What Zhang Jiashi couldn't understand was why he had to support the bannermen with such a huge amount of money during the Qing Dynasty.

There is a view in later generations, although it is more general, but there is no doubt that there is a certain truth. That is, the largest group of white eaters in history is the banner people of the Qing Dynasty.

Of course, the category of Manchu people could not refer to the banner people at that time, and the flag people mainly referred to the Manchu people in the Eight Banners system. In other words, other people who are not considered to be in the Eight Banners system are naturally unable to enjoy this kind of preferential treatment.

As for why it evolved into a situation where the Eight Banners were useless in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, there are mainly two factors:

One is the inevitable problem brought about by the Eight Banners system, and the other is that after the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Empire was actually unable to support the emergence of the situation of the bannermen.

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The Eight Banners were based on the Eight Banners of Manchuria and adopted a hereditary military system, and the Eight Banners were selected to supplement the bannermen among the children of the Eight Banners who were over 16 years old. The banner people did not need to operate to receive the Qing court's silver and rice grain, which increased the burden on the people.

Since then, the flag people have spent all their efforts on idle things, so they have eaten Wang Lu, sang fast books, raised indigo, raised cages and birds, planted flowers and grass, raised pigeons and crickets, listened to books and sang songs, and made teahouses and opera gardens...... Wait, wait, around eating, drinking, and having fun, releasing leisure, and being busy with style.

Banner people are an important group of leisure and entertainment in Beijing. Literally, the children of the Eight Banners should be a neutral word, nothing more than referring to the descendants of the Eight Banners, but in fact it has become a derogatory term with a specific meaning, referring to the descendants of the Eight Banners who are idle, lazy, and lazy.

In the past two hundred and sixty years of comfort, many of them have become players who carry cages and birds and fight cocks and lackeys all day long, which is a mockery of history. The original intention of implementing the preferential policy for the soldiers of the Eight Banners has led to the abandonment of many descendants of the Eight Banners.

The role of the Eight Banners in the Qing army was gradually weakened, and by the end of the Qing Dynasty the Eight Banners were no longer the main army, and the Qing court relied on local troops to fight the foreign powers and suppress peasant uprisings.

As a special social group, the children of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty have been active on the stage of Chinese history for more than 300 years since the establishment of the Eight Banners. They have been glorious, they have succeeded, and they have declined. However, in the past 300 years, China's white mountains and black waters, inside and outside the Great Wall, up and down the great rivers, north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, southwest frontiers, Fujian, Guangdong and Haijiang have all left their footprints. They weren't just what came to be known as "gentlemen".

In a simple sense, the children of the Eight Banners are the descendants of the 200,000 people who laid the foundation for the Qing Dynasty, and are composed of different ethnic groups, in addition to the Manchus, Han and Mongolians, there are also Evenki, Daur, Xibe, Korean and some Uygurs, Russians, etc.

In the early and middle Qing Dynasty, other ethnic groups and the children of the Eight Banners made indelible contributions to the formation and development of China's unified multi-ethnic state. During the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, a unified multi-ethnic Greater China was further consolidated and developed. At that time, the territory inherited the territory of the heyday of the Ming Dynasty, from Taiwan and its ****** in the east, to Lake Balkhash and the Green Mountains in the west, from the South China Sea Islands in the south, to Kyakhta in the north, and to the Trans-Khingan Mountains and Sakhalin Island in the northeast, but it also lost large territories such as Lake Baikal and Nebuchu.

In the late Qing Dynasty, China lost nearly 4 million square kilometers of territory, mainly due to the decay and incompetence of the Qing rulers, the children of the Eight Banners.

For the realization of this prosperous era of "great unification," other nationalities and the children of the Eight Banners have waged a long-term and arduous struggle. For example, during the Shunzhi period, the Central Plains was chased and the Rakshasa was attacked in the north; during the Kangxi period, the "three feudatories" were pacified, Taiwan was conquered, Yaksa was recovered, the three expeditions to Galdan were made, and Tibet was stabilized; during the Yongzheng period, Qinghai was pacified, the Tibetan Albuba Rebellion was pacified, and troops were used in the northwest; during the Qianlong period, the Dzungaria were pacified, the Hui Department was pacified, the Gurkha were conquered, the Xibe soldiers were forcibly conscripted to move west to the Ili border, and the Burmese rebellion was conquered in the south; and the Zhanger Rebellion was pacified during the Daoguang period.

After the Opium War, in the struggle against the invasion of the foreign powers, many of the children of the Eight Banners also shared the same hatred for the enemy, but the combat effectiveness was too weak, resulting in repeated defeats, signing a large number of unequal treaties with the foreign powers, and losing power and humiliating the country.

The children of the Eight Banners not only passed on their martial arts to future generations, but also advocated the spirit of advanced culture and good learning, and also left many good stories. Before entering the customs, the national culture of the entire Manchu nationality was relatively backward, and since Nurhachi and Huang Taiji, special attention has been paid to the education of the children of the Eight Banners. Huang Taiji once ordered: "From now on, all children under the age of fifteen and over the age of eight are allowed to study." ”

As a result, the entire Aixin Jueluo family, and even some of the children of the Eight Banners, showed their love and admiration for Han culture, and began to systematically learn and absorb it.

For example, Huang Taiji's brother Abatai, who was originally a martial artist, led his troops to fight and passed through Suzhou, he did not slaughter the city and loot gold and silver treasures like other Eight Banners, but robbed a large number of literati and stayed in the house to teach his children to read. After the Qing Dynasty unified China, the imperial education system became more complete and formal. An upper study was set up in the palace, and the best learned and virtuous ministers and papal sons were selected to study.

Zhao Yi, who had served in the Military Aircraft Department, wrote in his book "Miscellaneous Records of Eaves Exposure": "The strictness of the family law of this dynasty is that the prince's study is a matter of eternal excellence. When the rest of the internal duty, the period of the morning shift, the rate of five drums, when the ministry of the hundred officials did not arrive, but the inner government of Su La, a few people came and went. In the dark, he didn't wake up from his sleep, and when he was lying to the pillar, he had faintly seen that there was a white gauze lamp entering the Longzong Gate, and the prince entered the study. My generation is poor and college for food and clothing, and they can't get up early, and the body of the heavenly family is ****. After entering the study room and composing poetry, there are daily courses, and before they are finished, there are Manchurian masters teaching national books, learning Chinese, riding and archery, and so on. ”

Not only the princes and grandsons were like this, but the idle clans and Jueluo were also arranged to study in the Eight Banners Official School, the Left and Right Wing Sects, the Eight Banners Jueluo Studies, and the Eight Banners Yixue respectively.

It is precisely because the Manchus have paid close attention to the education of the children of the Eight Banners and advocated Han culture that over the past 300 years, they have produced many talented people and made remarkable achievements. Emperor Kangxi, who is rare in ancient and modern times at home and abroad, was proficient in classics, history, literature, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, physics, horseback riding, archery, swimming, firearms, clocks, calligraphy and painting, music, etc., and admired Han culture in his heart. His grandson, Emperor Qianlong, also has the legacy of his grandfather, who is not only versatile, but also has great achievements in national governance.

But the end of Sinicization is too serious.,Just like the Manchu people of their ancestor Jin Kingdom, life gradually became degenerate and corrupt.。

In this regard, with the evolution of time, there was a situation in which the children of the Eight Banners in the middle and late Qing Dynasty were unable to be used.

What's more, before the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the most outstanding person among the children of the Eight Banners was actually Tie Liang, who was originally from an inconspicuous family in the Eight Banners......

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On the other hand, the deterioration of the Qing Dynasty's fiscal revenues also led to the rapid deterioration of the Eight Banners system.

There is a very famous concept in Chinese history, that is, the poor are rich and martial.

However, in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the investment in the support of the banner people dropped sharply, and the overall base of the banner people increased sharply, and the combat strength reserve of the Eight Banners system naturally plummeted.

In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, with the multiplication of families, the population of banner people became more and more numerous, and the number of soldiers who could serve as soldiers was limited, and the rate of increasing the number of soldiers was far from keeping up with the rate of population growth.

"The old system, each flag of the eight flags set fifteen shortages, for fifteen good shots, the Qing language called Tofo Hoto. Regardless of the princes, civil and military ministers, guard officials, baitanga, soldiers, and idle clans, they all selected and introduced, and baitanga and soldiers were in the back, and it was extremely difficult to pick. Because "there is a quota for the guards and vests".

The Eight Banners are a standing military system, and among the leaders of each of the Eight Banners, they "pick and supplement" the flag soldiers, "select those who can ride and shoot, and can be used to drive the messengers, and add a number of soldiers to the quota." But this still can't solve the problem, "on the eve of entering the customs, it was about three dings and one soldier, during the Kangxi period, it was five dings and one soldier, and during the Qianlong period, it was eight dings and one soldier, and the proportion of later soldiers was even smaller." ”

In each family, "the eldest and second may make up for the shortage and eat food, while the third and fourth have no choice but to be idle". It is quite common for a soldier to support a family of more than a dozen people with one tael of silver and five buckets of rice per month. Coupled with factors such as rising prices and inflation in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the life of the banner people was even more difficult.

"From the founding of the country to Zhongxing, the prosperity of martial arts crowned the summer, and the salary was supported, and the initial system was still followed. Over the past 100 years, the goods have been cheap and low-valued, and in addition to the regular deductions, the actual receipt is less than fifty percent. In addition, there are very few people who rent rice, and there are no people. ”

"The Tales of the Garden" also recorded the rise in prices and the increasing value of land: "In the last years of Chongzhen, thieves were everywhere, and the valley was repeatedly famine...... At the beginning of Shunzhi in this dynasty, there were only two or three taels of good land. During the Kangxi period, it was as long as four or five taels...... In the early years of Qianlong, the price of land gradually increased, but when he was five or six years old, it was only seven or eight taels, and the upper one was more than ten taels. After reading 50 years now, it has grown to more than 50 taels. ”

Picking armor as a soldier is the main way out for ordinary flag men.

The soldiers became active-duty soldiers who ate food and errands, and Yu Ding was a civilian under his banner who had no salary. In the early days of entering the customs, the soldiers of the Eight Banners had food and salary, which could support the life of a few families. Later, "the salaries of the green flag soldiers in the provinces increased day by day, so the number of people who entered gradually decreased." It is a soldier's salary, and it is used for six or seven tenths of the country. ”

Although the cost is huge, "the state's funds are fixed, and the nourishment of the household registration is endless." In this way, he wants to help the public, although Yao Shun still can't. ”

For a long time, the banner people have basically been "packaged" by the state for food, clothing, housing and transportation, so it has led to "the early national Xun descendant sanitation Beijing division, the system and salary are better than the green camp." The strategy of operating capital is less than that of green management. The soldiers of the green battalion, although the food is thin, should be called to do business, they can be hired to make a living, and make a living. Resign from food and retire, and still be able to support himself. The smart and handsome of the Eight Banners are brave and strong soldiers. However, in the career of the official, Bo Lian and Youfeng are a plan to rely on things and animals. ”

The self-survival ability of the banner people is very poor, and they have nothing to do except be a soldier and a politician. "In the past, each province was stationed separately, and it was originally for the purpose of appeasement of the territory. He has been flat for a long time, and he is used to being lazy, consuming rations and breeding teeth. Food and clothing are poor, and they rely on the grace of generations to support them, and they do not learn the livelihood of the four people. ”

It can be said that due to the Qing Dynasty's confinement policy, the ability of the banner people to earn a living has declined, and even lost. "The people of the Fuqi depend on their livelihood but the real estate and nothing else. "They all sit back and eat."

As a result, they sit on empty food and rely on pawning land to make a living. In the vicinity of Gyeonggi, "the land of five hundred miles is full of plastering, but the soil cannot be cultivated." Although the people of the Eight Banners are all eaten, Ding is increasing from generation to generation. By the tenth year of Qianlong, Jifu "the people in the banner land are five or six out of ten".

In order to protect the interests of the banner people, Emperor Qianlong carried out four large-scale "redemption" of the flag land, and set the "Example of Selling the Flag Land to Chase the Price", but the results were very small, and the Qianlong Emperor himself said: "The redemption of the land may not be beneficial to the poor flag people."

The livelihood of the banner people has serious livelihood problems, and even the livelihood of the Eight Banners, which is quite well-paid, is becoming increasingly embarrassed.

Bai Jin, a French missionary in Beijing at the time, wrote: "A large part of the large number of soldiers of the Eight Banners in Beijing fell into extreme poverty because of their high debts, and most of their salaries paid the interest on their debts." Even the emperor's "Janissary Guard, a number of low-ranking officers, about seven or eight hundred, as well as some other officers of the imperial family, were also heavily indebted." ”

What's more, some banner men have been reduced to beggars. "In Qianlong, there is a certain army, and the people of the Eight Banners. In its heyday, the servants and servants were poor and extravagant, and their daily expenses were not paid. and dismissed the official and returned to Beijing, and became a poor man for several years. For a few more years, he became a beggar. ”

Under these circumstances, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty decided to let the banner people engage in agricultural production, believing that it was an effective way to solve the problem of the "livelihood of the Eight Banners". "The valley outside the border is very important, and the Dal River area is handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Zhuang Zhuang Ding is sent to cultivate, and the Hu'er River place is ordered to farm by the Zhuangtun people such as the King of the Five Banners.

His seeds, ploughs, and ploughing cattle were all prepared, and agricultural officials were sent to supervise them. ”

However, because a considerable number of banner people have been separated from production and labor for a long time and have suffered from the corrupt life of the city, they "do not let themselves be supported but often want to be supported by officials." For farming, there have been contemptuous and unaccustomed thoughts and emotions, "Eight Banners riding and shooting is customary, and words are soldiers, and they will not give up." If you think you are farming, your hometown is bound. ”

Many ministers suggested: "Except for those who are officials and those who wear armor and live in Beijing, the rest of the idle people, if they are willing to live in Tun and cultivate their own farms, should be left to their own convenience." Under these circumstances, the Qing ruler decided: "3,000 households will be relocated to Beijing, and the first year will be called 200 households, divided into four", and go to the double castle to reclaim land. However, "Chashuang Castle moved to Jingqi, since the general Fu Jun Tiao, the manager for several years, hundreds of thousands of taels. It was originally planned to move 200 households every year. Check the 53 households that moved in the previous year. This year, 76 households were relocated. There are less than 100 households. However, the Qing rulers did not give priority to the relocation policy of the Eight Banners stationed in Beijing. Many ministers naively believed: "The banner people are just a migration labor, and they will always have enough food and clothing, which is far from being hungry and cold in Beijing, and there is no way to get a loan." ”

The scholar Fa Shishan once suggested that the idle people of the Eight Banners should be moved to the northwest area outside the mouth for cultivation. was reprimanded by Emperor Jiaqing: "The banner people are growing up, and they will move to the border one day, and they will find it inconvenient." "If it is played as it is, it will not make the capital empty, which is especially ridiculous!" Soon, he refuted Luo Jiayan's performance and said: "If the men and women of the Eight Banners are all engaged in weaving, then the riding and archery will not be talked about...... Wouldn't it be ridiculous to support the Eight Banners in the country and go to Beijing to teach the original plan?"

It is not possible to increase salaries and the number of troops without restrictions, and it is also impossible to relax the restrictions on the participation of people in production and labor. So this phenomenon appeared: "Counting the Eight Banners, there were hundreds of thousands at the beginning of Qianlong, and now there are millions, and most of the banner land near Beijing 500 miles is in the people. Gather millions of people who are not soldiers, farmers, workers, merchants, soldiers, and people in Beijing, and do not do anything, although they exhaust the right supply at home, it is not enough to support. This continued until the fall of the Qing Empire.