As another great unified dynasty in Chinese history, the establishment of the Song Dynasty freed the people of the Central Plains from the flames of war in the Five Dynasties and Ten KingdomsAt the same time, it has created a new era of prosperity at the cultural and economic level, which cannot but be said to be a great achievement. However, compared with other unified dynasties such as the Han and Tang dynasties, the Song Dynasty's military weakness was so glaring that it was almost always in a humiliating position to the outside world for three hundred years, and became the place where it was criticized. But,No matter how weak the military is, the Song Dynasty still needs to pay attention to the construction of the armyHow to implement the guarantee for military personnel is a problem worth thinking about and solving.
1. The military security policy has long been in place in China
As the guarantor of foreign expansion and the pioneer of foreign expansion, the status of the army in a country is self-evidentAs the main body of the military, the military is of great importance. In many cases, the strength of the military almost determines the survival of a country and a regime, especially in ancient societies.
In this case,How to protect the normal rights and interests of military personnel and even give them preferential treatment corresponding to their contributions is of great importanceIt is a question that rulers from ancient times to the present day need to take into account. In China, the implementation of the policy of supporting military personnel has appeared as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
In order to raise an army strong enough to fight against the king and destroy the Shang dynasty, Jiang Ziya made a special provision for the army: "If there is a dead soldier on the march, give him a funeral ......."That is, to give medicine, so that it is viewed with caution. If the doctor does not treat it, he will be whipped. ”
During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, when the material production conditions were so low, special preferential treatment was given to soldiers in funeral, medicine, etcNot only did they reflect the importance that the rulers of that period attached to the military, but these measures themselves also reflected the high risk of the military profession, which often resulted in death and serious injury
Later, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with the rise and frequent wars of princes competing for hegemony, the importance of the army increased againThe preferential treatment policies for military personnel among countries have also been improved accordinglyIt is recorded in the Mozi Command that when a soldier is killed or wounded, the general needs to personally visit his home to express condolences and condolences, and the military merit system implemented by the Qin State has entered a new level. In addition, it is through these acts that the noble sentiments of soldiers to protect their homes and defend the country are constantly recognized, which is also a great spiritual inspiration for other survivors.
Since then, with the change of time, although the dynasty and the people in power have changed, the tradition of preferential treatment of military personnel has not been broken, but it has been passed down and improved. During the Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty adopted infectious disease isolation measures for the first time in the army, "personally entering Zhailu, inspecting the soldiers, and pleasing the three armies", which has to be said to be a historic leap.
Even in the chaos of the Three Kingdoms period, the preferential treatment policy for soldiers was equally generousDuring the Western Jin Dynasty, because of the existence of the soldier system, there was a policy of fixed leave for soldiers, which played a non-negligible role in improving the mental state of soldiersIt is also conducive to the development of social agriculture.
Therefore, until the Song Dynasty, the preferential treatment policy for soldiers was quite perfect, and in order to maintain its own rule, the Song Dynasty naturally needed to inherit and develop from it and form its own corresponding system.
2. The political structure of the Song Dynasty itself demanded preferential treatment of soldiers
Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains has been in a state of chaos for a long time, and it was not until the establishment of the Song Dynasty that most of China was unified。However, in addition to internal worries, the Song Dynasty needed to worry more about the attack from the Khitan, a minority regime in the north.
Especially at the time of the change between the Later Tang Dynasty and the Later Jin Dynasty, Shi Jingjiao, the founder of the Later Jin Dynasty, chose to take the sixteen states of Yanyun as a condition and cede them in exchange for help from the Khitan.
At the same time, in the process of cession, the Khitan also took the opportunity to capture several other states and seize large tracts of land. Since the loss of Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures and other places, the Central Plains regime, including the Later Han, Later Zhou and Song dynastiesNot only did they lose a fertile horse farm to train cavalry, but they also lost a solid barrier at the geographical level, putting themselves in a rather passive position strategically.
Although the Song Dynasty also tried to recapture the sixteen states of Yanyun at the beginning of its establishment, with the failure of Song Taizong's three northern expeditions,This wish was completely shattered, and the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty directly chose to admit defeat and lie down, which put the Song Dynasty at a disadvantage at the military level by nature.
In addition, due to the existence of the Song Dynasty's own national policy of emphasizing literature over military force, coupled with the emergence of the three redundancies, the combat effectiveness of the Song Dynasty army has always been relatively low, and it is difficult to achieve victory externally.
Therefore,Looking at the political pattern of the two Song Dynasty and three hundred years, it has successively opposed the Liao State, the Western Xia, the Dali State, the Jin State and the Mongol State, and the situation is not unsafe。In the case of inferior quality and the coexistence of various political powers, the Song Dynasty's dependence on the army has greatly increased, and how to stabilize the morale of the military has become a problem they must solve, and the preferential treatment policy for military personnel is a good way to deal with it.
1. The basic guarantee is relatively perfect
In the years of development, the Chinese ** system has also undergone several changes, until the Song Dynasty has been a common use of the conscription system to recruit soldiers and expand the army。Under the conscription system, not only does it cover the equipment that soldiers need to fight, but also military salaries, some clothing and food are also within the scope of responsibility.
There is a question about how the soldiers of the Song Dynasty were paid, and now due to the lack of historical materials and the complexity of the social situation at that time, it is impossible to show all of them, but you can still get a glimpse of the leopard and roughly see how the soldiers were treated at that time.
As the main body of the army, the forbidden army during the Song Dynasty was divided into three levels according to the nature of the armyFrom more to less, they were consistent, 700 to 500 wen, 400 wen to 300 wen, and there was also a certain amount of food and clothing subsidies, which was not small at the price level at that time.
In addition to the most direct Yulu, the Song Dynasty also focused on the living security of the elderly。At the officer level, the Song Dynasty repeatedly issued edicts allowing people over the age of 70 to resign from their official positions in order to retire, and to receive a salary equivalent to the number of official positions before them with the consent of the imperial court.
In addition, when the military attache retires, ** will also give a more generous reward. At the level of ordinary soldiers,In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the army, the Song Dynasty often chose to withdraw the old, weak, sick and disabled from the army, and at the same time gave different degrees of treatment to soldiers in different retirement states.
For example, for the leftovers who only do miscellaneous work in the army - this group is mostly old and infirm, and the Song Dynasty only pays its general military expenses most of the time; For fully discharged servicemen, they are given tax exemptions.
FinallyIn terms of medical security, the Song Dynasty also had corresponding measures. In fact, since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Song Dynasty has focused on the construction of the medical system in the army, including the establishment of institutions such as Tai Hospital and Taiping Huimin Compound Pharmaceutical Bureau.
First, the Song Dynasty arranged a large number of accompanying military doctors in the army, which first played a certain role in ensuring the safety of soldiers.
Second, the Song Dynasty often sent doctors to conduct roving diagnoses in the army, "on all sides of the capital, the dispatch of Hanlin only to wait for treatment of the soldiers", especially in the special period of the outbreak of infectious diseases, the dispatch will be greatly enhanced.
FinallyIn order to improve the effect, the Song Dynasty also set up military hospitals in some areas to treat the wounded, but this suggestion disappeared with the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty. In addition to the above measures, the Song Dynasty also carried out activities such as praying for blessings and giving medicines, which played a non-negligible role in ensuring the life and health of soldiers.
2. The bereavement policy is an indispensable part of the protection of the rights and interests of military personnel
In the merciless fighting on the battlefield, the situation of soldiers is often extremely dangerous, and injuries and deaths are really commonSpecial preferential treatment for these two aspects has therefore become an indispensable part of the Song Dynasty's military security policy
First of all, for the soldiers who died in the war, the Song Dynasty will be properly buried, this kind of burial not only includes the collection of bones, into the soil for peace, but also will carry out a certain amount of dojo activities, such as the Song Renzong period "Zhao'en Prefecture set up Jingzhong Temple to chase blessings and no soldiers, and set up water and land Zhai in the Jingshi Pu'an Academy".
Secondly,For the families of the fallen soldiers, the Song Dynasty naturally included them in the preferential treatmentIn addition to the most direct measures to ensure the basic livelihood of their families, such as the most direct reward of money and tax reduction, their children and grandchildren will also be included in the military to give them preferential treatment at the level of officials and soldiers.
FinallyFor some soldiers who were disabled due to the war, the Song Dynasty also had corresponding measuresFor example, Song Renzong personally ordered: "Those who have fought to the point of abolition will be given half of their food and clothing for the rest of their lives, and if they do not want to be in the army, they will give 30,000 money to their own devices." It is worth mentioning that the Song Dynasty has also begun to make certain regulations on the marriage of soldiersAlthough there were many measures to protect the marital rights of military personnel, such as financial compensation, there were also some restrictions set by the rulers of the Song Dynasty to prevent the formation of gangs in the militaryIf officers of the same rank are not allowed to marry each other, it can be described as painstaking.
In general, the reason why there was such a rich preferential treatment policy for military personnel during the Song Dynasty,This is not only a continuation and development of the policies of the previous DPRK, but also a last resort in order to cope with the complex and difficult political situation
Among them, whether it is the guarantee of the basic life of the soldiers, or the response to some emergencies that occurred in the war, it reflects the hard work and attention of the Song Dynasty in the special group of soldiers.
Although these measures have not been well implemented due to some factors in the specific implementation process, their existence still has a certain reference significanceIt belongs to the wisdom and creation of the ancient Chinese ancestors.