When the sunlight shines through the intricate pattern of stained glass and shines on the person who prays sincerely, the light and shadow are like a kaleidoscope, showing the beauty and ugliness of good, evil, beauty and ugliness. China, a country that has undergone 2,000 years of historical changes, has experienced the alternation of more than 20 dynasties, giving birth to the brilliant colors of different ethnic groups and diverse religious beliefs.
Among them, Islam has become an indispensable part of China's religious belief with its unique exotic customs. So, after thousands of years of vicissitudes, why haven't we become a country that embraces Islam like some East Asian countries?
The answer to all this is hidden in a person named Li Shengtian in the Tang and Song dynasties.
Under the surface of the development of the commodity economy and social prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the son of heaven, was obsessed with lust, and the internal contradictions of the ruling class intensified. However, the popularity of Buddhism has brought a peaceful and open-minded atmosphere to society in this context, and it has become the "Buddha nature" in people's hearts.
In the Anshi Rebellion of the Tang Dynasty in 755, local warlords in various places continued to fight, making the country and the people miserable. However, in this chaotic historical context, the Kingdom of Khotan, located in northwestern China, was in a league of its own, winning people's attention with its peaceful appearance and unique cultural and commercial development.
Although this country seems to be indisputable, it has single-handedly resisted the undue illusions of other countries about their own country, the Central Plains, and the Chinese nation in the name of religion, and without the existence of Khotan, China may become the largest Islamic country.
In the second century B.C., one of the heroes of China, Yu Chi, founded the state of Khotan on the southern edge of the Turpan Basin. Because of its superior location as the fortress of the Silk Road, this country was once one of the most powerful countries in the Western Regions and prospered.
As early as the Han Dynasty, Khotan maintained close ties with the Central Plains.
In the war years of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms in 912, Li Shengtian, the king of Khotan, did not give up his admiration for the Central Plains because of the fall of the Tang Dynasty. Instead, he took the Tang Dynasty's national surname, Li, as his surname, and insisted on wearing a Tang Dynasty general's uniform with wide clothes and belts, and signed his portrait with the name of the "Great Dynasty" Tang Dynasty.
The Khotanese regime he led became known as the "Li Dynasty". Even under the chaotic situation of five dynasties and ten kingdoms, the people of Khotan still used the era names commonly used in the interior in accordance with the practice of the Central Plains court, and insisted on the vassal relationship with the Central Plains dynasty.
Li Shengtian's dedication to the Central Plains Dynasty became a powerful foundation for him in the face of Islamic religious aggression. On the one hand, he has enough motivation to sacrifice himself for his country and the Central Plains, and on the other hand, he has also gained enough confidence and strength to ask for the support of soldiers and horses in the face of external religious aggression and repel the Islamic soldiers and horses who are vainly trying to trample on our country.
Li Shengtian was deeply influenced by the Central Plains** and Buddhism. He established contact with the Song state through monks, which accelerated the development of the Khotanese state. In his daily life, he embraces the spirit of Buddhism and incorporates the ideals of openness, peace, and inclusiveness into his blood.
He was very devout in Buddhism, and unlike the emperors of the heyday, he ate rice and vegetables, drank fine wine, and wore cloth. More than 50 purple-robed monks often lined up on either side of his home as a sign of solemn respect.
Li Shengtian's way of governing reflects both the importance he attaches to the development of the country and his devotion as a follower of Buddhism.
In an era of war and turmoil, even Buddhists**, who uphold compassion and benefit all sentient beings, must pay the price of flesh and blood and war to defend their homeland.
In 915 AD, a major historical event occurred in the far Western Regions, which changed the political landscape of the Western Regions. In the middle of the night, in 955 A.D., Sotuq's eldest son, in the course of promoting Muslimism, came to a place close to the Qarakhanid, and the Buddhist state of Khotan became a natural target for Baytash.
They thought that the commercial powerhouse, which had always upheld peace, would not be able to withstand their attacks, but this was not the case. Beginning in 910 AD, the sixteen-year-old Sotuk twice attacked the Buddhist states of Khotan and Baytash, and their heroic performances proved their strength and determination.
In the Uighur ruins, the Song dynasty was unable to provide Khotanese aid and could only send a delegation of 157 Buddhist monks to support Li Shengtian politically.
Despite this, there were still loyal people from all over the country in Khotan, and the people relied on their devout belief in Buddhism and the support of the Gaochang army and the Guiyi army to constantly repel the invasion of the Qarakhanid dynasty.
In 998 AD, the 140,000 Xingyue army of the Qarakhanid Dynasty launched an attack on Khotan, and Li Shengtian adopted the strategy of "guerrilla warfare", and finally killed In 1006, Kader launched another attack on the Li Dynasty, but the disparity in strength was huge, and Li Shengtian was defeated and died.
Although Li Shengtian's Li dynasty was defeated in the final war, the heroic resistance of Khotanese created a half-century-long resistance to the expansion of the Qarakhanid state in Xinjiang.
This heroic nation used their lives and courage to provide precious time for the Central Plains Dynasty to recover after the Anshi Rebellion. Without this bloody battle in Khotan, China could have become the largest Islamic country in the world.
In addition, the people of Khotanese also provided valuable space for the rise of northern empires such as the steppe giant Khitan and the future Jurchen Dajin.
Today, China has been able to achieve the development achievements of other countries for hundreds of years in just a few decades, precisely because we have always adhered to the "harmony" and "goodness".
This "harmony" and "goodness" are embodied in two aspects: first, the sons and daughters of China unite as one, such as in Khotan and support the coalition army, and the national strength is condensed to form a powerful force; The second is that we know how to accumulate steadily, just like Khotan's search for a way to victory in the midst of military disadvantage, showing the perseverance of the Chinese sons and daughters to grow up.
With his perseverance, loyalty and courage, Li Shengtian wrote a magnificent chapter in Chinese history. Today, we can still feel the iron-blooded pride of that proud man under the towering city wall, and in the face of strong enemies, he sticks to his ideals and never flinchs.