A Study Of The Han Scholars Entering Liao Dynasty

Nearly a century from the ending Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties to Liao and Song signed the Chanyuan treaty,a large number of Han scholars flowed into Liao territory.On the one hand,during the Five Dynasties,the Central Plains region was divided into separate regions with frequent wars and internal forces gradually weakened,and was gradually on the weak side in its contacts with Liao.Until the beginning of the Song Dynasty,the failure of the two northern expeditions kept Song on the defensive in its contacts with Liao.On the other hand,since Khitan's rise in the northern grasslands,he has been heading south to the Central Plains with his strong military strength and plundered a large number of people and property.In this situation,and for its own reasons,a large number of Han scholars have entered the Liao Dynasty.Although these Han scholars entered Liao in different ways,they can be summed up in four ways: First,they were captured and entered Liao in the period of Khitan's southward to the Central Plains;Second,he took the initiative to join the Liao Dynasty in order to avoid the war and tyranny in the Central Plains or to seek a future.Third,he was forcibly detained after his mission to the Liao Dynasty.Fourth,Shi Jingtang,Later Jin(Five Dynasties),offered the sixteen states of Youyun to the Liao Dynasty as a reward.The people in this area were naturally transferred to the Liao Dynasty's ruling area.Due to the huge differences in Han culture,these Han scholars who moved into Liao did not agree with the Liao dynasty's rule at the beginning of entering the Liao dynasty,and were extremely resistant to it.But in the course of contacting with Khitan,their attitude towards the rule of Liao Dynasty changed from initial resistance to identity,and the reasons for this change are as follows: First,Liao Dynasty rulers began to construct theconcept of " Han-Qi Integration" in order to woo scholars,and implemented " Han-Qi Integration" through such measures as " respecting Confucius and worshiping Confucianism"," making system according to customs" and " taking scholars out of science" to make Han scholars agree with Liao Dynasty in ideological,cultural and political aspects;The second is that the five dynasties' regime despised the intellectuals and did not value their values,and their political aspirations could not be realized.At the same time,the five dynasties' regime and the northern song dynasty's regime were too weak in their attitude towards Liao,causing the Han intellectuals in Liao dynasty to experience disappointment again and again.The political desire to identify with the Liao Dynasty to rule each of them can be realized.In addition,the lack of economic independence of scholars and the monopoly of kingship on political resources have forced scholars to attach themselves to kingship if they want to " promote Taoism" instead of " pursue Taoism".All this,the Han scholars slowly put down their hearts and gradually began to agree with the Liao Dynasty's rule.The entry of Han scholars from the central plains into Liao was mainly caused by the development of the political situation at that time and the contrast of power between the north and the south.We should not simply criticize which is right or wrong in dealing with this matter.In fact,Han scholars who entered Liao Dynasty made some contributions to the development of Liao Dynasty.Politically,the Han scholars helped the Liao Dynasty to reform the backward system,formulate the official system,participate in military affairs and formulate laws,which promoted the feudalization of the Liao regime.Economically,with the help of the Han scholars,the farming economy of Liao dynasty developed,changing the original single production mode of Qidan nationality,which was dominated by animal husbandry.At the same time,Han scholars introduced the tax system into the Liao Dynasty and participated in the financial management of the Liao Dynasty,which promoted the stability of the economic order of the Liao Dynasty and provided material guarantee for the operation of theLiao Dynasty's state institutions.Culturally,the Han scholars helped the Liao Dynasty to build rites,music and grammar,promoted the spread of the Han culture in the Liao Dynasty,and improved the quality of the Liao culture as a whole.In a word,with their influence,the Han people who entered Liao Dynasty promoted the ethnic blending,made the communication between the Han and Qi communities more harmonious,and promoted the process of the multi-dimensional and integrated pattern of the Chinese nation.