Study On Earthquake Disaster In Northwest China During The Song And Yuan Dynasties

Song and Yuan Dynasty is a significant period in China history. From emperor Tai-tsu of Song Zhao Kuangyi’s enthronization in AD 960 to Ming Tai-tsu Zhu Yuanzhang’s occupation in Yuan Dynasty’s Dadu, the ancient China experience her great change from division and separation to grand unification. But it is easy to observe that there is also a stage with various natural calamities. As a short time natural disaster with enormous destructiveness, earthquake has tremendous influence on Song and Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, research on the regional impact of earthquake in northwest district has particular meaning for the area is economic, cultural and military centre at that time because of its unique climatic environment and strategic position.The article mainly makes discussion and studies on the general disastrous situation of earthquake, post-quake effect, different stratum’s responding measures, their recognition to earthquake and the technological development of disaster prevention and reduction in northwest district on Song and Yuan period, by taking earthquake records of the district on historical annals as object of study, referring the existing research achievement and all kinds of historical data of earthquake, and comprehensively taking advantage of the theories and methods of subjects like history, catastrophology, etc.The thesis has five parts. The first part is introduction, which mainly introduces the thesis’s range of study, namely, time range and spatial range, including area definition to the northwest district of Song and Yuan Dynasty and so on. Then, the part also discusses the related research status and tendencies at home and abroad, including all-around compilation of data, professional research output, etc. Finally, it confirms the thesis’s research programme.The second part mainly introduces the earthquake situation of northwest district in Song and Yuan Dynaty. Firstly, the part presents the geographic overview and the distribution of seismic belt at the district; then, it makes simple description to the administrative division at that time, involving to relevant state, prefecture and area; next, by statistics it lists the earthquake records at the stage, mainly including Shaanxi and Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai area; finally, it makes time-space analysis to the earthquake at this time, covering distributing features of earthquake’s time and areas, to make a conclusion on the regions with high earthquake happening and its reasons.The third part mainly discusses the results of earthquake in northwest district at Song and Yuan Dynasty. As a natural disaster with great influence, earthquake not only brings the earth trembled and the mountains swayed, but also worse consequent destructive effects. The part firstly discusses earthquake’s immediate disastrous situation, including its general damage, defacement to buildings, and human’s injuries and deaths. Then, it analyzes earthquake’s secondary disaster, from the aspects of landslide, ground fracturing, spray water, send emission, and the change of surface configuration.The fourth part is the article’s substantial, which mainly analyzes the social influence of earthquake to the northwest district at Song and Yuan Dynasty, including effects on agricultural production and life, such as agricultural economy’s atrophy, grain price and taxation. Earthquake’s influence on social custom is mainly reflected in two aspects-house building and sacrifice custom; and on war and social chaos are reflected in robbers rise up in swarms, frequent warfare, without end rebellion at border areas, and so on. Finally, the part makes simple descript to the technical development of disaster prevention and reduction of earthquake at this time, also peoples understanding to the disaster.The fifth part introduces the disaster relief measures at Song and Yuan Dynasty, including each stratum’s disaster relief system and operational mechanism, like government’s actions and folk’s methods. Then, the part makes performance evaluation to the disaster relief measures at Song and Yuan Dynasty.The sixth part makes conclusion to the article and summary to all the contents, including happening areas and time of earthquake at northwest district at Song and Yuan Dynasty, the damage to the region of earthquake and its social influence. Finally, this part points out the measures and shortcomings in disaster prevention and relief at this age. Only combining strengths from all the stratum and building an integral, sound, and efficient disaster relief system can lead to better consequence, which has warning function to modern disaster prevention and relief.