The life of the ancients was not as boring as we imagined, and they also had their own way of entertainment, especially the life of the nobles, luxurious and colorful. During the Tang Dynasty, China's status reached its peak, and the "rule of Zhenguan" created by Li Shimin made the Tang Dynasty a chapter in history.
The opening of the Silk Road has ushered in the grand occasion of the coming of all countries and has become a bright pearl of the Orient. The life of the Tang Dynasty court was luxurious and gorgeous, and the lifestyle of the nobles was beyond the reach of modern people.
The "three major enjoyments" that have been handed down to this day - Kunlun Nu, Silla and Bodhisattva Man, fully reflect the rich and colorful life of the nobles of the Tang Dynasty, and it is really "rich people can really play".
The word "Kunlun" is often associated with the mysterious land of the gods, but in fact, the word represented "black" during the Tang Dynasty, so "Kunlunnu" refers to black slaves.
The history of black slavery in the United States is sad, but I didn't expect that such a phenomenon existed as early as thousands of years ago in the Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, the "Kunlun Nu" mainly came from the Negritas of Nanyang, and there were three main types of their **: first, they were sent to Chang'an as a gift of tribute; the second was trafficked to the Tang Dynasty; The third is to stay after coming to Tang with the envoys from Southeast Asia.
It was mainly black North Africans who were trafficked to the Tang Dynasty, while most of the people who were paid tribute were Nanyangs.
In ancient times, Chang'an, because it was located at the intersection of the Silk Road, was an international metropolis, and foreigners could often be seen in the streets and alleys. However, unlike other foreigners, Kunlun slaves did not come here for pleasure, but were sold as slaves.
Due to the scarcity of numbers, there are not many people who can afford Kunlun slaves, and generally only nobles can have them. At that time, if you walked on the street and followed a Kunlun slave by your side, it was enough to prove that your family was either rich or expensive, which made people envious, jealous and hateful.
Kunlun Nu has a strong physique, a docile temperament, is loyal to his master and is down-to-earth and hardworking, and is deeply loved by the nobles of the Tang Dynasty. For the aristocracy, it was much more cost-effective to buy a Kunlun slave to go home as a servant than to buy a local.
During the Tang Dynasty, owning Kunlun Nu became a fashion label for the aristocracy to flaunt their wealth, and their frequent appearance in murals and terracotta figurines also reflected the universality of the Kunlun Nu trade.
Over time, these foreign slaves gradually integrated into the local culture, from the initial image of wearing sheepskin shorts to changing into long robes.
As a cost-effective labor force, they not only need to have a strong physique, but also need to learn etiquette, dance and other skills, not only to meet the daily needs of the aristocracy, but also to provide them with entertainment.
That's why Kunlun Nu is worth so much.
In 660 AD, the Silla Kingdom, in alliance with the Tang Dynasty, defeated Goguryeo and established its own state. In order to express its gratitude to the Tang Dynasty, the Silla Kingdom paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty for a long time.
According to historical records, the relationship between Silla and the Tang Dynasty was close and continuous, and it was no different from the rest of the country, and the diplomatic relations between the two countries were very good. And this kind of close interaction has led to the emergence of a special group of people in the Tang society, that is, Silla women.
Although these Silla maids were of low status, their diligence and sincerity were deeply loved by the nobles. After entering the noble court, they will also receive systematic training and study, so the level of education is quite high.
Ancient Korean dramas have revealed a disturbing truth: the status of women was extremely low in their time, even lower than ours. Therefore, in order to improve their status, some Silla maids chose to come to Datang.
However, not all of them are voluntary, and most of them are actually trafficked here, which involves a major transnational human trafficking case during the Tang Dynasty.
Xue Ping, who was stationed at the border between the two countries at the time, noticed the problem, and after investigation, he wrote to the imperial court to prohibit the trade of Silla maids.
Although the ban has been issued, this trafficking has not stopped, and a large number of Silla maids are still sent to Datang.
Cutting off at the source is the only way to avoid injury"Xue Ping adheres to this principle. Therefore, he again sent a letter to the imperial court, demanding that the whole country strictly prohibit the buying and selling of Silla maids. After receiving this request, Tang Muzong Li Heng immediately ordered the implementation of the ban and made it clear that anyone who violated it would be severely punished by law.
This ban had such a great effect that the nobles did not dare to buy and sell Silla maids anymore in order to avoid being implicated, and dismissed the Silla maids in their families one after another. The Silla maid had nowhere to go but to live on the streets.
In order to solve this problem, Datang proposed a humane plan, that is, to prove that they are Silla people, they can arrange a ship to send them back to China. Since then, Silla has completely disappeared in Datang.
"Bodhisattva Man" originated from the Tang Dynasty, and the legend is that it is a southern Xinjiang tune, which is different from the Central Plains style and is loved by the nobility. Tang Xuanzong and Tang Zhaozong have all masterpieces, and many ** people have also left masterpieces.
Some say it originated in ancient Myanmar and passed through Yunnan to the Tang Dynasty. No matter how it is, the popularity of "Bodhisattva Man" is inseparable from this group of foreigners from the west, and the Tang Dynasty people collectively called them "Bodhisattva Man".
In the Tang Dynasty, there were some foreign women who had fair-skinned **, high nose bridges and deep eyes, which looked somewhat similar to Xinjiang people. It is recorded in the "Du Yang Miscellaneous Compilation" that in the first year of Tang Dazhong, a team of female barbarian envoys paid tribute to the Tang court a large number of singing and dancing artists, that is, the ancient advocates.
These advocates spread the lyrics and music of "Bodhisattva Man" to the Central Plains, and because of its diverse music styles and beautiful dance performances, it was deeply loved by princes and nobles.
Therefore, most of the female barbarians served in the mansions of the nobility, performing ** and dancing for their masters.
During the banquet, the delicacies sang and danced with the beauties of the Western Regions, and the scene was extremely wonderful. However, with the arrival of a large number of bodhisattvas, ** gradually exceeded the demand, resulting in many bodhisattvas having nowhere to go, and in the end they could only be like Silla maids.
The degree of openness of the Tang Dynasty society can be seen from the Kunlun Nu, Silla Maiden and Bodhisattva Man, etc., and also reflects the life enjoyment of the Tang Dynasty aristocracy, which can be called unprecedented and unprecedented.
Even thousands of years ago, even now, the rich may not be able to enjoy such treatment.