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In the process of getting along with the neighboring minority regimes in ancient times, in order to improve the relations between the two countries or achieve conditional peace, the signing of peace agreements often carried two special auxiliary behaviors, namely "proton" or "intimacy".
Kissing is to establish a marriage relationship by marrying royal women to each other, so as to improve the relationship between the two sides; On the other hand, protons were taken hostage by the children of the royal family and sworn in another country, thus establishing a kind of peace. Relatively speaking, "affinity" also has a certain degree of voluntariness, while "proton" seems to be a passive behavior of compromise. The "proton" sent in the past is, to some extent, a tool for the other party to intimidate or restrict itself. The peaceful cross-strait relations established by "proton" are often rigid and fragile. But why did the phenomenon of "proton" prevail in history, especially in the Han and Tang Dynasties? What is the relationship between "proton" and politics, economy, military affairs and culture of both sides? Can the peace established by "proton" last long? Proton is a special form of ethnic relations. Like trade relations, tribute relations and blood relations, it is a means to maintain the relationship between the two ethnic groups and a bridge of communication. Generally speaking, the proton donor is weak. They use the means of sending protons to gain the protection of the relatively strong party and gain their own sovereignty over the area under their jurisdiction. The party receiving protons has to bear the other party's security obligations and part of its economic assistance obligations, so the essence of proton relationship is a right-obligation relationship.
First, the ideological basis of the proton system
Every system that has appeared in history has a realistic foundation and is by no means groundless.
There is a kind of etiquette between master and servant in ancient times, which is called "naming and entrusting quality". It expresses that the subscriber is willing to establish a lasting subordinate and dominant relationship with the recipient by writing his name on the name thorn and delivering it to a specific party. The process of "naming and entrusting quality" is to establish a process of determining the relationship between monarch and minister or the master-slave relationship between the two sides.
Since the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains Dynasty has extended this ancient etiquette to the establishment of the relationship between monarch and minister, and extended its scope of application to the level of ethnic relations. When determining the relationship between vassal nationalities, the "policy name quality" is further extended. Establishing a master-slave relationship with neighboring ethnic minority regimes is no longer as simple as "casting names". Because this is not the master and slave between individuals, but the submission between countries, which is "taking the country as the quality." The relationship between ancient suzerain and vassal States also has different types of close and distant relations. These different relationships are called "five clothes", namely, temple clothes, Hou clothes, Fu Bin, Fu Yao and Huangfu. Completely incorporated into the suzerain country is called "standard service"; Incorporated into the suzerain, but existing in the form of a principality or a vassal state, it is called "Hou Fu"; Conquered by the force of the suzerain country is for "guest service"; Bordering the suzerain country, it is "necessary to serve" to establish a tributary relationship; Far from the suzerain country, there is no fixed tribute relationship.
It is precisely because of the different relations with ethnic minority countries that the Central Plains dynasty will position itself according to different "clothes" when dealing with these relations, and then formulate specific policies. For example, the Han Dynasty designated the Xiongnu as a "country in rags", so the principle of relationship with Xiongnu was "paying tribute to protons". Among them, "Hajj" is a symbolic meaning, and the requirement of "tribute" is also very low, as long as some special products are symbolically paid tribute, and the reward given by the Han Dynasty is much higher than that given by the Huns. However, the Han Dynasty attached great importance to the "proton" of the Huns, because "proton" can contain the Huns to a certain extent, make them scruple, and at the same time expand the shock of the Han Dynasty's influence on other minority regimes. Therefore, proton is the core of the three principles.
Second, the role and significance of "proton"
Proton, as an emergency technology, has a long history as a means of reconciliation when another family faces a crisis of survival. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Wu attacked the State of Yue. When the State of Yue was facing national subjugation, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, personally played the role of a proton and entered the State of Wu, which saved the State of Yue and gave the people of Yue time to recuperate, and finally destroyed the powerful State of Wu. In order to break the six-nation alliance, Qin gave Qin Shihuang's father, Qin Gui, as a hostage to Zhao, where he gave birth to Qin Shihuang. The article "Touching the Dragon", which was selected into the middle school Chinese textbook, was also Zhao Xiangqi's request for help. Qi let Chair Zhao Chang 'an send troops as a hostage, and Zhao Zuo made the dragon touch to convince the empress dowager. Finally, Chang 'an was given as a pledge to Qi in exchange for Qi's sending troops, which lifted the crisis that Zhao was destroyed by Qin. Proton was regarded as an important means to solve the problems of ethnic minorities in the Han Dynasty, because it could achieve peace without moving a single soldier. As a powerful central dynasty, the Han Dynasty regarded accepting the "protons" of a few regimes as its own patent, which was the privilege of a big country. Only minority regimes were allowed to transport protons to the Han Dynasty, but not to transport protons to each other. If protons were exchanged between other minority regimes, the Han Dynasty would not hesitate to send troops to intervene. Because in the view of the powerful Han Dynasty, he was the master of the world, of course, the suzerain. Accepting protons is his own patent, and no other regime is allowed to get their hands on this power.
Dong Zhongshu, a great scholar in Han Dynasty, has a very representative view on the role of protons. He said: "Righteousness moves the gentleman, greed moves the people, such as the Huns, you can't say righteousness." Therefore, with the generosity of interests and the firmness of alliance with heaven, it is really unexpected to swear that he loves his son to tire his heart. Although the Huns want to turn around, they can resist weightlessness, dominate the sky and kill their beloved son. "
In the eyes of the rulers of the Han Dynasty, it was difficult for Huns to be enlightened by virtue and morality. If you dare not go to war with the Han Dynasty, you should let them send Khan's beloved son as a hostage, so that the Huns will not take the risk of "weightlessness, deceiving heaven and killing his beloved son" and ensure the realization of peace.