Research On Military Of Taiyuanfu In Northern Song Dynasty

Taiyuan was an important transportation hub, the center of regional politics and a military strategic city in North China since ancient time. It had always been a battleground. Taiyuan had more important strategic position than before in the end of Tang Dynasty and in the Five Dynasties. It is not only a key position to fighting with Turkic in Tang Dynasty, but also a military center in the north of Five Dynasties.After Song Dynasty established nation, Taiyuan is easy to be defended but hard to be attacked and it also kept a good international communication with Liao. Then Taiyuan had a strong impact on “From south to north” which was an establishment national strategy of Northern Song Dynasty. In other words, Because of Taiyuan had unique geographical location hard to capture. It made the emperors of Northern Song Dynasty have to change their steps to establish state. Taiyuan, the political center of the Northern Han Dynasty, was the last area which ware tamed by Northern Song Dynasty. After the emperor of Northern Song Dynasty has conquered Taiyuan, due to the “Focusing on the minor and belittling the important” which was another national policy of Northern Song Dynasty. Taiyuan had to be burn and become a town called Bingzhou.The early Northern Song Dynasty, Liao, Western Xia northern nomadic people rose sharply. They often fought battles with Northern Song Dynasty each other. After the emperor of Northern Song Dynasty burnt Taiyuan, they lost this military town which had an important military strategy meaning in those battles. So the government had to rebuild Taiyuan. Taiyuan?s destruction and reconstruction show that Song Dynasty both weakened local powers and strengthened frontier construction. After reconstruction, Taiyuan is closer to Liao and Western Xia than before. In the war,Taiyuan provided an important military support and the function of rear guard. In the Song-Liao war, Taiyuan provided military fort building, military information transmission and military support of Hebei Lu?s fighting with Liao. In the Song-Xia war, Taiyuan offered army security, army provision and army horses. In late Northern Song Dynasty, Jin nomadic people became stronger, they attempted to seize Taiyuan.Many people regarded Taiyuan as an important protective screen of Kaifeng which isthe capital of Northern Song Dynasty. The fall of Taiyuan shocked the political situation of Kaifeng. Taiyuan, the significant region not only influenced Song Dynasty?s national policy each other, but also play an important role in Song Dynasty?s foreign relations.