Xichuan Province And The War With Tibet In The Late Of Tang Dynasty

As a major subject in the study of Tang Dynasty, battles between Tang government and Tibet have been neglected and given little attention by the historical academic circle for a long time. Actually, ever since the An-Shi Rebellion, Xichuan battlefield, an area generally equals to the geography of today’s Sichuan Basin, had gradually gained its weight and become the turning point for Tang Dynasty to win its war against Tibet. This thesis takes Xichuan Province as the target to study the battles fought here between the two sides and explains why this place is critical to Tang’s victory against Tibet.In the introduction, it elaborates its study subject and significance, reviews the current studying situation and also states its train of thoughts and major points of view.In the first part of the main body introduces the surveyof Xichuan area to clarify the objective environment and material basis of the battles fought here. Then the article introduces details of the wars in time order and research the wrong place in the historical data and analysis both success and failure, gain and loss of the war. Then the article analysis the causes and effects in the victory of Tang Dynasty. Finally summarizes the full thesis.In the early Tang Dynasty, Xichuan has set up Zongguanfu, Xingtai, and other institutions such as Dudufu. Then in order to concentrate power, strengthen border defense, Tang Dynasty sets up Jiannan Jiedushi in Jiannan area. This is the predecessor of the Xichuan Province. After the rebellion of Anlushan, the Jiannanchun province is divided into two.. Xichuan Province officially formed. Although the area has experienced many changes, but as an independent military position to keep basically. Because of the complexity of the internal environment in Xichuan Provinc, the political geography can be divided into four relatively independent regional.They are Central Plain Area(chengdu plain),Xishan Area, Western Frontier Area of XiLiYa, Southern Frontier Area of Rongzhou. Four regions are relatively independent, each with its own characteristics. They play different roles in the process of the fight against foreign enemy. This is a major feature of Xichuan. Forces of Xichuan are closely related wifh foreign wars.In time of Daizong and Dezong, Xichuan force is about forty thousand people, and is mainly local soldiers.In time from Yuanhe to Dahe, Xichuan defense is weak with few troops. In time from Dahe to Dazhong, in order to deal with the threat of the Nanzhao, Xichuan force increases gradually. The field army began stationed in xichuan.In the late Tang Dynasty, the war has experienced two stages. The period of Daizong is the period that the war is beginning and the upgrading. The period of Dezong is the period tha the war change and calm. In the ages of Guangde and Yongtai, by applying massive movable warfare, Tibet severely damaged Tang’s defense and took over the Xishan states. Then, Tang took steady steps and regained its defense in Dali period, which effectively restrained Tibet’s attack. Notably, Xichuan’s strategic position in the overall war situation of Tang Dynasty increased with the escalating attacks from Tibet and became a battle field as important as that in the northwest, rather than a strategic structure with main powers in northwest as previously.In the initial stage of Dezong, relationship between Tang and Tibet had a tortuous experience. Tang government isolated and besieged Tibet by offering amnesty and enlistment to its surrounding ethnics and political powers to show Tang’s allying desire. The most intense fighting period of Xichuan War is in the Zhenyuan Period. It was a time that Tang started its counterattack in Xichuan area. With the use of right strategies, Tang Dynasty reversed the losing tendency to great victory and ended the war. The post-war relationship is expounded in part four consequently. Under the strikes from battles in Dezong’s time, Tibet’s power was fading away and the bilateral relationship shifted from confrontation in Emperor Xianzong’s time to the meeting held in Changqing to form alliance for a long time peace.The reason that the Tang Dynasty defeated Tibet mainly includes the following aspects. The special natural environment in Xichuan, geographic advantages, concentration of power, appointment of native army and Tibet’s own decline all led Tang to victory. Secondly, it summarizes the influences brought by the intense battles fought in Xichuan between Tang and Tibet, which mainly including the reverse of war result, increase of Xichuan’s military power and independence and development of Nanzhao powers.Lastly, it gives a conclusion to the whole thesis.