The Southern Song Dynasty is a special dynasty in Chinese history, which was rebuilt in the south by Zhao Gou, Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, after the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed by the Jin people. Although the Southern Song Dynasty lost most of the land in the Central Plains, it made brilliant achievements in economy, culture, science and technology, and coexisted with the Jin Dynasty, Western Xia, Dali Kingdom, and the Mongol Empire until it was wiped out by the Yuan Dynasty in 1279. The existence of the Southern Song Dynasty can be said to be the most successful partial peace regime in ancient Chinese history, and it laid a solid foundation for the development of the south. Why, then, is it difficult for a similar partial regime to emerge in the south after the Southern Song Dynasty? Southern Song Dynasty
To answer this question, we need to analyze it from geographical, economic, cultural, political and other aspects. First of all, geographically, after the Southern Song Dynasty, China's territory has undergone tremendous changes, the confrontation pattern between the north and the south has been broken, and the geographical advantage of the south has been weakened. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the terrain of the south was complex and changeable, with high mountains, deep valleys, lakes, rivers, jungles, etc., which played an important role in the defense and survival of the south. On the one hand, these topography increase the estrangement and differentiation between the south and the north, so that the south can maintain a certain degree of independence and autonomy. On the other hand, these terrains also made it more difficult for the North to attack the South, making it difficult for the North to completely conquer the South. In contrast, the terrain of the north is relatively flat and open, which is conducive to the union and expansion of the north, as well as the invasion and control of the south by the north. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty unified most of China through military conquest, opened up the transportation and trade between the north and the south, built the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and strengthened the management and control of the south, so that the geographical advantages of the south no longer existed, and the partial space of the south was greatly compressed.
Second, economically, after the Southern Song Dynasty, China's economic center of gravity shifted, the economic advantages of the south were weakened, and the economic ties between the north and the south were strengthened. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the economic development of the south far exceeded that of the north, and the agriculture, handicrafts, commerce, and shipping of the south reached an unprecedented height, and the cities, markets, currency, and taxation of the south were extremely prosperous, and the economy of the south formed a huge attraction and influence on the economy of the north. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty promoted the economic integration of the north and the south through political unification, so that the economy of the north has developed rapidly, the agriculture, handicrafts, commerce, shipping, etc. of the north have made significant progress, and the cities, markets, currency, and taxes of the north have increased significantly, and the economy of the north has formed competition and constraints on the economy of the south, so that the economic advantages of the south are no longer obvious, and the economic space of the south has been greatly reduced.
Thirdly, culturally, after the Southern Song Dynasty, China's cultural integration increased, the cultural advantages of the south were weakened, and the cultural exchanges between the north and the south were strengthened. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the cultural creativity and influence of the south far exceeded that of the north, and the literature, art, philosophy, science and technology of the south reached a brilliant level, and the literati, scholars, scholars, and technicians of the south were extremely active, and the culture of the south formed a huge guidance and transformation of the culture of the north. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty promoted the cultural exchanges between the north and the south through ethnic integration, so that the culture of the north has been rapidly improved, the literature, art, philosophy, science and technology of the north have made significant progress, the literati, scholars, scholars, and technicians of the north are extremely prosperous, and the culture of the north has formed a competition and influence on the culture of the south, so that the cultural advantages of the south are no longer prominent, and the cultural space of the south is greatly reduced.
Finally, politically, after the Southern Song Dynasty, China's political coherence increased, the political advantage of the South was weakened, and the political ties between the North and the South were strengthened. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the political independence and autonomy of the south far surpassed that of the north, and the political system, legal system, administrative system, and military system of the south all had their own characteristics and advantages, and the politics of the south formed a huge contrast and contrast with the politics of the north. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty promoted the political unification of the north and the south through the centralization of power, so that the politics of the north have been rapidly integrated, and the political system, legal system, administrative system, and military system of the north have been significantly improved.
To sum up, after the Southern Song Dynasty, it was difficult for the south to have a partial security regime, mainly due to geographical, economic, cultural, political and other reasons, which made the differences and antagonisms between the south and the north be eliminated and eased, the advantages and space of the south were weakened and compressed, and the conditions and possibilities of the south were destroyed and eliminated.