At that time, the Ming army relied heavily on the elite provided by Mongolian military families. Therefore, this rebellion is similar in nature to the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty. However, due to the weather, geographical location, people and other factors, this incident is also doomed to fail to produce the explosion effect as it did hundreds of years ago.
Mongolia's naturalization policy in Ming Dynasty
/kloc-In the late 4th century, the Ming Dynasty absorbed a large number of Mongolian skills and soldiers left over from the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty. The Ming army captured the city with Hui guns imported by Mongols, and went to the Raiders in Mongolian armor. All Mongolian military households who were willing to submit to the new dynasty were also highly valued by Zhu Yuanzhang and other leaders in the early Ming Dynasty.
In the mainland, the Ming Dynasty followed the old system of the Yuan Dynasty and established health care centers for military households. At the same time, the defected Mongolian soldiers were arranged at various guard stations. They were even organized into an independent "army" for fear of being assimilated by scattered numbers. In this way, the Ming army in the south was able to assemble a large-scale cavalry force of more than 10 thousand people until the battle of the prince. Later, these people soon declined and degenerated. After the Ming Dynasty, the Mongols who conquered the rebellion and the Semu people in Central Asia were placed in the mainland, up to the military families of the Wei Institute and down to the local branch of the Royal Guards.
On the border, the Ming Dynasty first set up several Mongolian naturalization ports. On the one hand, as a fortress to resist the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, on the other hand, as far as possible, it also absorbed a new group of Mongols to go south to serve as soldiers for itself. Since Zhu Yuanzhang came to power in the world, the Yuan Dynasty had a tradition of absorbing local troops. Some Mongolian tribes scattered in the northwest were directly awarded hereditary official positions after voting in the city. Give different preferential policies according to different situations. There are Mongolian health centers in Ganzhou and Hexi, and autonomous tribes in Guyuan, Ningxia. In particular, the latter can not only continue grazing in the specified area, but also be exempted from labor because of military service.
In the eyes of the Ming authorities, this is the highest treatment they can give planners. His tribal leader actually retained all internal power. In fact, it is equal to the rights and interests of Southwest Tusi or overseas affiliated tribes. Although not as high a title as King Hami, I am grateful for Huairou's policy.
But nothing is absolute. In fact, in a small pastoral area surrounded by counties and military households, it is difficult to feed enough tribal population. Especially in the Hetao area where Guyuan is located, the environment has been deteriorating since the late Tang Dynasty. The local economy depends on caravan trade and early grasslands in Central Asia. However, in the Ming Dynasty, most foreign businessmen who entered the mainland through formal channels were blocked by numerous guards and checkpoints. This is undoubtedly a serious economic blow to the Mongolian protected areas in the mainland.
Mongolian naturalized tribes, the population is slowly recovering, and it is impossible to make a living by grazing on one acre and three points. They often engage in small-scale smuggling activities with neighboring poor counties, or pretend to be Mongolians to have a windfall. Finally, even the farmers who fled the county were recruited to cultivate and graze themselves. Some people even hope to have the opportunity to break through the border blockade and establish contact with distant relatives on the Mongolian plateau. The Guyuan Rebellion is based on this background.
The present situation of internal and external troubles
Of course, the contradiction in Guyuan alone is not enough to trigger a large-scale rebellion. However, the dynasty under Ming Xianzong exposed all kinds of internal and external troubles at that time. The garrison troops in all parts of the Ming Dynasty were also exhausted and had serious loopholes.
First of all, on the border, the emptiness outside the customs was also caused by the invasion of Mongolia and the inward migration of population, which changed after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty due to the return of people. The Mongolians and Jurchen ethnic groups who have completed the initial organizational reorganization began to frequently clash with the border guards of the Ming Dynasty. Especially in Mongolia, with its vast territory and numerous factions, a great event happened in the south of Walla. Emperor Yingzong, the father of Xuanzong, became the "guest of honor" of the Mongolian army. As soon as his son came to power, even Nuzhen in the northeast began to make waves. Tang Xianzong asked North Korea to send troops for support, and at the same time used border guards to resist. This also became the first time in the history of the Ming Dynasty that subordinate troops were used to assist the war.
Secondly, in the mainland, the trade blockade and economic control of the Ming Dynasty led to large-scale civil strife in many areas. Compared with the small-scale uprisings of previous generations, Ming Xianzong suffered two large-scale rebellions almost at the same time. Before the Datengxia incident in the southwest, there was a refugee uprising in Yunxian County in the northwest of Jinghu Lake. The previous crisis broke out in Guangxi, involving Guangdong, Hunan and Guizhou. The latter event originated in the northwest of Jinghu Lake, spread to Shaanxi, Henan and Hunan, and radiated to the south as far as Zhili. This forced the Ming Dynasty to fight frequently at this stage. Moreover, these wars basically took place in the interior of the Ming Dynasty, which was different from the expedition to Luchuan in the south and the expedition to Tubao in the north in the Yingzong era.
In fact, the above problems all reflect the structural defects of the Ming Dynasty. The economic depression and the loss of social vitality weakened the control of the Ming Dynasty. In the past, many marginal balls that could be ignored have now become important tasks that must be solved. Otherwise, the Ming court would not be able to maintain a huge military and political system, which led to the biggest control crisis since Judy abolished the local captaincy.
So when there were 4,000 Mongolian families in Guyuan, local officials in Shaanxi asked them to hand over the hidden population. However, Muncie himself is not willing to continue to be locked in a "isolated" small space to endure the poverty under the system. In this pattern, except for a few upper-class tribes, the rest are hovering around the extreme poverty line. This is also an unstable factor that is not conducive to the continued loyalty of the Ministry to the leaders.
When the court sent a four-year-old nephew Manchu to arrest his uncle, the Mongolian leader who had been the leader of the Ming army for thousands of generations declared rebellion. Because once he suffers, his nephew will become the new leader, and his behavior is equivalent to usurping the throne.
A sturdy century-old castle.
1April 468, after the uprising of Manchu and its troops, it took the local Shicheng in Guyuan as its base and refuge. This mountain fortress, built in the Tang Dynasty, was once the bridgehead after the foreign conquest of the Tubo Empire. When Xixia established Hetao, it was also the garrison fortress of the Northern Song Dynasty in the southern part of Xixia.
Although the defense facilities of Shicheng have not been improved since 1 1 century, it can still rely on the terrain to become a fortified city that is difficult to attack. The main city itself is located in the mountains, most of which are cliffs and surrounded by several hills. Not only is it protected by a fence 6- 10 meters high, but there is also a moat 3 meters deep outside to strengthen the defense. The only way into the city is a path for riding only, and there is a deputy city guard. Manchu was prepared to take this place as a base and confront the Ming Expeditionary Force for a long time. Several special reservoirs in the city also made him not worry about being besieged.
In the face of this sudden mutiny, the Ming army stationed in various places was caught off guard. Although only 4000 people can fight in Manchuria, Mongolian cavalry among them still retain the flexible tactics of their ancestors. They took the initiative to attack in all directions, even reaching Ganzhou and Hexi, and defeated the unprepared Ming army one by one. In addition to obtaining materials and weapons, he also played the name of "the king of recruiting talents and talents" and recruited franchisees on a larger scale. So, a large number of refugees around him ran to Shicheng to join his team.
In May 468, 30,000 Ming troops arrived in Shaanxi from other places.
Chen's self-confidence stems not only from the superiority of troops, but also from the serious lack of weapons of the rebels at that time. Except for the front of the Mongolian army, a large number of its affiliated personnel are unarmed and have no military experience. Therefore, the governor thinks that under the command of four people, the mob can be wiped out in one fell swoop. However, when he found out that Manchu used cavalry to actively provoke himself, he was furious and ordered the whole army to attack. Even after camping the night before, they stormed regardless of fatigue.
Preparing for his fourth birthday, he beat a retreat with Mongolian cavalry along the way and successfully took the Ming army away from the original camp. In the face of the staff's questioning, Governor Chen Jia assumed a political correctness that could not show weakness in front of thieves, forcing the troops to pursue. After entangled in 10, the Ming army found itself in the valley under Shicheng Mountain.
Mongolian herders took the opportunity to drive away a large number of herds and scattered the team directly. The exhausted Ming army was attacked by the rebels who followed before it could deal with the fleeing cattle and sheep. The other side only used wooden sticks, and the army of tens of thousands of loyal subjects collapsed. Mongolian cavalry fought back and scattered all thirty thousand Ming troops.
After this disastrous battle, the Manchu rebels seized a large number of weapons and equipment and wiped out the local field army in Shaanxi. He also recruited Mongolian soldiers from his Ming army and continued to attack the residual loyalists nearby with light cavalry. Affected by them, the rations sent by the Ming court to the front line of Ganzhou in Hexi were robbed. The number of rebels has increased to 20 thousand.
Fighting in winter
Seeing that the situation was out of control, the Ming court sent Zhong Xiang, an imperial consultant, to deploy thousands of troops from the Beijing camp to continue the suppression. At the same time, 50,000 border guards along the Shaanxi border were mobilized to go out together. Among the rebels on the above roads, there are not only troops equipped with a large number of firearms, but also Mongolian cavalry that the Ming army will dispatch in every battle.
10, 468, due to the concentration of troops, the soldiers of Minglu Road marched in several ways to avoid being ambushed by Mongolian cavalry No.4. Through this decentralized deployment, we successfully entered the vicinity of Shicheng. However, various forces are still unable to synchronize within a certain period of time, which gives the rebels an opportunity. The border guards who first arrived in Yansui Town found that Manchu had led the elite out of the city to meet the enemy. They attacked without restraint and were soon defeated by armed rebels.
At this time, the Ming army also found that due to the large-scale expansion of the number of rebels, it was no longer possible to hide in the main city on the mountain. A large number of refugees were deployed on nearby hills and plank roads because of their weak field ability. In order to resist the attack, they also dug trenches to form new positions. Four full cavalry often go out of the city to lure the enemy and then pretend to be defeated and retreat. Trying to lure loyalists into these trenches and traps. The Ming army, frustrated by its rival in love, changed its mind. Use the strength advantage to attack separately, and prepare to win the hills near Shicheng to form a complete siege. General Mao Zhong climbed the mountain from behind with 4000 border guards, and General Liu Yu launched a feint from the mountain road in front.
However, the tenacity of Shicheng rebels exceeded the expectations of the Ming army. Although the hills occupied by a large number of refugees were raided by the Ming army in the peripheral battles, the main city with elite guards has been stubbornly resisting. When Mao Zhong led his army over the mountains, he was blocked by a trench at the city gate. Mongols shot arrows and threw stones from the city, and the Ming army could not lift its head.
/kloc-in the middle of the 0/5th century, the Ming army has changed from a heavy infantry army to a light infantry army using a large number of long-range weapons. Except for a few generals and guards, and the elite in the front row also have the ability to reload and storm, the rest play a decisive role in stormy battles. Mao Zhong, who had charged before, was shot dead by an arrow at a critical moment, and his men had to retreat to the top of the mountain to regroup. Liu Yu, who was in charge of positive containment, was also injured by an arrow, and his soldiers almost dispersed in a hubbub. Thanks to Xiang Zhong, who is in charge of the Beijing camp, he feels that he has completed the task.
Since then, the Ming army realized that storming Shicheng had no effect, so it turned to siege. People first destroyed the aqueduct in the city, and then set up positions on the surrounding mountains and bombed them with various firearms. The Ming army, which has no siege guns at all, can only kill the defenders of Chengtou without causing any harm to the city wall itself. During this period, the Ming army also sent troops to try to fill moats and trenches with mud, but they all gave up because of the counterattack firepower of the defenders. It is suggested to build siege vehicles as mobile fortifications during the attack. However, most generals in the army felt that the storm was too costly, so they rejected the proposal.
After entering 1 1, the cold weather began to shake the Ming army. But the rebels trapped in Shicheng also had logistical problems because the water supply was cut off. In addition, the main city, which could only accommodate thousands of people, has now poured into a team of nearly 10,000 people, further increasing its own logistics pressure. Some rebels even sneak out of the city to get water at night. So, the Ming army captured yang hu raccoon dog, four confidants. Through threats and inducements, the loyal subjects learned that the rebels were also eager to end the fighting and even had the desire to flee northward into Mongolia. So cooperate and get ready for an ambush.
Sure enough, after yang hu raccoon dog was put back into Shicheng, he urged the full four-rate army to come out for a decisive battle. After seeing the Ming army pretending to go down the mountain, the latter quickly broke through with elite cavalry. As a result, he was ambushed on the mountain road and became a prisoner of Xiang Zhong. However, the remnants of the rebels in the city soon made Huo Jing, a Mongolian who had been an officer, the new leader. Under his leadership, Shicheng rebels all broke through overnight.
Because the Ming army blocked most of the exits, leaving only one road to the south, the main rebel force was trapped in this direction. Most people, including Huo Jing, were killed or captured. Other small groups of troops broke through, while others fled the besieged valley temporarily. The last small group of people was not eliminated until June 1469.
At this point, the chaos in Guyuan, which lasted for half a year, completely subsided. Around the Ming Dynasty, there were as many as 10,000 casualties and many middle and senior officers were killed. The army spent nearly 100 thousand troops before and after, killing 4 thousand Mongolian herders and more than 10 thousand refugees.
Can't cause a new Anshi rebellion.
/kloc-the world in the 0/5th century is doomed to failure and namelessness.
If something like the Guyuan rebellion had happened hundreds of years earlier, I'm afraid the situation would have been different. However, the change of the overall pattern of the world doomed this rebellion, which was similar in nature to the Anshi Rebellion, and could not become a famous event in the history of the Ming Dynasty.
An Lushan in the Tang Dynasty, as a military source that the imperial court needed to rely on, was occupied by the inland transportation lines of Europe in the golden age. Guyuan itself is also a checkpoint of the Silk Road and a battleground for military strategists. Otherwise, the later Tubo and Tangut will not be taken for themselves. The ancestors of Manchu were also sealed here in the Yuan Dynasty, which undoubtedly shows that the local area still has strategic value. By the time the Ming army entered Guanzhong, the value of this international freight artery was not as good as before. The Ming dynasty was willing to keep local tribes, except for military needs, which was to judge that Guyuan was not the most important thing it wanted to occupy.
The artery of the world economy has moved inexorably to the ocean.
Looking at the contemporary world situation, the long-term war and destruction have greatly weakened the value of the onshore Silk Road. With the progress of ship technology, more and more businessmen turn their eyes to the ocean. Two generations ago, the rise of the Ming emperor Judy was mainly known through Zheng He's fleet. So that future generations often ignore it. At that time, the envoys of the Ming Dynasty went to Samarkand in Central Asia several times to negotiate with Herat.
Although there will be an endless stream of businessmen trying to enter the northwest from Ganzhou and Jiayuguan, their influence will gradually change with their counterparts who have traveled across the ocean to Nanyang. This historical process was so clear at that time, but it was still concealed by the long-standing maritime ban policy of the Ming Dynasty. As for the grassland-Daidao commercial road, which is much superior to Hexi Corridor, it is insignificant because of the land blockade of Ming army and Qing dynasty.
Changes in the general trend of the world will affect everyone in specific events without exception. The Manchu Dynasty not only enjoyed the world's wealth as An Lushan did in those days, but also attracted many foreign warriors from Turkic, Sogdian, Qidan and Xi tribes like john young. His tribes and small pastures are actually the last remnants of the golden age in Eurasia. Behind him, there is no broad back road that our ancestors can rely on, so the shock he can cause will be alleviated by the recorder of history.
However, the decline of this pattern may not be a blessing for the Ming Dynasty. Xiang Zhong ordered the complete destruction of Shicheng and solved the rebels. Similar things happened many times in the Ming dynasty, and the result was nothing more than environmental desertification and population dispersion in the whole Hetao and grassland. The Ming army, unwilling to enter but only to retreat, will still be attacked by Mongolian tribes. Their counterattack, because of short-sightedness, turned into duckweed without foundation.
The whole Ming dynasty can't get rid of the shadow of Mongolia.
Long-term disorder will bring endless poverty to both ends of the nomadic border. The little prince, Dayan Khan and Andan Khan in the north will appear one after another, and Li Zicheng and Zhang in the south will certainly appear.