Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo

Songtsen Gampo

Name: Songtsen Gampo

Aliases: abandon the sect and make the praise, the instrument sect and the praise, abandon the Su Nongzan

Place of birth: present-day Qiongjie, Tibet

Year of birth and death: 617-650

"Karma: Tibetan Zampu (King)

△ To achieve: unify Tubo and formally establish the Tubo Dynasty; Marry Princess Wencheng

Tibet is a branch of the ancient Qiang people, the ancestor of today's Tibetan people, who lived in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for a long time. The Tibetan people are not accustomed to the houses and cities, but prefer to live in felt tents. Their monarch was called "Zampu" (meaning great husband), and Zampu's wife was called "Momeng".

There is one prime minister (big comment) and one deputy prime minister (small comment), and there are also some other official positions, but the division of duties and powers is not very clear. At that time, there was no writing in Tibet, and it was still in a state of knotted rope memorization. They belong to the nomadic people, and like the Turks, they have no fixed residence, and where there is water and grass, there is home

They practiced witchcraft and also practiced Buddhism. In China, the country has strict punishments, and minor crimes can be gouged out of the eyes, nose cut, or whipped with a leather whip. The Tibetan aristocracy was moody, and often kept prisoners in dungeons several feet deep before they were released for two or three years.

Monarchs and ministers are relatively equal, and they are commensurate with friends, and often five or six people live and die together. Zampu and the ministers should make a small oath once a year, using sheep, dogs, and monkeys as sacrifices, and a big oath again every three years, using people, horses, oxen, etc. as sacrifices. If Zampu died, he would be buried with a living person, and his cronies would commit suicide, and the clothes, treasures, horses, bows and arrows he had used during his lifetime would be buried with him.

At that time, the Tibetan civilization was relatively low, and it should have been in what we call a slave society. Socio-economic backwardness. Many of the customs were crude and barbaric, especially the lower classes lived in miserable conditions.

The Tibetans advocate force. Usually the bow and sword do not leave the body. Attaching importance to the strong and despising the old, weak, sick and disabled, the mother should bow down to her son. The son is to be honorable to his father. Their armor was so good that it could wrap around the whole body, revealing only two eyes, so that neither the bow nor the blade could do anything to him. The troops marched and fought without military rations, and each time they used the proceeds of battle and plunder as supplies and supplies.

Their military orders were strict, and their military laws were strict, and every time they fought, the young men charged at the front, and the old ones were at the rear. The front team is dead, and the back team follows. Everyone is proud of dying in battle, and they are despised, sick and old.

If a family dies on the battlefield for several generations in a row. will be regarded as a "revolutionary martyr" by everyone, and it will be as glorious as every; If he is defeated, he will be humiliated by a fox tail hanging on his head, indicating that the person is as cowardly as a fox. The Tibetan army was extremely strong and tenacious, and in the eyes of the Tang people, they were no more easy to provoke than the Turks, and their martial traditions were similar to those of the Qin people during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

Therefore, in its many wars with the Tang Dynasty, the Tang army rarely took advantage. If Li Shimin wants to interact with such a nation, he really needs to change his strategy. You can't see everyone fighting, and sometimes a gentle strategy can work wonders.

When the Tang Dynasty was founded in the 7th century, Tibet also began to grow stronger. A great plateau regime is constantly rising. And it expanded like a storm, becoming the strongest opponent of the Tang Dynasty after the Turks. Songtsen Gampo is the most outstanding politician and hero in the history of Tibet, he is the 31st generation of the Tubo Dynasty, but he is also the true founder of the Tubo Dynasty. 《

New Tang Dynasty Book and other Chinese history books. For him, he drew up the names of the transliterations of the renunciation of the sect, the praise of the instrumental sect, and the abandonment of the sunongzan. "Songtsen Gampo" is a title given to him by later generations, which means "deep and unfathomable".

When he was 3 years old, his father, Lang Ri Song, led his troops to unify the Tibetan Plateau. From the head of a small state in Shannan to the monarch of the Tibetan tribes. Lang Risong was a very accomplished Zampu, who was extremely concerned about the cultivation and education of his only child. …

Under the influence of his father. As a teenager, Songtsen Gampo had already shown extraordinary talent. Songtsen Gampo received a good family education and strict training from an early age, and gradually became proficient in mounted archery, wrestling, and fencing. A prince who is outstanding in martial arts and loves folk songs, is good at reciting poetry, and is an all-round scholar and military talent.

When he was 13 years old, after his father was poisoned by the enemy, he took over Tibet. After ascending the throne, he investigated the murderers and trained the army, and soon quelled the rebellions in various places, reunified Tibet, and established the Tibetan slave regime in Tibet. He also subjugated the surrounding Subi, Domi, Bailan, Dangxiang, and Yangtong tribes, and his power became stronger and stronger.

Later, Songtsen Gampo began to devote himself to the construction of political power, and at the same time formulated laws and taxation systems, appointed wise ministers, and took many measures to encourage the people to learn and use advanced technology to develop agriculture and animal husbandry, so that the social economy and people's lives in Tibet quickly showed a trend of prosperity. In order to change the backward appearance, he also sent people to India to study, and finally created his own national script, Tibetan.

For a long time, the Tibetan regime had little connection with the Central Plains Dynasty, and only developed slowly in its independent and backward circle. But as time passed, he gradually admired the Central Plains civilization. In the eighth year of Zhenguan (634), Songtsen Gampo heard that the Turks and Tuyuhun had princesses of the Tang Dynasty, and they were envious.

Therefore, he began to send envoys to Chang'an with national letters and many gold and silver treasures to pay tribute, trying to strengthen contacts, and hoped to get the Tang Emperor to marry.

Actually, there are two issues worth noting here:

First, the hearsay of Songtsen's sermon is not very accurate, and the Turkic Khan married Princess Yicheng of the Sui Dynasty; Tuyuhun Khan once asked the Tang Dynasty for marriage, but Li Shimin did not agree in the end.

Second, at the same time as sending envoys to the Tang Dynasty, Songtsen Gampo also sent people to communicate with Nibhara (present-day Nepal), and successfully married Princess Nibhara in 639, two years before Princess Wencheng entered Tibet. It seems that Songtsen Gampo is definitely a dedicated and shrewd monarch, and he is definitely not a lover who will not marry a princess of the Tang Dynasty. Of course, the two-year interval also reflects the strength of the Tang Dynasty and Li Shimin's careful examination of this "wild land" and the monarchy.

After the Tibetan envoys came, they saw the richness and power of the Tang Dynasty, and appreciated the saintliness and wisdom and unique style of Emperor Li Shimin, and they were very satisfied.

However, Li Shimin had little affection for this powerful and backward neighbor. Nor is there a hurry to associate closely with it. Therefore, he did not pay much attention to it, and only sent Feng Deyao, a ministerial-level official (pedestrian) in charge of affairs such as the edict, canonization, and guests, to come to appease him with an edict. The marriage proposal to Songtsen Gampo was not immediately agreed.

The messenger's mission was not completed, and he began to lie. Passing the buck. After he went back, he lied: "After Ben came to the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Emperor treated us very favorably and valued us very much, and promised to marry the princess to you."

But at this time, it happened that King Tuyuhun also came to pay tribute and provoke the relationship between us and the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty repented again, was very cold to us, and did not want the princess to marry Tubo. ”

This made Songtsen Gampo quite angry, and he was determined to give Tuyuhun some color. Thereupon. Tubo sent troops to attack Tuyuhun, but Tuyuhun could not resist and retreated to the north of Qinghai Lake. The Tubo army captured a large number of people and animals in Tuyuhun, and occupied a large area of its land, making it even more powerful. Songtsen Gampo, who tasted the sweetness of victory, expanded his power to the east again, and soon defeated the party Xiangqiang and Bailanqiang.

Then, he personally led an army of 200,000 to Songzhou, the western border of the Tang Dynasty (the state was ruled in present-day Songpan, Sichuan). But he was stationed here as a prospective son-in-law. No longer harassing the Tang Dynasty, but waiting for the good news of the envoy.

He sent envoys to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty with gold and cloth, claiming that he had come to Songzhou to welcome the princess of the Tang Dynasty, and that he had no intention of offending the Tang Dynasty and making enemies of him. Songtsen Gampo said to his generals: "If the Tang Dynasty doesn't marry the princess to me." So I went in and smote against me. ”…

In order to marry the Tang Dynasty, he did not hesitate to threaten with force. And after the victory of the military struggle, he was satisfied with the withdrawal of troops just to achieve peace. Such a thing is simply rare in ancient and modern China and abroad. It can be described as unprecedented, moving, and truly amazed future generations. An image of an ancient Tibetan monarch who is obsessively and somewhat naïve. All of a sudden, he plumped up and tallened up in front of us.

Li Shimin saw that the strength of Tibet should not be underestimated. There is a need to make friends. It's not cost-effective to fight back and forth like this, and Tubo doesn't threaten the core interests of Datang, so you can't be guilty of ruining your life for a marriage that is not a big deal! Of course, Li Shimin also felt that this young monarch of a different race was just eagerly admiring the Tang culture and the Tang princess.

You see that people are mobilizing people and working on expeditions, but in fact, there is no malice. Therefore, after comprehensive consideration, he was finally happy to do personal favors. "The Art of War" says, "A soldier who surrenders without a fight is also a good man." "If the sword soldier can be saved, it is better to be a moon old.

Female No. 1: Princess Wencheng

Name: Li Xueyan?

Tibetan name: Princess Jiamu Sahan

Place of birth: A native of Rencheng (now Jining, Shandong).

Biological father: Li Daozong

Year of birth and death: c. 623-680

Major achievements: marrying far away in Tibet, spreading civilization and promoting Sino-Tibetan friendship

Harmony is the most clever measure taken by the Central Plains Dynasty when dealing with relations with ethnic minorities in the border areas, and it belongs to the "gentle knife". Many ethnic minority leaders are very tough on the battlefield, and when they encounter such a scene, they can only "disarm." This trick was a genius plan given to Liu Bang by Liu Jing (also known as Lou Jing) in the Western Han Dynasty, and since then it has often played a miraculous effect in times of crisis.

This kind of thing is a win-win situation, but it is unfair to the personal fate of the princess. Born in the emperor's family, there is no choice, and personal happiness often has to give way to national interests, "dedicating oneself to the country". These poor princesses are actually innocent victims of their marriages.

I pity these delicate and beautiful Han women, who were originally well-educated, but now they have to go to the desert grassland to withstand the wind and sun, eat half-cooked beef and mutton, and spend the rest of their lives with rough alien men. Moreover, many ethnic marriage customs are ancient and vulgar, and the khan who is a princess or a husband dies may have to marry a new leader to the throne.

If the new leader dies, he may still be marrying the new leader...... And these new leaders may be the brothers, uncles, nephews, or sons of ex-wives of the old leaders, and so on. It was under such circumstances that Princess Yicheng of the Sui Dynasty successively served as a khedun (princess) to the Turkic Qimin Khan, Shibi Khan, Chuluo Khan, and Jieli Khan.

This is simply unacceptable to the princesses who are full of poetry and books and are accustomed to the Confucian "Three Principles and Five Constants". However, what if you don't agree? Who let this be the emperor of the sky, who let you do this hard errand? Therefore, it is great to be a princess and a princess.

Of course, the emperors are not all stupid, they are often reluctant to marry their own daughters so far, so they will temporarily find palace maids or virtuous ladies among the princes and nobles to "surprise promote" to fill the princess.

According to statistics. Throughout the Tang Dynasty, a total of 19 princesses and prospective princesses were sent to marry foreign countries and relatives. Among them, there are only 3 who are genuine, the emperor's biological children as princesses. The rest were temporarily replaced by princes or women of the royal family.

The illiterate chiefs could not distinguish between the real and the fake. Satisfied anyway. Because, in their minds, they got such a gentle, wise, and well-cultivated beautiful princess without a single soldier, and they also received a rich dowry.

It's a huge profit! Okay, then let's let the old man go for the time being. And when their son grows up, he will not make trouble for his grandfather and uncle, as evidenced by the famous Zhaojun of the Western Han Dynasty. …

Although the Han Dynasty maintained peace with the Xiongnu for more than 50 years, Wang Zhaojun's heart was actually very miserable. She once wrote a poem "Grievances" to express the complex emotions of missing her relatives' homeland. I think this four-word poem. It should be a true portrayal of the state of mind of all princesses:

The autumn wood is desolate, and its leaves are yellow.

There are birds in the mountains, gathered in the bud mulberry.

Raising hairy feathers, describing the light.

Vested Kaiyun, upstream Qufang.

The palace is deserted, and the body is destroyed.

The ambition is depressed, and the jaw must not be lowered.

Although I have to be committed, I have a back.

I'm alone, and I'm going to and fro.

Dancing Swallows. Far set Xiqiang.

The mountains are high and the rivers are mighty.

Father and mother, long and long.

Whine, sorrowful, sorrowful.

In ancient China. The case of a princess or a daughter of a clan marrying the king and relatives of the Tibetan state is generally due to two diametrically opposed extreme situations: one is that the national strength is weakened, and the peace of the relatives is compromised. to tie the good of the state of Fan; The second is that the country is strong and strong, and the remote tribes are pacified with harmony. It means to give marriage.

Women's beauty and femininity are often more powerful than the sharp blades of weapons. It can ease the conflict on the battlefield without alarm, and it can dissolve all kinds of hatred. During the period of Li Shimin, Princess Wencheng married to Tibet, which is the most praiseworthy example of using kinship to encompass and influence the wild people outside Xinjiang and publicize the prestige of a great country.

Songtsen Gampo sent the most intelligent and capable prime minister Lu Dongzan (also called "Xue Lu Dongzan" and "Zhulu Dongzan" in the history books) to lead the marriage proposal mission, with heavy treasures and full of wisdom all the way to Chang'an.

Unexpectedly, at this time, Tianzhu (now India), Dashi (Arab Empire) and other countries also sent envoys to propose to the Tang Dynasty, and they all hoped to welcome back the virtuous Tang princess as their king's concubine. For this reason, Li Shimin was very embarrassed. For the sake of fairness and reasonableness, he decided to let the marriage envoys compete in their wits, and whoever won could welcome the princess away.

This is the history of the "Six Trial Marriage Envoys" (also known as the "Six Difficult Marriage Envoys", also known as the "Five Trial Marriage Envoys"), and the Tibetan team won. Lu Dongzan won honors, and also won his nation a once-in-a-lifetime good princess who was the mother of the world.

The Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace in Lhasa still have well-preserved murals depicting this story. In short, there are many good things, and the Tang Emperor, Lu Dongzan, and Princess Wencheng did not disappoint Songtsen Gampo. Yan Liben, a great painter of the Tang Dynasty, took advantage of his prosperity and recorded the scene of the Tibetan envoy meeting Li Shimin and proposing marriage with his masterpiece "Bu Yuan Tu".

Of course, Songtsen Gampo didn't know that the princess Wencheng he was going to marry was not Li Shimin's biological daughter, but just a clan lord. However, judging from their married life and the development of history, Princess Wencheng's beauty is still a good match for Xiande and Songtsen Gampo. For Tibet, this is already a beautiful marriage sent by heaven.

Princess Wencheng's original name was Li Xueyan, and her father was the Minister of Education (Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites) and Li Daozong, the king of Jiangxia County. Li Daozong is Li Shimin's cousin, 1 year younger than him, and followed Li Shimin in his early years to fight, with outstanding achievements. In 640, Li Shimin, with an indisobedient holy decree, summoned her to the palace and was named Princess Wencheng, waiting to marry Tubo.

It has to be explained that "princess" is originally a title, and not all the emperor's daughters can be named princesses. Therefore, Princess Wencheng is a princess, but she is not the emperor's biological daughter.

The following year, Li Shimin sent his own father Li Daozong as a special envoy to escort her to get married. We really don't know, thousands of miles away, farther and farther away from the Central Plains, what was the state of mind of the father and daughter at that time?

Princess Wencheng took a large number of guards, maids, craftsmen, artists and a large number of dowries such as silk, classics, medical books, grain seeds, etc., from Chang'an to the west, trekking mountains and rivers, crossing mountains and mountains, out of Guanzhong, through Gansu, to Qinghai, and through Riyue Mountain to the source of the Yellow River. In order to ensure a smooth journey for the princess, Li Shimin ordered the government to build roads and bridges, build ships and rafts, build Buddhist halls, and open up passages along the way. …

Songtsen Gampo personally led Manchu officials and a large group of men and horses to welcome him to Baihai (present-day Ngoling Lake, Qinghai), and held a welcoming ceremony here. He said: "My father and ancestors have not intermarried with Shangguo, and I am deeply honored to be able to marry the princess of the Tang Dynasty." ”

Then, Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng traveled together, and it took more than half a year to arrive at Raksha (present-day Lhasa, Tibet) to complete their marriage. Interestingly, the route of Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet is basically consistent with the Qinghai-Tibet railway line built today.

It should be said that Princess Wencheng's mentality, upbringing, and ability are rare in ancient women's China. Originally with the concept of "sacrificing personal happiness for the country", she has lived in Tibet for nearly 40 years and has always been highly respected.

According to historical records such as "Hereditary Mingjian of the Tubo Dynasty", when Princess Wencheng entered Tibet, the team was very large, and the dowry of the Tang Dynasty was very rich. Classics such as poems, agricultural books, Buddhist scriptures, historical books, medical codes, and calendars have promoted the economic and cultural development of Tibet and strengthened the friendly relations between the Han and Tibetan peoples.

She helped design and build the Jokhang and Jokhang Temples, and she brought with her the golden statue of Shakya Buddha, which is still worshipped by the Tibetan people today. Under her influence, the advanced scientific and technological culture and crafts of the Han nationality, such as milling, weaving, pottery, papermaking, and winemaking, were successively transmitted to Tibet, which further promoted the economic and cultural development of Tibet.

Eight years later (649), Songtsen Gampo was named the commander of the horse and the king of Xihai County by Li Zhi of Tang Gaozong, and later the king of 賨 (óng).

He also ordered his stone statue to be listed in Li Shimin's Zhao Mausoleum, which was a high honor. One year later, Songtsen Gampo died of illness, and the Tang Dynasty sent envoys to Tibet to offer condolences. After the death of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng continued to live in Tibet.

She loves her Tibetan compatriots and is deeply loved by the local people. In 680 of the Li Zhi era, Princess Wencheng died, and Tubo held a grand funeral for her, and the Tang Dynasty sent envoys to Tubo to pay tribute. The soul has returned, the daughter of the Tang Dynasty, your mission has been successfully completed! Come home......

On the way to Tibet, Princess Wencheng not only sowed the seeds of Sino-Tibetan friendship, but also left many victories and beautiful legends. Princess Wencheng's marriage to Tibet not only opened a very important and far-reaching first page in the history of the Tangbo Ancient Road, but also went down in history as a major event between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet. According to incomplete statistics, in the more than 200 years from 634 to 846, there were 191 exchanges between Tang and Fan. Among them, the Tang envoys entered Tibet 66 times, and the Tibetan envoys entered the Tang Dynasty 125 times. Tibet became one of the ethnic regimes most closely related to the Tang Dynasty.

In fact, not only Tibet, but also the Tang Dynasty and many ethnic groups in Li Shimin's era complemented each other, were at peace with each other, and respected each other like guests. And he was also the highest respect and worship of the kings and ministers of all ethnic groups in the frontier. (To be continued......)

Chapter 245 [Marriage].

Chapter 245 [Marriage],: