Research on the phenomenon of Qi Jiguang and the Ming Dynasty's famous generals being transferred to the north
In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, six outstanding generals were sent to the north, they were Li Mengyang, Guo Zizhang, Qi Jiguang, Wang Chonggu, Li Rusong and Zhang Chongren, which was a unique military mobilization phenomenon in the Ming Dynasty.
Among them, Li Mengyang was from Suzhou, Jiangsu, and was an outstanding military strategist of the Ming Dynasty, after the death of Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, he was appointed as the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, and later performed well in the positions of the right attendant of the household department in Nanjing and the governor of Liangguang.
Guo Zizhang was born in Wu County, Jiangsu, in the fourteenth year of Wanli, he served as the prefect of Hangzhou, and later, Li Mengyang and Guo Zizhang returned to Beijing together, serving as the waiter of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War.
1.Wang Chonggu, a native of Jinan, Shandong, a military wizard, died heroically in the battle against the Japanese Invaders. 2.Zhang Chongren, the son of Zhang Juzheng, the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty, a native of Taiyuan, Shanxi, in the second year of Wanli, quelled the rebellion of Wang Xizhe of Datong, and was later promoted to the secretary of the right capital of the imperial history and military department.
3.Qi Jiguang, a famous general of the Ming Dynasty, established the Qi Army, pacified the southeast coastal Wako, in the twenty-seventh year of Wanli, served as the chief soldier of Jizhen, strengthened the defense of the border pass, trained the soldiers, changed the military cantonment system to the small tun system, improved the knowledge, skills and combat quality of the soldiers, and was known as a generation of famous generals.
In the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the Japanese in the south were pacified by Qi Jiguang, who was sent by the imperial court, but the Mongol army in the north began to rise and constantly invaded the borders of our country. For this reason, the imperial court transferred Qi Jiguang to the north on the grounds of military training.
In the first year of Longqing, Qi Jiguang began his 16-year defense mission in the north, but unfortunately, he was unable to withstand the fierce offensive of the Mongol iron cavalry. In the history of the Ming Dynasty, the phenomenon of a famous general like Qi Jiguang being transferred to the north is very rare, which reflects the spirit of loyalty and mission of many patriotic generals, and Qi Jiguang has become the most representative role.
From the point of view of military strategy and military thought, his actual combat experience provided a valuable reference for later military strategists. Therefore, from this point of view, Qi Jiguang's contribution to the history of our affairs is unparalleled.
Qi Jiguang laid a solid foundation for the military progress of the Ming Dynasty with strict military discipline, clear thinking, and attention to the military quality and skills of soldiers. Through actual combat, he closely integrated the three aspects of soldiers, generals, and **, which brought a far-reaching impact on the military development of the Ming Dynasty.
His professionalism and good style enabled him to build a powerful army, which was feared by both the Japanese in the south and the Mongol army in the north.
As a leader, he not only treats his soldiers as children, but also is strict with his own behavior. As a general, he can quickly and accurately judge the strength of friends and foes, so as to make targeted adjustments.
The situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly, and his accurate judgment and quick adjustment undoubtedly make him a rare general. In addition, he was courageous and always kept calm and sober in the face of danger and adversity.
This composure of "Tarzan collapses in front of him and his color remains unchanged" shows his unparalleled courage. In general, Qi Jiguang's comprehensive military literacy allows us to see the military defense posture of the north in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, and also allows us to see the overall construction and operation of the army by a military strategist.
After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, although Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed most of the Yuan army, some remnants still fled to the desert Gobi, constantly harassing the northern defenders and people, causing the emperor a headache.
In the sixth year of Hongwu, the imperial court issued a decree requiring the northern army to adopt a defensive posture, but the Yuan army pressed forward step by step for revenge. So the imperial court sent Feng Sheng, Lan Yu and other generals to carry out two northern expeditions, and finally stabilized the northern frontier.
In the late Hongwu period, the defense strategy of the north was significantly adjusted, from a single defense mode to an integrated overall defense model, and the defense system of the Ming Dynasty was more perfect.
In the first year of Longqing (1567 AD), the imperial court sent Qi Jiguang to the north to train Jimen soldiers. After Qi Jiguang arrived in Jizhen, he first strengthened the defense of the Great Wall and built a large number of fortifications.
Then, according to the topography, he built a chariot to resist the Mongol iron cavalry, and pioneered the formation of a chariot battalion unit.
This vehicle is armed with muskets and can deliver long-range kills. According to historical records, this musket was captured in battle with the Portuguese army and was later equipped with the Ming army.
At first, this tank was mostly used in water warfare, but later it was also widely used in the army. Qi Jiguang was a very nimble commander, and he found that the Fujian soldiers were good at using knives, so he arranged for them to train in knife skills.
At the same time, he also noticed that the Zhejiang soldiers were good at using firearms and chariots, so he let them train in tactics. In this way, it is possible to maximize the combat effectiveness of the army.
In 1573, the Mongol cavalry invaded the border twice, but were defeated by the army led by Qi Jiguang. In the second battle, the Mongol leader was even almost captured alive.
The following year, the Mongol leader of Duoyanwei invaded Dongjiakou, and Qi Jiguang led the Ming army to successfully defeat Chang Bald, and pursued him for hundreds of miles, eventually capturing him alive. In the following battles, Qi Jiguang achieved remarkable results and defeated the Mongolian army many times.
Because of his outstanding military exploits, Ming Muzong named him Shaobao.
Qi Jiguang found in many encounters with the Mongol army that the tactics they adopted were very simple, always concentrating their forces to find our weak links, and once they found an opportunity, they quickly sent iron cavalry to attack.
This tactic poses a great threat to our side. However, Qi Jiguang successfully cracked this tactic with a chariot. In fact, before Qi Jiguang, the army of the Ming Dynasty general Yu Dayou was already equipped with chariots.
However, the main purpose of the chariot at that time was to defend against the Japanese in the south, not against the Mongol army. After Qi Jiguang took over, he improved the chariot in his hand to make it more suitable against the Mongol army.
The improved tank had two compartments, one for each of the main compartments and one for the side compartments, each with 20 soldiers, and a battalion with 128 vehicles. When the army moved, these vehicles formed a strong iron wall, making it impossible for the enemy to find any breach points.
Qi Jiguang's unique tactics not only avoided unnecessary sacrifices, but also improved the combat effectiveness of the entire team. His tactic was to form a small square of infantry and chariots, with chariots in front and infantry in the rear, so that when engaging the enemy, he could use firearms from afar, chariots at close range, and infantry in the rear to form an all-round battle group.
In addition, his tactics also made full use of the characteristics of the soldiers who could use the long ** to kill the legs of the Mongolian army's horses when they were in close combat, and once the war horse fell, the power of the Mongolian army's iron cavalry was greatly reduced.
Therefore, he made great contributions to the border defense of the Ming Dynasty during the sixteen years of guarding Jizhen. The reason why famous generals like Qi Jiguang were transferred to the north in the middle and late Ming Dynasty was precisely because Jizhen was an important border town of the Ming Dynasty, and with his defense, the border defense of the entire north could be stabilized.
In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the rise of the northern Warat power brought a serious threat to the Ming Dynasty's borders. The policy of "harmony is precious" adopted during the reign of Emperor Akihito and Emperor Seonjong of the Ming Dynasty led to the increasing rampant of the Warat tribe.
During the orthodox years of the Ming Dynasty, the corrupt regime and eunuchs led to the tragedy of Tumubao, and the strength of the Ming army decreased significantly. After the Battle of Tumubao, the Ming army changed from an active offensive to a passive defense.
During the Chenghua period, the little prince Dayan Khan succeeded to the Mongol throne, and he was ambitious and tried to annex the territory of the Ming Dynasty. After sufficient recuperation, the Tatar army established by Dayan Khan had surpassed the strength of the Ming army.
In order to resist foreign enemies, the Ming Dynasty had to build the Great Wall and strengthen the construction of border defenses. Qi Jiguang's defense in Jizhen became a key link in the Ming Dynasty's defense against the Mongol army in the north.
During the Jiajing period, Yan Song's father and son held power alone, and they appointed Qiu Ying as the chief of the border guards, but they were defeated in the battle with the Mongolian army.
In the twenty-ninth year of Jiajing, Dayan Khan's son, the Altan tribe, led an army to the south. In order to avoid a formal conflict with the Mongol army, the Ming army transferred the main force to Jizhen, as a way to attract the main force of the Mongol army.
However, at this time, Qi Jiguang had not yet taken office. The Ming Dynasty army fought separately and lacked coordination, and the generals defending the city adopted a conservative strategy and allowed the Alta army to burn and loot.
Looking back on the imperial expedition of Ming Wuzong, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty at this moment were deeply ashamed. The great Ming Dynasty did not dare to stand up against the Mongol generals, and the emperor did not exchange the peace of the north with all the strength of the whole country.
In the context of this era of internal and external difficulties, Qi Jiguang was appointed as the commander of the Jingshi Shenji Battalion. In the third year of Longqing, he served as the chief soldier of Jizhou and guarded Jizhen for 16 years, achieving the prestige of a generation of famous generals.
In 1616, Shenzong died, the internal power struggle in the Ming Dynasty intensified, and the dissatisfaction of Zhang Juzheng and Yan Song plunged the late Ming Dynasty into turmoil for half a century. Then, the eunuch **, the military department and the household department fought for power, and the Ming Dynasty army began to disintegrate from the inside.
At this time, the internal court was fragmented and undercurrents were surging. During the Apocalypse, the Ming Dynasty came to an end in the struggle between Wei Zhongxian and the Donglin Party. However, Qi Jiguang, a famous military general of the Ming Dynasty, led by example, brave in battle, reasonable strategic layout, proper use of tactics, and flexible in operation, not confined to one place, and his military strategy and military management ideas had a far-reaching impact on later generations, and even spread to Japan and Korea.
Qi Jiguang occupies an important position in the history of China, he fought in the south and the north, and made outstanding contributions to the border defense of the Ming Dynasty. His military philosophy is a precious treasure of the history of Chinese affairs and has far-reaching reference significance for later generations of military strategists.