How did the military symbols used in ancient times change and develop?

There are many kinds of Jeff in the past dynasties, and their inscriptions reflect the political and military system at that time. This is an important historical relic. From the appearance of military symbols in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to the gradual replacement by tokens after the Song Dynasty, the history behind it can not be ignored.

After Ying Zheng, the king of Qin, proclaimed himself emperor, the bugle was still in use, and the inscriptions on the bugle were different in different regions. It gradually developed into a symbol of a place. By the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty was established and inherited the Qin system, and the military symbol system was also used by the Han Dynasty. According to the Records of Emperor Wendi, Qiu, the chief of the county, was a bronze tiger and a bamboo ambassador.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, imperial edicts or imperial edicts were used to transfer soldiers.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the rulers attached great importance to the disadvantages of adjusting troops with tiger symbols, and the story of Xinlingjun stealing symbols to save Zhao was also feared by the rulers. Think about it, too. Xin Lingjun just stole the military symbol and robbed Wei's army, which is unacceptable to the monarch. After all, the army is the capital of all political activities.

Just like "The Book of Later Han Dynasty"? According to Guo Dukong's Biography of Su Yang and Jia Lu, King of Zhang Lian, Du said: I heard that the weapons of the country are the rings of saints. In the old system, the tiger symbol was used to send troops, and the rest were recruited by bamboo, which further explained the importance of the army to the monarch and the important role of the tiger symbol in adjusting troops.

But he also mentioned it? Sometimes he sends his troops, but with imperial edicts or imperial edicts. If there are traitors, they don't know. Is this aimed at the system of sending troops during the reign of Emperor Guangwu? The forbidden net is still simple, but he sends his troops with books, and there is no letter from the tiger symbol? And suggestions, and then point out? Recruit talents, be cautious, and set up tiger symbols to eliminate traitors. .

Ancient letters

In other words, when Emperor Guangwu was in power, only imperial edicts or imperial edicts were used to transfer troops, but what about this? Simple? The method of transferring soldiers is easy to be forged by traitors, and then it will threaten the monarch. This suggestion was adopted by Emperor Guangwu, and he continued to use the tiger symbol to adjust troops.

However, the imperial edict or imperial edict of this period was not cancelled, but was used together with the tiger symbol. In this way, the tiger symbol became a token of sending troops, and the imperial edict or imperial edict became an explanation of the general's power and task. The combination of the two strengthened the centralization of monarchy, such as Xinlingjun stealing tiger symbols and controlling the army during the Warring States period, which was basically impossible.

Since the Han dynasty, the tiger symbol is generally made of copper, which is kept separately from the left and right. The tiger symbol is engraved with? One, two, three, four? For example, are the words used to refer to troops in different places to prevent the tiger symbol from being copied? How to divide Chinese characters? Situation, such as Wang Guowei's textual research on the remnants of the garrison "Miscellaneous Affairs" said: The military symbols of Han and Jin dynasties have different characters, which are thought to be the test of time.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the shapes of military symbols changed.

In the Sui Dynasty, the tiger symbol continued to be used as a token to transfer soldiers, but its shape has changed from crouching tiger to standing tiger, which is also a manifestation of the majesty of the monarch in the Sui Dynasty in order to strengthen imperial power.

In the early Tang Dynasty, in order to avoid his ancestor Li Hu, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan abolished the roller symbol, changed it to the rabbit symbol, and later changed it to the fish symbol. "Che Fuzhi" records: When Gao Zu entered Chang 'an, he stopped Sui and Zhu envoys, ban printed the symbols, and later changed them to Tongyu symbols.

Although the shape and name have changed, it is actually still a military symbol, and its role is still used to dispatch troops. "Official History II" clearly records this: Tongyu is a symbol, so it is easy to stay in the army for a long time.

Another function of the fish symbol in the Tang Dynasty is to show the identity of officials. This kind of fish symbol is also called personal fish symbol, similar to today's ID card, which is engraved with the official's name and official rank. As the saying goes, personal fish symbols are called duty, and the materials of fish symbols worn by officials of different grades are different. Generally, officials with more than three grades are made of gold, while those with four grades are made of silver.

After Wu Zetian succeeded to the throne, the symbol of fish was changed to the symbol of turtle, just like Bai Yutang's song after Drunken Moon Lake said: Once you lose power, everything will die like a gray heart. Who knows that I typed tens of thousands of words and cut four thousand miles of tortoise symbols, but it was in the Tang Dynasty? Rich husband? In fact, allusions come from more than three scarabs worn by officials in the Tang Dynasty. Later, when Tang Zhongzong ascended the throne, the charm of fish was restored.

The southern song dynasty resumed the use of tiger symbols, and the yuan dynasty became a tiger head card.

"History of Song Dynasty" records: Yan was built for three years, and the tiger symbol was cast instead, presided over by the Privy Council. That is to say, in the Southern Song Dynasty, the ruler's military symbols were restored to tiger symbols, and there were more detailed regulations on the casting of tiger symbols, such as? Its system is made of copper, 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. Carved with seal script, the left deed is divided into various ways and the right deed is hidden. .

Ancient token

In the Yuan Dynasty, the military symbol became a tiger's head card, and later it gradually evolved into a bronze token. Later, as a military symbol, tokens were always used by feudal dynasties. Since then, the tiger symbol, as an important form of military symbol, has finally come to an indifferent curtain call.