What is the relationship between Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions and the opening of the Silk Road?

What is the relationship between Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions and the opening of the Silk Road? Zhang Qian has made great contributions to the opening of the Silk Road. He made the Silk Road a commercial and cultural corridor, and opened up the north-south road to the western regions in the Han Dynasty.

Zhang Qian (about 164- BC 1 14), a native of Chenggu County, Hanzhong (now Chenggu County, Shaanxi Province), was an outstanding explorer and diplomat in the Han Dynasty, and made great contributions to the development of the Silk Road. It opened up the north-south road to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty, and introduced blood horses, grapes, alfalfa, pomegranate, flax and so on from various countries in the Western Regions. Zhang Qian is full of pioneering and adventurous spirit, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made a fortune by military achievements. In BC 139, more than 100 Huns led by Gan Fu set out from Longxi and were detained by Huns for ten years, married and had children. Zhang Qian died in Chang 'an in 1 14 BC and was buried in his hometown.

"Silk Road" refers to the ancient commercial and trade routes that started in ancient China and connected Asia, Africa and Europe.

The "Silk Road on Land" is a land trade channel connecting the hinterland of China and all parts of Europe. It was formed in the 2nd century BC to 1 century A.D. and remained in use until16th century. It is the main road of economic, political and cultural exchanges between East and West. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions, which formed the basic trunk road of the Western Regions. It starts from Chang 'an in the Western Han Dynasty (Luoyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty) in the west and passes through Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang. Starting from Dunhuang, it is divided into two roads: South Road from Dunhuang passes through Loulan, Yutian and shache, passes through Qingji, now Pamir to Da Yue, rests in peace, and reaches Tiaozhi and Daqin in the west; The North Road runs from Dunhuang to Jiaohe, Qiuci and Shule, crosses Qingji to Dawan, rests in the west longitude and reaches Daqin. Its original function was to transport silk produced in ancient China. Therefore, when the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen first named it "Silk Road" in 1970s, it was widely accepted.

However, Zhang Qian was not a pioneer of the Silk Road. Businessmen walked along the Silk Road before the Han Dynasty. However, Zhang Qian made great contributions to the development of the Silk Road. He made the Silk Road a commercial and cultural corridor, and opened up the north-south road to the western regions in the Han Dynasty.

Because the Silk Road came from Zhang Qian ~ ~ ~

What is the relationship between Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions and the Silk Road? (1) expanded the world vision of China people two thousand years ago, and promoted the economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West. He introduced the politics, society, geography, products and customs of Dawan, Kangju, Da Yue, Daxia and other countries to China, which made the Central Plains begin to understand these countries and regions.

② Promoted the development of a unified multi-ethnic country. After Korea's mission to the Western Regions, it began to actively govern the Western Regions and set up four counties in the Hexi Corridor. Due to the pro-sun policy, the vast areas east and south of Balkhash Lake have become the territory of the Western Han Dynasty since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

(3) The Silk Road was opened, which promoted the economic and cultural ties between China and Central Asia and West Asia. At that time, the products shipped to Central Asia and Europe included silk, silk products, ironware and lacquerware. There are also western good horses, spices, grapes, zucchini and so on. Also introduced to China.

The relationship between Zhang Qian's missions to the Western Regions, the opening of the Silk Road and the protection of the capitals in the Western Regions: Zhang Qian sent missions to the Western Regions twice in BC 138 and BC19, mainly to contact some forces in the Western Regions against the Huns. Although its purpose was not achieved, on the one hand, it made the Han Dynasty know more about the western regions, on the other hand, it expanded the influence of the Han Dynasty in all parts of the western regions, thus laying the foundation for the Han Dynasty to defeat the Xiongnu forces in the western regions and finally unify the western regions.

15 years, after Zhang Qian went to the western regions, the Han army defeated the Xiongnu in the western regions, controlled the passes of Zhangye and Jiuquan, and dredged the communication lines in the western regions. About BC 105, the Han Dynasty sent a silk caravan to rest in peace, which led to a great exchange of products between China and the western regions on the border. This is the famous "Silk Road".

In 68 BC, Ji Zheng, assistant minister of the Han Dynasty, led troops to station fields in the automobile market (now Turpan Basin). He also ordered Ji Zheng to protect the southwest road of Shanshan (now Lop Nur area), which governs all areas south of Tianshan Mountain. Soon after, civil strife broke out in Xiongnu, and it was reasonable for Wang Xianxian to succeed to the throne. Wang Xianxian had a single position and was usurped by others. In the autumn of the second year of Shenjue (60 years ago), more than 10,000 people entered the Han Dynasty, and the Han Dynasty sent to meet the King Day by Day and named him Hou Dao. When the Xiongnu forces withdrew from the Western Regions, the Xiongnu's "servant captain" stopped, and the northern road of the Western Regions was unblocked from Loulan through the front of Che's family. In 60 BC, in order to manage the unified Western Regions, the Western Han Dynasty set up the Western Regions Capital Protection House in Leo (now luntai county), officially set up officials, stationed troops in the Western Regions, carried out government decrees and began to exercise national sovereignty. This is the so-called "Han banned the western regions!" Since then, the western regions have become an inseparable part of our territory.

The opening of the Silk Road is directly related to Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions, which is of great historical significance. A: In the era of Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in order to fight against the Huns, the Dahan Dynasty recruited warriors to the Western Regions (now Xinjiang) to look for Yue, which was also hostile to the Huns, and prepared to establish strategic partners to jointly attack the Huns. Comrade Zhang Qian has gone, but many years have passed. At this time, the Vietnamese don't want to wage war again. Zhang Qian didn't make an appointment with a strategic alliance, but found a business opportunity to do business with countries in the western regions. Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions again. This time, instead of fighting with his partner, he went into business. The road he took was the later Silk Road. The development of commerce and trade is far more profitable than fighting. Isn't this directly related to the great historical significance?

What is the relationship between Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions and the Silk Road? First of all, the economic base determines the superstructure. Silk flows to the western regions, which promotes the trade and cultural exchanges between countries in the western regions and China, and promotes Zhang Qian's missions to the western regions. Then, after the successful mission to the Western Regions, it deepened the understanding between China and the Western Regions and further promoted the prosperity of the Silk Road.

Zhang Qian is full of pioneering and adventurous spirit. In the second year of Jianyuan (BC 139), he was ordered by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, guided by Gan Fu, and led more than 100 people to the western regions, which opened up the north-south road leading to the western regions in the Han Dynasty, namely the famous Silk Road. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named him Prince Bo for his exploits. Historian Sima Qian praised Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions as "hollowing out", which means "opening the way".

Zhang Qian is known as a great diplomat and explorer, "the pioneer of the Silk Road", "the first China man who opened his eyes to see the world" and "Columbus of the East". He spread the civilization of the Central Plains to the Western Regions, introduced the species of blood horse, grape, alfalfa, pomegranate and flax from the western regions to the Central Plains, and promoted the exchanges between eastern and western civilizations.

Fighting back against the Huns, Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions, opened up the Silk Road, and explored new ways to develop the southwest.

The rich knowledge about the outside world of the Central Plains gained by Zhang Qian's first mission to the Western Regions played an active role in the political, military and diplomatic activities of the Western Han Dynasty and the war against the Huns, which had a far-reaching impact.

Before that, the monarchs and ministers of the Han Dynasty didn't know that there was a drug country in the southwest of China. When Zhang Qian was in the summer (Greece-Bactria Kingdom), he suddenly saw Sichuan native products, Qiongzhuzhang and Shubu. He was very surprised and asked their source. The people in Daxia told him that the merchants in Daxia bought it from the body poison. The poison country is located in the southeast of summer. After returning home, Zhang Qian reported this situation to Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. It is concluded that Daxia is located in the southwest of China, 12 thousand miles away from Chang 'an, and its poison is thousands of miles southeast of Daxia. The distance from summer to Chang 'an will not be farther than that from summer to Chang 'an. Sichuan is in the southwest of Chang 'an, and its poison is the product of Shu, which proves that it is not too far from Shu. On this basis, Zhang Qian suggested to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to send envoys south, from Shu to southwest, and to find another route through poisonous and Central Asian countries to avoid the danger of passing through Qiang and Xiongnu areas. Zhang Qian's inference is correct on the whole, but the estimation of the distance is not consistent with the actual situation. Of course, it is commendable that Zhang Qian reached this level of understanding nearly two thousand years ago. On the basis of direct contacts with Dawan, Kangju, Yueshi, India and Rest in Peace, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty expanded his political influence and completely isolated the Huns. He readily accepted Zhang Qian's suggestion and ordered Zhang Qian to take charge of Qianwei County (now Yibin, Sichuan) personally.

From 3000 BC to the 2nd century BC, there were many ethnic minorities living in southwestern China, including southwestern Sichuan, southern Qinghai, eastern Xizang Autonomous Region, Yunnan, Guizhou and other places, collectively known as "Southwest Yi". At the end of the Warring States Period, Qiao Zhuang, a general of Chu, entered Yunnan to establish a state, but he was soon cut off. In the early years of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Tang Meng and Sima Xiangru were sent to "develop" and "southwest Yi", Qianwei County and Du Qiong. Jurisdiction (now Xichang area), Zha (now Hanyuan area) and Hu Ran (now Maoxian county). Later, due to efforts to deal with the Huns, it stopped operating in the southwest. The ethnic minorities in southwest China are basically isolated from the Central Plains dynasty. The southwest passage was very difficult at that time.

In the first year of Yuanshou (BC 122), Zhang Qian sent four expeditions from Chengdu and Yibin in Sichuan to southern Qinghai, eastern Tibet and Yunnan. The ultimate destination is poison. The four-way emissaries traveled about one or two thousand miles, and were blocked in the minority areas such as Bianzhi, Zhazhi (southwest Sichuan) and Yu, Kunming (Dali, Yunnan). They failed to move on and came back one after another.

Zhang Qian's exploration of the new route in southwest China has not achieved the expected results, but it has made great contributions to the development of southwest China. The emissaries sent by Zhang Qian have gone deep into the Dian State established by Zhuangtuan in those years. Dianguo, also known as Dianyue, is also called "elephant riding country", because soldiers are all sitting on elephants to fight in case of war. The messengers learned that before this, merchants from Shu often took their goods to Yunnan and Vietnam for trade. At the same time, we also know that the ethnic minorities living in Kunming are "unscrupulous" and "stealing". It was precisely because of the resolute obstruction of Kunming people that the envoys of the Han Dynasty had to stop moving forward. Before that, the southwest minorities knew little about the situation of the Han Dynasty. No wonder when the envoys of the Han Dynasty met with the king of Yunnan, the king of Yunnan asked curiously, "Which country in the Han Dynasty was bigger than ours?" When the messenger came to Yelang, Yelang Hou also raised this question. This became the origin of the allusion of "arrogance of yelang" in later generations. Only through the explanation and introduction of the Han envoys did they realize the power of the Han Dynasty. Since then, the Han Dynasty has also paid more attention to strengthening ties with Yunnan, Yelang and other tribes. By the first year of Ding Yuan (11/years ago), the five counties of Pangke, Yueyou, Li Shen, Wenshan and Wudu were formally established in the Han Dynasty, and then Yizhou and Jiaozhi counties were established, which basically completed the development of southwest China.

Fight against Xiongnu, join the army and seal Hou.

After Zhang Qian returned to Chang 'an with the emissaries from the Western Regions, the Han Dynasty's war against Xiongnu entered a new stage. One year before exploring the southwest, Zhang Qian directly participated in the war against Xiongnu. In the sixth year of Yuan Shuo (BC 123), in February and April, General Wei Qing sent troops to attack the Huns twice. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Zhang Qian to take a captain from the general to attack Mobei. At that time, the Han army marched thousands of miles outside the Great Wall, and it was quite difficult to supply in the vast yellow sand and grassland. Zhang Qian used his familiarity with the Xiongnu army, desert marching experience and rich geographical knowledge as a guide for the Han army, and pointed out the marching route and camping plan. Because he "knows where the grass is and there are many soldiers", he ensured the victory of the war. Afterwards, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named Zhang Qian "Bo Wanghou". Yan Shigu thinks that "broadening one's horizons" means "broadening one's horizons according to one's ability." This is an appropriate affirmation of Zhang Qian's extensive knowledge and knowledge by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

In the second year of Yuanshou (12 1 year ago), Zhang Qian was ordered to leave Beiping (now northeast Hebei) with General Fei to attack the Huns. Li Guang led four thousand riders as pioneers, and Zhang Qian rode behind. As a result, Li Guang ventured alone and fell into the encirclement of Xiongnu left 40,000 cavalry. Li Guang led his men to fight hard day and night, Zhang Qian arrived all the way, and the Huns began to clear up. Although this battle killed many enemies, most of the soldiers led by Li Guang died, and Zhang Qian's troops were too tired to pursue. Li Guang made two contributions to the discussion of crimes in the imperial court, but Zhang Qian was banished to Shu Ren for "late crime". From then on, Zhang Qian left the army life. But what Zhang Qian started is not over. Soon, he embarked on the second journey of communication with the western regions.

A far-reaching editor

Although the communication between Han and the western regions was originally for military purposes, its influence went far beyond the military category after the opening of the western regions. From Dunhuang in the Western Han Dynasty, out of Yumen Pass, into Xinjiang, and then from Xinjiang, a trans-east passage connecting Central Asia and West Asia is unimpeded again. This passage is the famous "Silk Road" in later generations. The Silk Road connected many countries in the Western Han Dynasty and Central Asia and promoted political, economic, military and cultural exchanges between them. Because the feudal central government of China called the border ethnic minorities "foreigners", Zhang Qian's mission to the western regions contributed to the first integration of Han and Yi cultures. More than a dozen plants, such as walnuts, grapes, pomegranates, broad beans and alfalfa, have been gradually cultivated in the Central Plains. Musical instruments such as Qiuci music and Huqin have enriched the cultural life of the Han people. The Han army used underground well-drilling technology, commonly known as "karez", when plowing fields in Shanshan, auto market and other places, which was gradually popularized in the local area. In addition, Dawan's blood horse was very famous in the Han Dynasty, and it was called "Tianma". At that time, countries from the west of Dawan to the rest country did not produce silk and did not know how to cast iron. Later, envoys and skirmishers of the Han Dynasty passed on these technologies. The westward advance of silk and iron smelting in China has made great contributions to the development of human civilization.

When Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions, there were many Silk Roads on the land, which were referred to as Silk Roads for short. It refers to the land passage from Chang 'an (Jin 'an) to Gansu and Xinjiang in the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD), which is also called the "Northwest Silk Road" to distinguish it from the other two later. Because silk products have the greatest influence on the goods transported westward on this road, it is named (and many silks are shipped from China). Its basic trend was set in the Han Dynasty, including three routes: South Road, Middle Road and North Road.

The northern land silk road refers to the commercial road from the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River to the western regions, including the grassland forest silk road and the desert oasis silk road. The former existed in the pre-Qin period, while the latter flourished in the Han and Tang dynasties. The Silk Road in the desert oasis has lasted for more than 1000 years, and there are many cultural relics along the way, which is the main road of the Silk Road. Its starting point actually changed with the changes of political centers in past dynasties. Chang 'an (Jin 'an), Luoyang, Pingcheng (now Datong), Bianliang (now Kaifeng) and Dadujing successively opened the Silk Road. The Silk Road of Grassland Forest runs from the middle reaches of the Yellow River to the north, crosses the Mongolian Plateau, crosses the South Siberian Plain to Central Asia, and divides into two branches, one of which goes southwest to Persia, turns west, and the other goes west through Lal Mountain and Volga River to reach the Black Sea. The two roads meet in West Asia and reach the Mediterranean countries. The Silk Road in Desert Oasis is the main road of the Northern Silk Road, with a total length of more than 7,000 kilometers, which is divided into three sections: east, middle and west. East side.

Relative to the central and western sections, it is relatively stable, but the west of Chang 'an is divided into three lines:

① The northern line runs from Chang 'an along Weihe River to Guo County (now Baoji), across Zhangxian County (now Longxian County), across Liupanshan Mountain, along Zuli River and across Jingyuan Yellow River to Guzang (now Wuwei), which is an early route with short journey and poor supply conditions along the way.

② The southern line runs from Chang 'an along Weihe River to Longguan, Shangguan (now water), Didao (now Lintao) and Bao Han (now Hezhou), from Yongjing to the Yellow River, passing through Xining, and the bigger the bucket, the more Guyue (now partial ferry) reaches Zhangye.

(3) The central line and the southern line separate in Gao Shan, cross Longshan, reach Jincheng County (now Lanzhou), cross the Yellow River, return to Zhuanglang River, and turn Wushaoling to Guzang. Although the southern line has good supply conditions, the detour is long, so the central line later became the main line.

The Silk Road on Land was Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions. What about the Maritime Silk Road? Before the Silk Road on land, there was the Maritime Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road is a maritime passage for transportation, trade and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries in ancient times. It mainly includes routes from the East China Sea and the South China Sea in China. It was formed in the Qin and Han Dynasties, developed in the Three Kingdoms and Sui Dynasties, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties and changed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This is the oldest known sea route. The main ports of the Maritime Silk Road have been replaced by generations, but only Quanzhou is the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road recognized by UNESCO, and other cities and ports have not won this honor. Xuwen Ancient Port, the starting port of the Maritime Silk Road in Han Dynasty, has replaced Xuwen and Hepu in Guangzhou since 1930s and has become the main port of Hayes. From the end of the Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, Quanzhou surpassed Guangzhou and was called "the largest port in the world" with Alexandria, Egypt. There was a mutiny in Quanzhou at the end of Yuan Dynasty, [2-3] the maritime ban in the early Ming Dynasty, and with the influence of war, Quanzhou Port gradually declined.