The early Tang Dynasty in the 7th century was the most exciting period in the history of China. Li Shimin, the great Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, won the hearts of the people with his superb strategy, bullying the weak and destroying the country. After the East Turkistan was wiped out with 3,000 fighters, the nationalities in the west and north were successfully made to submit to the title. Everyone is familiar with this historical fact, but there are different opinions about its specific meaning and the authority it represents. So I wrote this article to help the local authorities correct it. The sages have discussed a lot about the explanation and system of Tiankhan in the Tang Dynasty. Among them, Luo Xianglin's Textual Research on Tiankhan System is the most complete single article on Tiankhan System and the most frequently cited material. Other people's writings may have major mistakes and omissions, such as Li Shutong's article How Emperor Taizong was revered as Tiankhan, which claimed that Tiankhan was unique to Emperor Taizong, which was obviously inconsistent with historical facts. Or just revise and question some of Luo's views, among which Zhang Qun's comments on Tiankhan system are the most effective, but the evidence is still weak, which is not enough to shake Luo's position. Or deepen and further explore on the basis of Luo's theory, but the basic framework of Luo's theory has not been revealed, such as Lin Tianwei's Tiankhan system (contained in the New History of Sui and Tang Dynasties) and Yao Dazhong's Tiankhan International Order Axis (contained in the heyday of the China world). Therefore, China Encyclopedia completely adopts Luo Shuo as the explanation of the word "Tiankhan". Since this article is called "Analysis of Tiankhan System", I don't intend to dig deeper, just want to synthesize everyone's opinions and make some comments and supplements. & gt Tiankhan, also known as "Supreme God of Heaven", is called "Emperor Tiankhan". In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong was promoted from a barbarian monarch to this title. Since then, all ethnic groups outside the Great Wall have honored the son of China as "Tiankhan", which means that Emperor Taizong is not only the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, but also the king of kings respected by all Tibetans in the northwest. "Respect him as a father and be as humble as heaven." The reason why Tiankhan is praised is not only because of its noble title, but also because of a substantive political system. Emperor Taizong went to Khan as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and his members maintained Hu Feng and accepted the official position of the Tang Dynasty. Japanese Uchida Ginpu called it "Hu-Han dual system", Tanigawa Daoxiong called it "Hu-Han dual system", Chen Yinque called it "Hu-Han divide and rule", Liu Xue called it "dual-track political system" and Lei Jiaji called it "one country, two systems". 1 After Emperor Tang was hailed as Tiankhan, it was necessary to maintain international peace and arbitrate disputes among countries, which was the primary task of Tiankhan. Defending the independence of all countries from aggression by powerful countries is another duty of Tiankhan. In order to show absolute obedience to Tiankhan, the heirs of all countries will be awarded by Tiankhan. The armies of all countries should accept the call of Tiankhan, and recruit soldiers to quell the chaos in China. 2. The armies of all ethnic groups in the western regions were called up to participate in the war. Rebellion in the history of Heian also has this power. The Tiankhan system in the Tang Dynasty was the first international organization in Chinese history. Followers promoted the emperor of the Tang Dynasty to an international ally, and regarded the prestige of the Tang Dynasty as a force for stabilizing international order and peace. However, the Tang Dynasty used the checks and balances among followers to defend its frontiers, reduce military expenditures, and establish a greater East Asian international order centered on the Tang Empire. This is the axis of Tiankhan's international order. The Tiankhan system has the functions of the United Nations today, but the United Nations is a committee organization, and the Tiankhan system is a commander-in-chief system (in Luo Xianglin). Professor Niu, a famous strategic scholar, believes that the Tiankhan system similar to the modern collective security organization was established as early as the seventh century A.D. and later in the Tang Dynasty. Tiankhan is not only an honor, but also of substantial significance. Its purpose is to make many small and weak neighbors coexist peacefully and prosper together. On the 3rd, people called the Tang Empire the most cosmopolitan dynasty in the history of China, which is almost true. & gt Therefore, Tiankhan is not only the envy of historians, but also the concern of more and more international strategists. I hope that through the study of Tiankhan system, we can learn relevant historical lessons and find a way to rebuild the new international order and safeguard world peace when the cold war pattern has collapsed and there is no common imaginary enemy. (The Tiankhan system itself has no imaginary enemies, and its main function is to recruit troops from all countries to fight against "immorality", that is, countries such as Goguryeo and Xue Yantuo that disobey the orders of the Tang emperor and are good at creating border incidents. )> The Tiankhan system began during the reign of Emperor Taizong, whose martial arts were at its peak, and expanded again after Emperor Taizong wiped out the ambition of western Turkistan. In order to maintain the domestic high-pressure rule and kill the frontier generals, the prestige of the empire was briefly challenged and impacted. During the reign of Xuanzong, the national strength was revived. Xuanzong himself resolved the disputes among countries seven times as Tiankhan, and failed in the Anshi Rebellion. After Xuanzong acceded to the throne, it existed in name only. This paper intends to explain it in detail from the following three parts: 1, the interpretation of Tiankhan; 2. The operation of Tiankhan system; 3. The origin, rise and fall of Tiankhan system and its related historical background analysis. & gt 1. Interpretation of Emperor Tiankhan. The story of Emperor Taizong, who was called Tiankhan in history, has been recorded in history books such as Tong Jian, The Book of Two Tang Dynasties and Tang Yaohui, among which Du You's Tongdian is the most detailed: > During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, China people came from the Great Wall, and Turkic descendants returned to China before and after. At that time, the governors of the Fan Dynasty were shocked and asked Taizong to be a Tiankhan. Zhi said, "I am the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. What about Khan?" ? "Minister and four yi salty said long live. Later, it was given to the governors of the western regions and the Great Northern Wilderness by imperial edict, and they were all called "Tiankhan Emperor". Those who are handsome and die in Fanqu are designated as heirs. Pro-unification and four barbarians, since then. & gt According to tradition, Tiankhan was the international ally, and the northwest tribes directly surrendered to China, calling the Tang emperor Khan, not Tiankhan, which is different. Luo Yizhi said: People who call Taizong Khan regard his land as a part of China's territory, so they should be ruled by officials; Known as Tiankhan, it was the joint leader of international peace and the Sui Dynasty, so the leader of their country was a vassal, not an official, and the household registration was no higher than that of the Tang Dynasty. & gt Luo Xianglin's textual research on the Tiankhan system in the Tang Dynasty followed this statement, and quoted various departments of Tiele in the twentieth year of Zhenguan in Zi Tong Zhi Jian (646), inviting Taizong to be Khan, and all invited officials. So, Tang Ting established thirteen detention counties such as Hanhai to prove his statement. However, this statement is contradictory. For example, during the period, the sixteen countries in the Western Regions and the nine surnames of Zhaowu surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and were placed in prefectures and counties. Just like Tiele's ministries, it is reasonable to call the Tang Emperor Khan. However, Roche listed sixteen countries in the western regions and nine surnames of Zhaowu as one of the international organizations, and called the Tang Emperor Tiankhan. Turks have been destroyed by Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong, and their territory has been designated as counties, so they should be conquered directly. However, according to Tang, Degiri was called "Tiankhan" instead of "Khan", which was inconsistent with his statement. & gt In contrast, Zhu proposed that Tiankhan was regarded by foreigners as an honorific title for Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, which meant that his status was higher than that of Khan, the monarch of all ethnic groups in the west and the north, regardless of whether the person who addressed the Emperor of Tang Dynasty was a part of China territory or an international organization. Taizong is an ordinary "Tiankhan", an international ally, and it seems more reasonable to exercise his power over the surrendered princes at home-"being Khan". & gt Emperor Taizong, as the emperor of Emperor Taizong, served as a vassal of Khan in the northwest, appointed his own people as county leaders attached to the Tang Dynasty, and accepted the official positions of governor and secretariat of the Tang Dynasty, calling him Khan according to his own habits, so as to avoid his own people's "pain of being killed or hurting the country". For example, Ashina was not only the governor of the Tang Dynasty, but also the general of the right marquis, and so on. On the premise of accepting the management of the Tang Dynasty (such as sending officials to participate in politics and supervision), he respected it. & gt Liu Yuan, a Hun, regarded himself as the descendant of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, regarded Gaozu Liu Bang, Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu and Zhaolie Emperor Liu Bei as ancestors, and called himself Khan and Hanwang. This is the first time that Hu Hanguan mixed up. Liu Cong, his son, further divided Hu Han in China, leaving a division between the left and the right. Forty-three per citizen, attending * * *; Khan left, right auxiliary, the main six hundred thousand, ten thousand a surname, mainly governance conference semifinals. Many kings in the Northern Dynasties followed suit, which was reflected in the folk song Mulan Ci in the Northern Dynasties, that is, two words appeared at the same time: "Khan sends more troops" and "Go to see the son of heaven, and the son of heaven sits in the hall", in which "Khan" and "son of heaven" obviously refer to the same monarch. & gt Due to natural disasters, the national strength of the Sui Dynasty suddenly declined, so it was split into two parts under the provocation and military attack of Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty. Qimin Khan claimed to be a vassal and attached to it. Emperor Wendi of the Sui Dynasty honored him as "Khan of the Holy Mo Yuan", which means a wise and rich monarch. Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty was the emperor of Sui Dynasty and the nominal monarch of Turkic, which set the precedent for emperor China and monarchs of other nationalities. Yang-ti also inherited the title after he ascended the throne, and continued to give Qimin Khan a great reward, almost reaching the level of "being poor and white can serve one person" (according to historians' analysis, Yang-ti probably wanted to attack North Korea with the help of Turkish military force). However, since the beginning of Bi Khan's accession to the throne, after giving him a lot of treasures and a princess, Emperor Yangdi wanted to use the wisdom of Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty to make Bi Khan's younger brother a Khan, so as to weaken Bi. Bi immediately broke with the Sui Dynasty and turned to the Sui Dynasty as an enemy, and the soldiers trapped Yang Di in the Wild Goose Gate. Since then, Turks have become a frontier disaster. The chaos at the end of Sui Dynasty invaded the Central Plains dozens of times, plundering the population of the Central Plains as much as 80,000. It was not until Li Jing's famous hakodate attack that the situation was completely reversed. & gt Not far from Yin Jian, Emperor Taizong accepted the title of "Emperor Tiankhan" while observing the "Hu-Han Duality System" in Wuhu period and the precedent that the Sui Dynasty monarch was a foreign monarch. However, different from the Sui Dynasty, the emperor of the Sui Dynasty, "the sage Mo Yuan Khan", only represented the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty as the Khan of the Turkic (or Western Turkic) clan. Emperor Tiankhan, written by Emperor Taizong, represents the monarchs supported by the emperor of the Tang Dynasty in the western regions and the north. This is the first case in the history of China, and its meaning is naturally different. Therefore, before Emperor Taizong accepted the title of Emperor Tiankhan, he was quite puzzled, so there was a question: "I am the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and I am sweating again." "Almost all the ministers suspected that the monarch of the Western Regions and the Great Northern Wilderness lived forever, and Emperor Taizong did not accept the title of" Emperor Tiankhan ",which was also the most special meaning of" Emperor Tiankhan "in the Tang Dynasty. (Zhu) Liu Zongyuan has a poem praising this grand occasion: > Qu's family is in the northwest, so don't go out of the region. Rely on distance and risk and be proud of yourself. The fierce king is a teacher, and Xiong Wei thinks he is a disciple. The dragon flag turned the waves and rode on Chikun Cape. The heartburn baby was swept away. Pingsha celestial pole, but see Huang Yun flooding. Chen Jing was in charge of Changying, and he was bravely detained. Huang Wen sits in the south and moves in groups. Salt is called the god in the sky, so it is impossible to go to ancient times. Offer the title of Khan to cover the capital of our country. Soldiers don't harm each other, each guard its nature and its body. & gt II. Operation of Tiankhan System > As mentioned above, Tiankhan System was established by Emperor Taizong to maintain international relations with Sui Dynasty and was used to suppress the aggression of various countries. In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Tang defeated East Turkistan, and Tang had no rivals in Asia. Therefore, under the concept of "you regard the four seas as one family", the Tiankhan system was established, with Tang Gaozong as the leader, the Tang Empire as the absolute core, and neighboring countries as satellite countries. The vassals used the prestige of the Tang Dynasty to stabilize the regional order, while the Tang Empire used the vassals to contain each other, maintain the balance of power, and reduce military expenditures, with the aim of helping the weak, curbing aggression, and using virtue with virtue. The authority of Tiankhan is mainly reflected in politics and military affairs: > 1. Politically, the system of professional titles has improved. Heirs from all countries must be knighted by Tiankhan to inherit their positions, and control is strengthened by giving Tang officials official positions and participating in politics. & gt is not only subordinate to its counties, but also the successor inheritance in the Tiankhan system must be recognized by Tiankhan and given an official position in the Tang Dynasty. Under normal circumstances, Xue Yantuo, Turkic, Uighur, Qidan, Silla and Xi are almost all conferred by the imperial court. For example, the Uighur khanate existed for 96 years, among which 13 khanates and 12 khanates accepted the knighthood of the Tang Dynasty. The owner of Emperor Taizong's canonization (Tang Guan was General Huaihua and Commander-in-Chief of the Vast Sea) was killed by his nephew Wu Ge. Tang Ting first captured and killed Wu Ge, then sent Cui Dunli, the minister of the Ministry of War, to appease him, and let the son of the owner succeed Li Fa, "establishing the Ministry of Uighur and Commander-in-Chief of the Vast Sea", which fully proved that the Tang Dynasty had abolished the power over the monarchs of vassal States. If the canonized monarch rebelled, he would be deprived of his official position and set up a new monarch. "If you don't invite guests, you will be bound" (New Tang Book * Northern Emperor). The monarchs of various countries are also held by Tang officials, which shows that they are part of the administrative system of Tang empire, such as Silla king as governor of Jilin Province. When necessary, the central government will also send Tang officials to participate in the administration. & gt In addition to the succession of the heir to the throne, the vassal states also need to fulfill the obligations of filling, pilgrimage and tribute to the Tang court. According to the Six Classics of Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty "controlled the tribute of northern Tibet and Turks", the contribution of Hella in Haidong in Henan Province, the contribution of Qidan, Xi and Shiwei in Hebei Province, the contribution of barbarians in five rivers in Longxi Province and the contribution of Erhai Lake Group in Huaxi in Jiannan Province. & gt The pilgrimage began in the fourth year of Zhenguan, and Taizong destroyed the Eastern Turkistan. In his later years, Emperor Taizong "has endless roads, and the Yuan Dynasty celebrates with thousands of people". In the reign of Xuanzong, the scale reached an unprecedented level. "Nine doors in heaven reveal the palace, and many countries bow their pearls", which annoys crack hon temple and does. In addition, the court will definitely reward and reward them. The central government once banned hajj because there were too many people. & gt The vassal states sent their children to Beijing for a long time out of fear of the power of the Tang court or in order to please the court's trust. Usually sent to guard the son of heaven, called "Suwei". Because most of the oaths were made by vassal States, some historians believe that this kind of behavior is less forced by force, but voluntary by vassal States. For example, it is believed that during the hostile period between Goguryeo and Tang, korean king asked to send the prince to Chang 'an to study, and actually agreed, which shows how generous Tang is. However, according to historical records, in May of the 21st year of Zhenguan, Li Shiji defeated Korea, and in December, the king of Korea sent his son Molly to the DPRK. The meaning of apology is strong. Although it was presented by Korea, it seems inappropriate to judge that Prince Korea took the initiative to study in Chang 'an. Of course, the Tang Dynasty did not mistreat these small princes, and there were indeed many princes of vassal states who, out of their desire for Chang 'an's prosperity, "invited them to stay overnight" after the expiration of their vows, but whether they were forced by force or took the initiative to study abroad still needed to be analyzed in combination with specific cases. & gt2. Militarily, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty can use the right of conscription to resolve and arbitrate disputes between countries, crusade against injustice and help the country conquer. The positive role of the Tiankhan system is to form a joint force to crack down on countries that do not abide by the Covenant and jointly safeguard the international order. The vassal States have the responsibility to defend the Tang Empire and conquer it. It was sent by the Tang Dynasty and conquered by the Tang Dynasty. "The Book of the New Tang Dynasty * Biography of the Western Regions" contains: "Cao Cao in the west, Cao Ye in the Sui Dynasty, Shi and Bolan in the south, the capital city of the country ... Wu De entered the DPRK. In the first year of Tianbao, Luo sent messengers to present a gift to King Huaide, which read: "Since Zukao, I have been blessed by Khan, and I am willing to be sent with the Tang people to assist the emperor in conquering. & gt "losing honey, or getting wet, is logical. It is 500 miles away from Bolu in the north and 4,000 miles around the ground. The mountains are dazzling and other countries cannot attack and cut. ..... The emissary came to Korea many times and said, "Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, I have been transferred to Khan. There are three kinds of soldiers in the country, elephant, horse and foot. The minister, the king of Zhongtianzhu and Otto are forbidden to go in and out, and the battle needs to be won. For example, Khan sent troops to Bolu. Although there were 200,000 soldiers, he could send food to help. There is also a state-owned Mohobolong Pool, which is willing to build a shrine for Tiankhan. All this shows that it is the duty of the vassal state that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty ordered the dispatch and conquest. & gt In the eighth year of Zhenguan, Tugu Hunkou was in Liangzhou, and Emperor Taizong ordered Li Jing to "fight Tugu Hunkou with Turks and Qiren". (Like a mirror) This is the first time that the Tiankhan system has been organized to send troops. In the twenty-first year of Zhenguan, King Qiuci was disrespectful, invaded neighboring countries, and ordered thirteen states of Tiele, Turks, Tubo and Tugu Hunbing to join the discussion. In the twenty-second year of Zhenguan, Arona intercepted the envoys of the Tang Dynasty and plundered the tributes of various countries. Wang Xuance moved Tubo Nibo (now Nepal) to a place of peace, "taking his concubine and prince and capturing 22,000 men and women. So Tianzhu shook, more than 580 people settled in the town, and Arona was taken home. As a mirror, Xuanzong mediated international disputes seven times as Tian Khan. In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, Xue Yantuo invaded the Turks, and Emperor Taizong appointed James Zhang as commander-in-chief, leading Xi, Qidan and other military forces to help the Turks defeat Xue Yantuo. After the chaos, Emperor Taizong said to Special Envoy Xue Yantuo: "I invite you and the Turks to take the desert as the boundary. If there is an invasion, I will ask for it. "You become strong on your own and attack the Turks over the desert. Li Shiji's generals have thousands of cavalry, and you have fallen into such a mess! Back to Khan: You can choose the right measure if it is of interest. " This just shows that Emperor Taizong, with respect for the founder (Tiankhan), blamed Xue Yantuo for breaking the contract, and the founder (Tiankhan) had the right to enlist the Khan Coalition forces to crusade against injustice. & gt What needs to be pointed out is that the Tiankhan system has no clear and strict regulations and conventions on what is immoral and what kind of punishment it should receive, which is also the reason why some scholars question it. Therefore, the Tiankhan system should not be a perfect and rigorous international arbitration institution, but an alliance system similar to modern "collective security". Niu Zhongxian believes that the Tiankhan system came into being under the concept of "China is the world" in the Tang Dynasty. Under the idea of Tiankhan, all countries and tribes form an alliance, and all members of the system use their own strength to impose sanctions on member countries that undermine peace within the system, thus ensuring the stability of the system and maintaining the world order. There is no imaginary enemy in the Tiankhan system, which is different from the imaginary enemy of collective defense. Sanctions are also targeted at countries that undermine peace within the system. & gt From this perspective, the Tiankhan system has the functions of the United Nations today, but the United Nations is a committee organization and the Tiankhan system is a commander-in-chief system (Luo Xianglin). The description of this in the Book of the New Tang Dynasty is: "Those who are answered by the International Heaven are ministers; Thin at home and abroad, no counties, so respect for the son of heaven "day khan. "Not since the three kings. To the barren areas, waiting for Tang to become a powerful country; One is not to be a guest, but to be bound to it. So it's quite valuable. The heel is caught in court. & gt To sum up, the Emperor Tiankhan in the Tang Dynasty was a Khan with the name of the emperor, and its authority was manifested as follows: politically, the seal had the "Three Treasures of the Emperor" for external use, imperial edicts and books had certain formal titles, and the canonization system further enriched its substantive connotation; Militarily, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty can use the right of conscription to resolve and arbitrate disputes between countries, crusade against injustice and help the country conquer. Legally speaking, the article "making foreigners commit crimes against each other" in the Law of the Tang Dynasty represents that China has the nature of "private international law" in the current legal principles of the Tang Dynasty, which shows that the laws of the Tang Dynasty can be applied to all regions and become international laws, and the Tang Dynasty has become a worldwide empire. & gt III. Origin, Rise and Fall of Tiankhan System and Analysis of Related Historical Background >; The Tiankhan system began in the period of Emperor Taizong, when the martial arts flourished and the Anshi Rebellion declined. After the reign of Emperor Taizong, it existed in name only. 137 (the year of Luo Xianglin) completely dominated the foreign relations of the Tang Dynasty in the two prosperous periods of Zhenguan and Kaiyuan, and its rise and fall was closely related to the national strength of the Tang Dynasty, which is worth pondering by future generations. & gt 1, The Age of Emperor Taizong: The Establishment and Perfection of Tiankhan System >: There is a view on the Internet that the separatist regime of Anshi Rebellion and even the changes of the Five Dynasties and Ten Countries in the future are all because Emperor Taizong was obsessed with military conquest and territorial expansion and abandoned the Central Plains, which led to weak central government and strong local government. Even the title of Tiankhan is said to be the expression of great joy and great sorrow of Emperor Taizong. This statement is actually untenable. He lacks understanding of the international situation and laws and regulations in the early Tang Dynasty. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the system of government soldiers was implemented, and they usually farmed and went out in wartime. This is also the reason why Li Shimin, as General Ce Tian and General Twelve Guards in the Wude period, nominally mastered the military power of the whole country, but was always at a disadvantage in the court struggle. Although he is the highest military commander in the country, under the system of officers and men who are integrated with the army and agriculture, he can't be transferred at the orders of the emperor in non-wartime and there is no soldier to adjust during the period of Chengping. However, during the Taizong period, the government military system has been running well. Under this system, it is impossible for generals to be big, let alone the weak part of the central government. It was not until the reign of Zong Rui that our time became a fixed official position, and it was not until the reign of Xuanzong that our time system was established. So some people say that the root of the decline of the Tang Dynasty lies in the destruction of the military system (of course, this statement is also extreme). The establishment of Tiankhan system was also forced by the harsh international situation in the early Tang Dynasty, which strengthened military equipment, and Taizong did not want to spend too much on the military, so he came up with such a way to balance the power balance by controlling foreigners. & gt