirteen prefectures (or regions) throughout the country, with governors (刺史) who would inspect the prefectures and kingdoms every autumn. The governor system was an important measure to strengthen centralized power at the time.

Emperor Wu established Yizhou in the former lands of Ba and Shu, supposedly hoping that "the territory of the prefecture would expand, hence the name Yizhou." Yizhou governed Ba, Shu, Guanghan, Jianwei, Yangke, Yuehe, Shenli, Wenshan, Hanzhong, Wudu and other prefectures, which were equivalent to the "Shu" region in a broad sense, and also the Ba-Shu and "Southwest Yi" regions between the Qin and Han dynasties.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yizhou was initially governed from Wei County in Guanghan Commandery. Later, the capital was moved to Chengdu. This legally confirmed the leadership of the Chengdu Plain in the Xihai region and also legally recognized the overall relationship of the Xihai region. This had a profound impact on the subsequent history of the southwest.

Emperor Wu of Han developed the "Southwest Barbarians," and along with the establishment of prefectures and counties and the appointment of officials, he also implemented the system of indirect rule.

In the Qin and Han dynasties, a county was called a "dao" if it was inhabited by ethnic minorities.

The Dao system differed from the county system in many ways, such as the fact that it generally did not have townships or villages.

The "Southwest Barbarian" region is an area inhabited by various ethnic groups. However, among the seven new prefectures established by Emperor Wu, only a few areas were designated as circuits, while most areas were still designated as counties. However, the ruling system here was still different from that of counties in the interior.

In these areas, no taxes are generally levied, or only a small amount of tax is levied on a tribal or clan basis.

The ethnic lords in these eroded areas still retained traditional theocratic, judicial, economic, and military powers; the laws and ritual regulations of the interior were either significantly modified or not enforced in these areas. This system was then called "jimi" (羁縻).

Emperor Wu also followed the Qin dynasty's practice of enfeoffing ethnic leaders in the southwest as kings and marquises. "There were hundreds of chieftains of the southwestern barbarians, but only Yelang and Dian received the seal of kings."

During the Han Dynasty following Emperor Wu, the system of indirect rule and the system of prefectures and counties coexisted and complemented each other in the southwestern region for a long period.

Regarding the purpose and effects of the large-scale development of the southwest by the central dynasties of Qin and Han (especially during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han), the historian Ban Gu of the Eastern Han Dynasty said: "Ba, Shu, and Guanghan were originally southern barbarians, which Qin annexed into prefectures."

Clearly, the expansion of territory by "Antu Liejun" and the effective management of "Anbian Kengyuan" were the main factors at the time.

During the pre-Qin period, the southwest region was home to numerous kingdoms and tribes. It was only after King Huiwen of Qin conquered Ba and Shu, and Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty developed the "Southwest Yi," that the northern and southern parts of the southwest were formally incorporated into the territory of the Chuyuan Dynasty through the establishment of prefectures and counties. Therefore, Emperor Wu of Han's primary task in developing the "Southwest Yi" was territorial expansion, and the results were quite significant. For several centuries after Emperor Wu, the border regions of this area remained relatively stable.

Regarding Emperor Wu of Han's development of the "Southwest Barbarians," Sima Qian provided a concise summary: "However, the southern barbarians were later subdued by the western barbarians, who divided the region into two parts, eventually forming seven commanderies."

In other words, Emperor Wu of Han's opening up of the "Southwest Barbarians" ultimately resulted in the establishment of seven commanderies.

The most difficult yet crucial aspect of Emperor Wu of Han's development of the "Southwest Barbarians" was "carving through mountains to build roads."

Emperor Wu of Han spent more than two years on two separate development projects, with most of his time, manpower and resources being devoted to the difficult task of building roads.

Due to the arduous nature of its development, the people of Shu suffered from unbearable hardship, while the court officials, represented by Gongsun Hong, strongly opposed it.

When Tang Meng and Ma Xiangru first developed the route, "at that time, the route to the southwestern barbarians was open, and the people of Ba and Shu suffered greatly from it. An imperial edict ordered an envoy to inspect it."

Gongsun Hong personally visited Bashu for investigation, and upon returning to report, he strongly criticized the southwestern barbarians for being useless. He subsequently strongly opposed this on several occasions, resulting in a break between the third year of Wushuo and the first year of Yuanshou.

The people of Bashu in the southwestern and northern regions made enormous sacrifices and contributions to the development of the "Southwest Yi" land.

However, Emperor Wu of Han's opening up of the "Southwest Barbarians" was the most important political event in the development of the country's territory at that time. Historians and writers of the Han and Jin dynasties, such as Sima Qian, Sima Xiangru, Ban Gu, Dang Wei, and Fan Ye, all praised his great achievements.

Sima Xiangru, a native of Shu, was the one who specifically implemented the development of the "Southwest Barbarian" region. Faced with the grievances and questions from the elders of Bashu, he called Emperor Wu's actions "There must be extraordinary people in the world before there can be extraordinary things."
"Extraordinary deeds lead to extraordinary achievements." In Sima Xiangru's view, Emperor Wu of Han and the pioneers who implemented the development of the "Southwest Barbarians" were "extraordinary people"; the great feat of developing the "Southwest Barbarians" and incorporating them into the territory of the Han central dynasty was an "extraordinary achievement."

Another commentary by Shu official Chang Huan on Emperor Wu's great achievements is: "The southern region is located beyond the borders of Qiong, Zhai, and the Five Yi tribes, and is the barren land of Min and Pu. It is indeed outside the Nine Regions, yet he was able to open up the upper prefectures, establish Fangzhou, cross Bo Nan, cross Cang, and pacify the western borders. The traces and blood of Emperor Wu are truly a great undertaking."

Following the fall of the seven commanderies under Emperor Wu of Han, Yongchang Commandery was established in the Ailao Yi region in the twelfth year of the Yongping era of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty (69 AD), thus laying the foundation for the basic framework of the southwestern frontier during the Han Dynasty. Chang Qiu's description of this as a "great undertaking" is not an exaggeration.

The material basis for Emperor Wu of Han's development of the "Southwest Barbarians" was the economic development of the Bashu region, which also put considerable pressure on the economies of other areas in Bashu, to the point that they were overwhelmed.

In the sixth year of the Jianyuan era (135 BC), when Tang Meng submitted a memorial to Emperor Wu of Han requesting the opening of the "Southwest Barbarian" territories, he said: "With the strength of Han and the strategic location of Ba and Shu, opening roads and establishing officials would be extremely beneficial."

Although the assessment of irrigation levels in the "Southwest Barbarian" region was insufficient and overly optimistic, Tang Meng's analysis...

The material resources upon which the development of the "Southwest Barbarians" depended were quite objective: firstly, the national strength of the Han Dynasty after decades of recuperation and development in the early Han Dynasty, and secondly, the support and promotion since King Huiwen of Qin.

In the subsequent twenty years of development of the "Southwest Barbarians" region, the most manpower and material resources were spent on building roads and passageways, followed by military operations.

The main force undertaking these two arduous tasks was actually the northern Bashu region. According to records, Tang Meng first "opened the Yelang Road" (the Xian Road to the Qunmu River).

Sima Xiangru, on the other hand, "opened the Lingguan Pass and built the bridge to Sun Yong." This arduous task and enormous expenditure mainly relied on the manpower and resources of Bashu. At that time, the four prefectures of Bashu were connected to the southwest road. For several years, the garrison had to transport supplies back and forth. The road was blocked, and many soldiers died from exhaustion, hunger, and cold. All of this was a waste of resources. "The cost of opening the road was enormous."

The chieftains of the Qiong and Lu people took the initiative to express to the Han government their willingness to establish prefectures and officials like the Southern Yi.

Emperor Wu sought the opinion of Sima Xiangru, a native of Shu. Xiangru said, "The western barbarians of Qiong and Lü can be established as prefectures." Emperor Wu then appointed Sima Xiangru as General of the Palace Attendants, sent him back to Shu with imperial credentials to oversee the matter, and also to comfort the elders of Shu.

Sima Xiangru successively entered the fraternal ethnic tribes in the west and southwest of Shu Commandery, such as the Qiongren, Chunren, and Rantiao, to negotiate and consult with their leaders and to promote the power and virtue of the Han Dynasty.

At that time, many tribal leaders were willing to become ministers of the Han Dynasty, and "those who wished to receive titles numbered in the hundreds of millions." Through Sima Xiangru's efforts, "the western barbarians of Qiong and Lü were each given a commandant and more than ten counties, which were then placed under the jurisdiction of Shu."

Through Sima Xiangru's mission, the Han government's rule extended westward, from the Mo River (now Qingyi River) and Ruo River (now Yabi River) as the boundary, reaching into the western part of present-day Ganzi Prefecture and Liangshan Prefecture in western Sichuan. A commandant was established there, governing more than ten counties, under the jurisdiction of Shu Commandery.

In the south, the Han government's rule connected with the newly developed Yangke region, and it established passes and built some roads and bridges to connect the frontier with the interior.

Emperor Wu of Han's development activities lasted for nine years, ending in the third year of Yuanshuo (26 BC).

The second large-scale development of the "Southwest Barbarian" region began in the first year of Yuan Shou (122 AD) when Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, returned from his mission to Bactria (present-day northern Afghanistan). He said that when he was in Bactria, he saw Shu cloth and Qiong bamboo canes. When asked where they came from, he said, "They came from the southeastern country of Sindhu, which is several thousand li away. They were obtained from Shu merchants."

At that time, the Xiongnu had cut off the northern passage between Han and the Western Regions. Zhang Qian then submitted a memorial to reopen the "Southwest Barbarian" lands so that Shu could maintain contact with Bactria and other countries via the Kingdom of Sindhu (present-day India).

Emperor Wu ordered Wang Ranyu, Bai Shichang, Lü Yueren, and more than ten others to go to Shu to seek a way to the Kingdom of Sindhu. They split into several groups, starting from Shu Commandery and Jianwei Commandery respectively. One group went out of Ran, another out of Xi, another out of Qiong, and another out of Shuang.

Although the exploration mission ultimately failed, the Han government was able to make contact with and learn about the situation of various ethnic groups in the southwestern border region once again.

From the first year of Yuanshou (112 BC) to the second year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of Han carried out another large-scale development activity of "expanding territory and establishing prefectures".

They successively established prefectures and appointed officials in the "Southwest Yi" region. In what is now eastern Guizhou, they established the Yu Ke Prefecture; in the area inhabited by the Qiong people, they established the Yue Hong Prefecture; and in the area inhabited by the Za Ren people, they established the Shen Li Prefecture.

Wenshan Commandery was established in the Ran and Sao areas, and Wudu Commandery was established in the area where the Baima Di people lived in western Guanghan.

In the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), the Han Dynasty established Yiyi Prefecture in Dian and appointed officials. The King of Dian came to the court.

Emperor Wu then bestowed the title of King Ren'ang of Dian upon him, allowing him to continue ruling over the various tribes in the region.

At that time, many officials of the imperial court personally went to various places in the southwestern border regions, or led troops to conquer, and established prefectures and served as officials. Ma Qian, who was serving as a court physician at the time, was also "sent on a western expedition to the south of Bashu, and then conquered Qiong, Kuai, and Kunming in the south before returning to report his mission."

(End of this chapter)