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#长文创作激励计划#在漫长的人类文明演进历程中, civilizations take different forms, among which maritime civilization occupies an important position with its unique charm and influence. However, ancient China, a vast and fertile land, created a brilliant agricultural civilization, but failed to develop into a typical maritime civilization, what are the intricate reasons behind this phenomenon?
Let's go back in time to ancient times. In that ancient land of China, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River flowed vigorously, giving birth to fertile land and industrious people.
At first, people made a living by gathering and hunting, and over time, they gradually mastered the skills of agricultural production. In the Central Plains of the Yellow River Basin, the climate is mild and the land is fertile, which is suitable for the growth of crops. As a result, farming has gradually become the main mode of production.
In this vast land, farmers sow in spring and harvest in autumn, following the change of seasons and carefully tending their farmland. They relied on the bounty of the land and lived a relatively stable life.
In this context, villages and city-states based on agriculture were formed. People live around farmland and water sources, forming close social relations and a stable order of life.
On a sunny morning, Xiao Li, a young farmer, came to the field early. He toiled hard with farm tools in hand, sweat soaking through his clothes. His heart is full of anticipation of a good harvest, because this land is the life of him and his family.
At the same time, in the fishing village by the sea, fishermen are also busy making a living. They go out to sea to fish, facing rough seas, full of unknowns and risks.
However, compared to the agrarian societies in the interior, fishing villages are relatively small in size and have limited influence.
From the perspective of geographical environment, ancient China had a vast inland territory and abundant natural resources. Although the east and south are bordered by the sea, the coastline is relatively tortuous and there are relatively few good harbors.
Moreover, the inland areas have fertile land and a suitable climate, which provides unique conditions for agricultural development. In contrast, the risks and uncertainties posed by the ocean, such as storms, piracy, etc., are greater.
This has led to a greater inclination to develop agriculture inland rather than to explore the ocean.
For example, in a certain coastal area in the south, the coastline is mostly reefs and shoals, which is not conducive to the docking and navigation of large ships. Although the local population occasionally goes out to sea to fish, they are more likely to rely on inland farmland for their livelihood.
From the perspective of the political system, ancient China has long practiced a centralized system. In order to maintain the stability of the regime, the rulers paid more attention to the control and management of the inland areas.
Agriculture, as the economic foundation of the country, is strongly supported and protected by the government. However, marine activities are often seen as destabilizing factors, subject to certain restrictions and suppressions.
In one of the dynasties in history, an official advised the emperor on the development of maritime trade and navigation. However, the emperor, out of concern for the stability of the regime and fearing that maritime activities would provoke social unrest and invasion by external forces, ultimately rejected this proposal.
Thinking from the perspective of economic structure, agriculture dominated the economy in ancient China. By cultivating the land, the peasants provided the country with an abundance of food and supplies.
Although commerce and handicrafts have also developed, they have never become the mainstream of the economy under the influence of the policy of valuing agriculture and suppressing commerce. Maritime trade and related industries have been slow to develop.
For example, in a bustling inland city, the bazaar is filled with agricultural products and handicrafts, and people's trade mainly revolves around these items. The port cities in the coastal areas, although they also have some trade activities, are far less large and influential than inland cities.
From the perspective of cultural tradition, Confucianism occupies an important place in traditional Chinese culture. Confucianism emphasizes the hierarchical order of the monarch and the father, the unity and stability of the family, and the dependence and attachment to the land.
This cultural perception prefers people to live and work on land rather than venturing to the sea.
In a scholarly family, the elders teach their children to study diligently to gain fame and glory for the family in the future. They believe that it is only through career and farming that the prosperity and inheritance of the family can be achieved.
From the perspective of technological development, although ancient China has made remarkable achievements in agricultural technology and water conservancy engineering, it has lagged behind in the development of marine-related fields such as navigation technology and shipbuilding technology.
The lack of advanced technical support also restricts the development of maritime civilization.
For example, at a certain time, foreign merchant ships have been able to sail to distant countries, while there is still a large gap in the size and performance of Chinese ships, which cannot carry out large-scale maritime trade and exploration.
When we think more deeply about this question, we can find more underlying reasons.
From the perspective of social psychology, the long-term farming life has formed a kind of mentality of relocating to the land and seeking stability in a conservative manner. When it comes to the unknown ocean, people are often filled with fear and awe.
In a small village, the elders often tell stories about the dangers of the sea, warning the younger generation not to venture out to sea. This psychological factor hindered the development of maritime civilization to a certain extent.
From the perspective of foreign exchanges, exchanges between ancient China and neighboring countries were mainly carried out by land. The prosperity of the Silk Roads witnessed the importance of land trade, while maritime trade developed relatively slowly.
For example, a caravan of camels crossed the desert to transport Chinese silk and porcelain to the West in exchange for precious spices and jewelry. The routes and scale of maritime trade were relatively small and did not have a decisive impact on the development of the country.
From the perspective of military strategy, the main threats faced by ancient China came from the nomadic peoples in the interior. As a result, the rulers devoted more resources and energy to the defense and conquest of the interior, and paid less attention to the sea.
In the border areas, for example, soldiers guarded the Great Wall day and night to prevent the invasion of nomads. However, the coastal defense construction in the coastal areas is relatively weak and cannot effectively resist threats from the sea.
To sum up, the failure of ancient China to develop into a maritime civilization was the result of the interaction of various factors such as geographical environment, political system, economic structure, cultural tradition, technological development, social psychology, foreign exchanges, and military strategy.
As we continue to delve deeper into this phenomenon, we can further expand our understanding from the following new perspectives.
From the point of view of population distribution, due to the abundance of agricultural resources in the inland areas, a large number of people are concentrated. However, the population in the coastal areas is relatively small, and there is a lack of sufficient manpower and market demand to promote the rapid development of maritime civilization.
In a densely populated inland province, cities and villages are dotted around, and people's production and life revolve closely around agriculture. And in the remote areas of the coast, the population is sparse and the economic activity is relatively homogeneous.
From the perspective of resource allocation, the country's resources are more invested in agricultural production, water conservancy projects and inland transportation. For the development and utilization of marine resources, the human, material and financial resources invested are relatively limited.
For example, the government organizes large-scale farmland reclamation and the construction of water conservancy facilities to ensure a good agricultural harvest. However, there is a lack of systematic planning and support for the development of marine fisheries, salt industry and other resources.
From the perspective of the formation of national character, long-term agricultural life has shaped the character characteristics of Chinese people who are hardworking, tenacious and pragmatic. To a certain extent, this character has influenced people's enthusiasm and adventurous spirit for ocean exploration.
During a busy farming season, the farmers toiled day and night, and their tenacity and industriousness were on full display on the land. And when it comes to the ocean, which is full of unknowns and risks, they tend to show a cautious and conservative attitude.
From the perspective of historical opportunities, in some critical historical periods, due to various reasons, ancient China missed the best opportunity to develop maritime civilization.
For example, when the West began large-scale overseas colonization and trade expansion, China was in the midst of internal political turmoil and social change, and failed to keep up with the pace of the development of the world's maritime civilization.
In short, the failure of ancient China to develop into a maritime civilization is a complex and pluralistic historical phenomenon. Through the in-depth study of this issue, we can better understand the development context and cultural characteristics of China's history, and at the same time, it can also provide useful reference and enlightenment for China's development in the maritime field today.
As we continue to dig deeper into the phenomenon that ancient China did not develop into a maritime civilization, we can also reveal the deep reasons for it from more dimensions.
From a geopolitical point of view, the geographical environment around ancient China has affected its emphasis on the sea and development to a certain extent. Most of the neighboring countries are also based on agriculture, and they rely more on land routes for economic and cultural exchanges with China.
For example, North Korea and Vietnam, which share a border with China, have similar agricultural developments to China, and trade between the two sides is mainly carried out through land borders. This geopolitical landscape makes the role of the ocean in foreign exchanges relatively less prominent.
Looking at the risks and uncertainties of maritime trade, although ancient navigation technology is constantly improving, compared with land transportation, ocean navigation faces more unpredictable factors, such as storms, shipwrecks, diseases, etc.
There was once a merchant fleet that sailed from the coast of China to Southeast Asia for trade. However, a strong typhoon was encountered on the way, which caused serious damage to the ship, a large loss of cargo, and the tragic loss of many crew members. Such tragedies have discouraged maritime trade in favour of the relative safety of land-based trade.
From the perspective of the inheritance and evolution of ideological concepts, in ancient Chinese philosophical thought, the reverence and conformity of nature occupy an important position. This perception is reflected in the treatment of the ocean, which is a mysterious and uncontrollable force that should be treated with caution.
For example, Taoist thought emphasizes "rule by doing nothing", and when facing the ocean, this kind of thinking may lead people to be reluctant to actively explore and conquer, but choose to keep a certain distance from the ocean.
From the perspective of the education system, education in ancient China focused on Confucian classics and imperial examinations, and the talents cultivated were mainly to serve the political and administrative management of the interior.
In a scholarly family, the children have been studying the Four Books and the Five Classics since childhood, just to be able to be named on the gold list in the future and become officials in the court. This educational orientation makes people's knowledge structure and career choices less involved in ocean-related fields.
From the perspective of the influence of the tax system and fiscal policy, the tax revenue of the ancient government mainly came from agriculture, and the tax policy for marine trade and related industries was not perfect and emphasized.
As a result, the marine economy has a low proportion of the country's finances, and it is difficult to attract sufficient attention and investment from the rulers.
For example, inland farmland can provide a steady source of tax revenue, while maritime trade is difficult and unstable to collect, making governments more inclined to support inland agriculture in resource allocation.
As we dig deeper into this question, we can also uncover some deeper social structures and organizational factors.
From the perspective of the form of social organization, the social structure of ancient China centered on the family and clan made people's activities and concerns more concentrated on the land where the family was located.
A family farms in a place for generations, forming stable social relations and production patterns. This form of social organization limits people's motivation and need to expand into the ocean.
From the perspective of the imbalance in the development of the industry, the inland agriculture, handicraft industry and commerce have formed a relatively complete industrial chain and market system. However, marine-related industries, such as shipbuilding and navigation technology research and development, lack sufficient capital and talent investment, and their development is slow.
For example, the inland textile industry has a mature production process and sales network, while the marine shipbuilding industry is limited in development because of high technical difficulty and large investment.
From the perspective of the relationship between the central and local governments, local governments tend to pay more attention to meeting the central government's requirements for agricultural production and taxation when implementing policies, and are not highly motivated by marine development.
In a coastal area, in order to meet the agricultural production targets set by the superiors, local officials invested most of their resources in farmland reclamation and water conservancy construction, while neglecting the development and utilization of marine resources.
From the perspective of coping strategies for natural disasters, common natural disasters such as drought and floods in inland areas have prompted people to continuously improve water conservancy facilities and agricultural technology to ensure food production.
Disasters brought by the ocean, such as tsunamis and typhoons, are more defensive and evasive in response due to their unpredictability and huge destructive power.
For example, when a typhoon strikes, residents in coastal areas often choose to evacuate inland, rather than actively defending against and using the power of the sea.
To sum up, the failure of ancient China to develop into a maritime civilization is the result of the interweaving and joint action of many factors.
As we continue to dive deeper into this question, here are a few new perspectives that can be used to further expand our thinking.
From the perspective of the limitations of the cognition of marine resources, due to the limitation of ancient science and technology, people have insufficient understanding of the types, distribution and utilization value of marine resources.
For example, the understanding of seabed minerals, marine energy and other resources is very limited, and it is impossible to fully realize the huge wealth and development potential contained in the ocean.
Considered from the perspective of the lack of purpose and motivation for navigation, ancient China lacked a strong external incentive to explore the seas on a large scale, unlike some Western countries that actively engaged in seafaring activities in search of new colonies and resources.
From the perspective of the lack of maritime laws and systems, in ancient China, there was no complete set of maritime laws and management systems to regulate maritime activities and protect maritime rights and interests.
This makes marine activities in a disorderly and insecure state to a certain extent, and inhibits the development of marine civilization.
From the perspective of the inheritance and development of maritime culture, due to the above reasons, ancient China did not form a deep and extensive maritime cultural tradition.
In contrast, the farming culture of the interior is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and passed down from generation to generation, further reinforcing the dependence on the land and the neglect of the sea.
In short, the study of the problem that ancient China did not develop into a maritime civilization is a complex and persistent topic.
Through continuous discussion and analysis from different perspectives, we can understand this historical phenomenon more comprehensively and deeply, draw lessons from it, and provide useful references and references for China's marine development strategy today.
When we analyze this phenomenon in more depth, we can also explore it more comprehensively from the following aspects.
From the perspective of the construction of maritime trade network, although ancient China had certain maritime trade activities, it failed to form a maritime trade network as extensive and close as that of the West.
For example, the maritime trading countries of the West formed a global trading system through the establishment of colonies and trading posts. However, China's maritime trade in ancient China was more confined to the surrounding areas, and it was difficult to achieve large-scale expansion and integration.
From the perspective of the incentive mechanism of technological innovation, ancient China has made many achievements in the field of science and technology, but there is a lack of effective innovation incentive mechanism in marine-related technologies.
For example, there are not enough incentives and support for innovators who can improve navigation technology and improve the performance of ships, resulting in a lack of momentum for technological development.
From the perspective of long-term planning of marine strategy, the importance of the ocean fluctuated greatly in different historical periods in ancient China, and there was a lack of long-term and stable marine strategic planning.
This makes it difficult to continue to promote the development of the ocean, and it is impossible to form a strategically important marine civilization system.
From the perspective of international competition and cooperation, in the ancient international arena, the competition and cooperation between maritime powers had an important impact on the maritime development of various countries.
However, in this international maritime pattern, ancient China failed to actively participate in competition and cooperation, and missed some opportunities to develop maritime civilization.
To sum up, the failure of ancient China to develop into a maritime civilization is a comprehensive problem involving many aspects.
With the development of the times and the progress of society, we should take history as a mirror, fully understand the importance of the ocean, strengthen marine awareness, increase investment and research in the marine field, promote China's continuous progress on the road of maritime civilization, and realize the transformation from a maritime power to a maritime power.