Throughout ancient Chinese history, there have been numerous peasant uprisings and various rebellions, such as the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprisings of the Qin Dynasty, and the Yellow Turban Uprising, which was a major reason for the demise of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Although the peasant rebel armies were numerous, they also overthrew several dynasties. But there was once such a dynasty that, despite the constant political slogans, still stood tall.
You must know that the reasons for the demise of the feudal dynasty in our country can be traced back to some traces of rebellion to a greater or lesser extent. Only the Song Dynasty is a dynasty that is difficult to overthrow in history.
So, what is the reason for this?
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the total economic output of the Song Dynasty accounted for more than 20% of the world economy at that time, and it was in its heyday. The bustling streets and endless flow of pedestrians in the ancient paintings fully show the prosperous commercial scene of the Northern Song Dynasty.
However, militarily, the Northern Song Dynasty was extremely weak. At that time, foreign invaders such as Liao, Western Xia, and Mongolia continued to invade the border. In the face of powerful foreign armies, the Song army was repeatedly defeated and appeared weak.
Not only did they lose a large area of land in the north, including the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but they were also forced by the Jin State to move south to the Jiangnan region. Even if the Southern Song Dynasty was established, it could not recover the lost territory and eventually perished under the iron hooves of the Mongols.
Even so, the Song Dynasty survived for more than three hundred years, making it the most difficult dynasty to overthrow among many dynasties in Chinese history. The coexistence of economic prosperity and military weakness became the hallmark of the development of this dynasty.
On the one hand, it represented the highest level of world economic development at that time, but on the other hand, it was unable to resist foreign invasion due to its military vulnerability, which eventually led to the end of this prosperous civilization. This contradiction between economy and military constitutes an important clue to the rise and fall of this dynasty.
Looking back, the economic prosperity of the Northern Song Dynasty came from many aspects. Agrarian reforms, an increase in grain production, a great development of handicrafts and commerce, a significant increase in the volume of various commodities, and a prosperous domestic market. At the same time, the overseas brought about by the prosperity of the sea has also become an important driving force for economic growth.
Not only that, but the scientific and technological progress of the Northern Song Dynasty also promoted economic development. In agriculture, improvements in agricultural implements have increased production efficiency, advances in papermaking technology have led to the widespread use of paper, and the use of magnetic needles has also facilitated navigation. It can be said that the reason why the Northern Song Dynasty became a world economic power at that time was inseparable from technological progress.
However, while the Northern Song Dynasty attached great importance to economic development, it seriously neglected military and national defense. Due to the neglect of military construction, the quality of the Northern Song Dynasty army was uneven, and the equipment was relatively outdated.
In the face of foreign invasions, the Northern Song Dynasty army often became a target to be killed. Even if there are brave and capable generals, it is difficult to change the overall weakness of the army. More importantly, this weakness directly led to the loss of large swathes of territory in the Northern Song Dynasty.
It is worth mentioning that although the land defense of the Northern Song Dynasty was weak, the navy was relatively strong, which was also related to its developed maritime **. However, the navy alone could not withstand the attacks of a strong enemy in the north, and the Northern Song Dynasty ultimately failed to defend the territory by force.
Contrary to the weakness of the external military, the internal contradictions of the Northern Song Dynasty were very acute. There were 433 peasant uprisings, the scale and impact of which were staggering. According to the laws of history, this level of internal trouble is more terrible than external trouble.
The most notable of these was the Fangla Uprising, which broke out in the seventh year of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty and finally collapsed in the second year of Xuanhe. They held high the banner of "Down with the emperor and leveling the rich and the poor", and their momentum was extremely powerful.
In just two years, millions of peasants took part in the uprising, of which the main force exceeded 100,000. Wherever such a mighty and well-armed rebel army went, it was difficult for the regular army of the Song Dynasty to resist. From these figures alone, it is clear that the Fangla uprising had every possibility of overthrowing the imperial rule.
However, as it turned out, the uprising was quickly suppressed by the Song dynasty. Many peasant uprisings after that, such as the Wang Xiaobo Uprising and the Yang Ma Uprising, also ended in failure a few years later.
It can be seen that the peasant uprising, although powerful, never really threatened the foundations of the rule. The main reasons are as follows:
First, the insurrectionary masses were confined to the peasant class, and it was difficult to gain the support of the elites. The Song Dynasty put forward the policy of "ruling the world with scholars", effectively bringing elites such as scholars and landlords into the ruling group, making them staunch supporters of the Song Dynasty.
These scholars came from prestigious families and received a good education from an early age. They see themselves as leaders and role models in society. They looked down on the barbarism of the rebels, considered them nothing more than a rabble, and refused to serve them.
The rebels came from poor backgrounds, and most of them knew only a few words, and were extremely unfamiliar with politics, economics, culture, and other aspects. Although there were quite a few of them, they were all temporary gatherings that lacked strict organization and effective management. Once faced with difficulties, the morale of the army will be diluted and it will be difficult to survive.
Therefore, in order for the rebel army to achieve final victory, it must win the hearts and minds of the people, cultivate its own team of advisers, and formulate long-term plans. But they held high the banner of "Down with the emperor, peace with the rich and poor", hoping to overthrow the existing order and redistribute wealth through violent means, which is clearly incompatible with the interests of the elite.
Without the support of the elite, the rebel army would be greatly limited in terms of financial resources and talents, and it would be difficult to realize its ambitions.
Secondly, there are problems with the logistical supply of the rebels. Without the support of the landlords and gentry, it was extremely difficult for the rebel army to supply military rations, ** and other materials, which also restricted its development.
In addition, the landlords and gentry also had a lot of influence in the region, and their attitudes would directly affect public opinion. Therefore, the loss of the support of the landlords and gentry also became an important reason for the failure of the uprising.
In addition, there are regional conflicts within the rebels. Farmers in different regions have different Xi and are difficult to get along with each other. The rebels also failed to form a unified leadership. Each leader goes his own way and is more vulnerable to the ** and attack of the imperial court.
To sum up, although the peasant uprisings in the Song Dynasty continued to occur on an unprecedented scale, they eventually failed because they never received the support of the social elite. On the one hand, this reflects that if the peasant class wants to overthrow feudal rule, it must unite with the progressive scholar class and open up the superstructure in order to achieve victory. The history of the Song Dynasty is the epitome of this historical law.