157474

A Brief Analysis of the Differences Between Song and Liao Dynasties and Song and Jin Dynasties

The Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty faced very different situations at this time. We should also analyze specific issues and dialectically view the decisions that the two Songs made successively in their national policies towards Liao and Jin.

1. The Song-Liao relationship is different from the Song-Jin relationship

Song and Liao concluded the Tanyuan Alliance in 1004 and became a country of brothers. Since then, there has been no large-scale war for a hundred years, and they can even be said to be allies to some extent. The two sides not only ceased the military truce, but also vigorously developed non-governmental trade and increased official exchanges. Therefore, from the perspective of international relations, the Northern Song Dynasty’s attack on Liao not only did not conform to the basic morality, but also added a powerful enemy.

The Song and Jin Dynasties were not quite the same. The Shaoxing peace agreement reached in 1141 was actually a unilateral compromise of the Southern Song Dynasty that humiliated the country. The cession of territory and the payment of tribute have determined the short-term nature of this peace. Therefore, there was neither moral pressure nor the consequence of establishing enemies in the Southern Song Dynasty’s attack on Jin. After all, Song and Jin had never been quasi-allies like Song and Liao.

2. Song, Liao, and Song and Jin Dynasties have different strengths

After the alliance at sea was reached, Tong Guan led an army of 150,000 to attack Yanjing of the Liao Kingdom, but was beaten back by Can Liao. In a word, the Northern Song Dynasty defeated all the military equipment accumulated since Shenzong, and even lost face in front of the common people and the state of Jin. Its weakness strengthened Jin’s determination to destroy the Song Dynasty, which was not worth the loss.

In contrast, in the last years of the Jin Dynasty, although the Kaixi Northern Expedition ended in a disastrous defeat in the Southern Song Dynasty, the Sinicized nomadic peoples weakened very quickly. During the reign of King Wei Wanyan Yongji, the Great Mongol Kingdom had been established, and Mongolia and Jin were completely broken. After a series of decisive battles represented by the Battle of Yehuling, the Jin army lost almost all its elite and could only adopt a defensive posture against Mongolia, and its military advantage over the Southern Song Dynasty was no longer obvious. During Jin Xuanzong’s time, Jin also tried to compensate for the loss of land in the north by invading the south, but was severely taught by the Southern Song Dynasty. Xuanzong’s invasion of the south has shown that Jin no longer has an overwhelming military advantage over Song, and the difficulty of attacking Jin in the Southern Song Dynasty was not as great as that in the Northern Song Dynasty’s attacking Liao.

3. Gold’s own decision-making mistakes

Needless to say, the Southern Song Dynasty did not pay much attention to Mongolia in view of the lessons of the maritime alliance. As a result, the southern invasion strengthened the Southern Song Dynasty’s determination to resist, and directly pushed an ally that could be won to the enemy.

4. Gold has lost the value of lips and teeth

This point not only involves the third point of the comparison of military strength between Song and Jin, but also the gap between Song and Mongolia and Jin and Mongolia. The Kingdom of Jin lost a large number of elite troops in the early stage of the Mongol War, and had almost no power to fight back against Mongolia. The failure of the southern invasion shows that the strength of the Song army is at least not inferior to that of the Jin army, and the Jin army is facing a war. The Song army does not have such a strong enemy as the Mongolian army. Therefore, the Southern Song Dynasty has stronger war potential than the Jin country. If the Song and Jin alliances, then the Song army can only take the lead to fight against Mongolia, which will only speed up the pace of the Southern Song Dynasty’s demise, and don’t expect Jin to provide any help.

5. The Southern Song Dynasty was not unaware of the threat of Mongolia

The conflict between Mongolia and Jurchen has a long history, almost throughout the history of the Jin Kingdom, and the Southern Song Dynasty also keenly observed this point. In 1192, Yu Duanli, Prime Minister of the Left, expressed his views on the rise of Mongolia, saying: “If the Tatars succeed and attack the Central Plains, or the chieftains flee and approach the border; This is also a known earlier military resolution against Mongolia made by the Southern Song Dynasty.

In the second year, Wei Jing, who was sent as an envoy to the Kingdom of Jin and acted as Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, said to Ningzong after returning home: “It is not enough to be happy when a weak captive is destroyed and a strong enemy survives.” This also shows the Southern Song Dynasty Monarchs and ministers have long been aware of the threat of Mongolia, so the Southern Song Dynasty maintained a relatively clear head between Mongolia and Jin. Mongolia is completely relieved.

6, the joint Mongolian extermination of gold is a helpless choice

But even after recognizing the Mongolian threat, the Southern Song Dynasty still had to make a choice: 1. Remain neutral; 2. United with gold to resist Mongolia; 3. United with Mongolia to destroy gold. Among these three options, the first option is tantamount to sitting and waiting to die. If you don’t get any benefits, you have to face a more powerful enemy. The second option is also not feasible based on the military strength of the Jin Dynasty, the policy towards the Song Dynasty, and long-term grievances. Sex, only the third item is worth trying.

Because firstly, this can prevent the Southern Song Dynasty from breaking out of conflict with Mongolia prematurely, and can continue the country; secondly, there is a great hope of winning, which can not only boost the morale of the subjects, but also occupy more land, gain a strategic depth, and increase the chance to compete with Mongolia. Weight, prepare in advance for the foreseeable Song-Mongol war. Therefore, the lesser of two evils, the Southern Song Dynasty knew that Mongolia was stronger, but still made a decision to unite the strong and the weak.