Is this giant dragon in northern China the vanity of ancient emperors or a stroke of genius to change the pattern of the world? Recently, the astonishing words of an American professor have sparked heated discussions. He asserted that the Great Wall not only protected China, but also "harmed Europe"! This statement is shocking and thought-provoking. How exactly has the Great Wall influenced world history? Is it really that powerful? And how did this American professor come to this conclusion?
1. The origin and development of the Great Wall
The Great Wall, a great project known as a symbol of Chinese civilization, was not achieved overnight. Its origins can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when the vassal states built fortifications to defend their territory.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Qi took the lead in the construction of the Great Wall. According to the "Historical Records", in order to resist the invasion of Chu, King Xuan of Qi built a Great Wall along the mountain range that stretched from the sea to Jeju, with a total length of thousands of miles. This Great Wall not only became a barrier for the defense of the Qi State, but also provided valuable experience for the construction of the Great Wall in later generations.
Subsequently, other vassal states followed suit. In order to defend against the Xiongnu, the Yan State built the Great Wall in the north, which stretched for thousands of miles. Zhao also built the Great Wall on the northern border to defend against the Hu people. The Wei state built the Great Wall on the northwest border to defend against the Qin attack. Although these Great Walls vary in size, they all reflect the determination of countries to defend their territories.
However, it was the reign of Qin Shi Huang who really developed the Great Wall into a unified defense system. In 221 BC, after Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, he immediately embarked on the grand project of connecting and building the Great Wall. He sent the general Meng Tian to lead an army of 300,000 to defend against the Xiongnu while building the Great Wall. The project lasted for ten years, and eventually formed a Great Wall from Liaodong to Lintao.
The Great Wall built by Qin Shi Huang was not just a simple wall, but a complete military defense system. Beacon towers, passes, and castles were located along the Great Wall, which could be used both to observe the enemy and to serve as a base for the army. This design greatly improved the Great Wall's defenses, making it an important barrier against invasions by northern nomads.
After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty inherited the construction of the Great Wall. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the construction of the Great Wall reached a new peak. In order to defend against the invasion of the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered the construction of a series of beacons and passes in the Hexi Corridor, further expanding the defensive scope of the Great Wall.
During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the importance of the Great Wall declined due to its strong national strength. But in the Song Dynasty, in the face of the threat of northern peoples such as the Liao and Jin, the Great Wall was once again valued. The Song Dynasty built a large number of side walls and beacon towers along the Great Wall to strengthen defenses.
The Ming Dynasty was the last peak period of the construction of the Great Wall. Due to the continued threat from the Mongols and other northern peoples, the Ming rulers invested a lot of manpower and material resources to build and strengthen the Great Wall. The Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty is not only grand in scale, but also in terms of construction technology, which has reached unprecedented heights. The masonry walls were more durable and durable, and the design of the towers and enemy towers was more elaborate. Most of the remains of the Great Wall that we can see today were built during the Ming Dynasty.
The construction of the Great Wall is an arduous project, which embodies the painstaking efforts and wisdom of countless laborers. From the original earthen walls to the later masonry structures, the construction technology of the Great Wall has continued to advance. According to the different terrain, the craftsmen adopted different construction methods, some built along the mountain, and some crossed the valley, which fully demonstrated the architectural wisdom of ancient China.
However, the construction of the Great Wall also came at a huge cost. According to historical records, hundreds of thousands of people died when Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall alone. These workers work in harsh conditions and face the threat of hunger, disease and accidents. Every brick and stone of the Great Wall is condensed with the blood and sweat of the ancient working people.
2. The military value and controversy of the Great Wall
As the most magnificent defense project in ancient China, the military value of the Great Wall has always been a hot topic among historians and military experts. In the long history, the Great Wall has indeed played an important defensive role, but it has also faced many doubts and controversies.
When it comes to defending against nomadic invasions, the role of the Great Wall is obvious. In the Han Dynasty, for example, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Great Wall became an important barrier against the Xiongnu. In 119 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent the generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to lead an army to attack the Xiongnu. In this battle, the Great Wall became an important supply base and retreat support for the Han army. The Han army used the beacon towers along the Great Wall to communicate and transmit military information in a timely manner, and finally won the Battle of Mobei, which severely damaged the strength of the Xiongnu.
During the Tang Dynasty, the Great Wall also played an important role in defending against the invasion of northern peoples such as the Turks and the Uighurs. Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, had personally conquered the Turks many times, and would deploy a large number of troops along the Great Wall before each expedition to prevent the Turks from taking the opportunity to move south. In 630 AD, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty defeated the Eastern Turkic Jieli Khan in the Yulin River Valley near the Great Wall, a victory that greatly strengthened the Tang Dynasty and demonstrated the value of the Great Wall in military defense.
However, the military value of the Great Wall is not invulnerable. In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, the defensive role of the Great Wall was gradually questioned. In 1644, Li Zicheng led a peasant army into Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself. At this time, in order to confront Li Zicheng, the general of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Sangui, actually opened the Shanhai Pass and invited the Qing army to enter the customs. This incident fully exposed the weakness of the Great Wall's defense system: no matter how strong the walls were, they could not resist the betrayal within.
In addition, the construction and maintenance of the Great Wall requires a huge amount of manpower and material resources, which has also caused some controversy. Taking the Ming Dynasty as an example, a large-scale renovation during the Jiajing period alone cost nearly five million taels of silver, equivalent to two years of financial revenue for the imperial court at that time. This huge expenditure inevitably has aroused doubts and opposition from some officials.
The attitude of the Qing rulers towards the Great Wall changed dramatically. As a minority regime, the Qing rulers did not recognize the military value of the Great Wall. Emperor Kangxi once made it clear: "The establishment of the Great Wall is not a good law." He believes that instead of spending huge sums of money on the construction and maintenance of the Great Wall, it is better to strengthen the governance and development of the border areas.
This view of Emperor Kangxi is not groundless. He personally conquered Galdan many times and went deep into the Mongolian steppe. During these military campaigns, the Kangxi Emperor found that mobility and logistical supplies were the key factors in determining the outcome of the war, rather than fixed fortifications. Therefore, the Qing Dynasty began to implement the policy of "changing the land and returning it to the stream", strengthening its direct rule over the border areas, and maintaining the security of the border by establishing a system of alliance flags with the Mongol ministries.
However, even during the Qing Dynasty, the Great Wall did not completely lose its value. In some localized areas, the Great Wall is still used as a military defense facility. For example, during the Qing Dynasty's war with Tsarist Russia, some passes and fortresses along the Great Wall still played an important role. In 1689, negotiations on the Sino-Russian Treaty of Nebuchu took place in the city of Yaksa, near the Great Wall.
In addition to its military value, the Great Wall also has important political and cultural symbolism. It represents the continuity and unity of Chinese civilization and is a symbol of the strength of the ancient Chinese regime. Even at a time when its military value was questioned, the importance of the Great Wall as a cultural symbol never diminished.
It is important to note that the military value of the Great Wall was not limited to defense. In some historical periods, the Great Wall was also used as a springboard for attacks. For example, during the Tang Dynasty, Tang Taizong used the Great Wall as a base for the Northern Expedition to the Turks. During the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall became an important support point for the use of troops against Mongolia.
3. The influence of the Great Wall on nomads
The construction of the Great Wall not only changed the defense strategy of the Central Plains Dynasty, but also had a profound impact on the survival mode and development path of the northern nomads. The contradiction between nomadic and agrarian peoples is a main line of ancient Chinese history, and the Great Wall has become an important node on this main line.
The way of living of nomads is fundamentally different from that of the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains. They depend on herding for their livelihood and need to constantly move in search of new pastures. This way of life makes them extremely mobile, but they also face the problem of resource scarcity. Especially in harsh winters, the northern grasslands often struggle to provide enough pasture, forcing nomads to look south for living space.
Take the Xiongnu as an example, during the Qin and Han dynasties, they often went south to plunder the Central Plains. In 201 BC, the Xiongnu Mao Dunshan took advantage of the competition between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu to move south, once approaching the city of Chang'an. The invasion posed a serious threat to the newly established Han dynasty and highlighted the urgency of strengthening the defenses of the north.
It was in this context that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began a large-scale construction of the Great Wall. The construction of the Great Wall had a multifaceted impact on the nomads. First, it forms a physical barrier that greatly increases the difficulty for nomads to move south. The beacon system along the Great Wall enabled the Central Plains Dynasty to detect and respond to nomadic invasions in a timely manner.
A typical example occurred in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In 184 AD, the Northern Xiongnu took advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains to attempt to plunder in the south. However, due to the presence of the Great Wall, they had to make a detour to the Western Regions. This expedition ended in failure, and the strength of the Northern Xiongnu was greatly weakened, creating conditions for the rise of Xianbei later.
The presence of the Great Wall also forced the nomads to change their traditional survival strategies. In the past, they could make up for the lack of resources by raiding the Plain, but the construction of the Great Wall made this difficult. As a result, some nomadic people began to try to develop agriculture and handicrafts to relieve the pressure of survival.
The Turks are a good example. In the late 6th and early 7th centuries, the Turks made several attempts to break through the defenses of the Great Wall, but they were unsuccessful. Under these conditions, the Turks began to develop agriculture and handicrafts in the areas under their control. Archaeological finds show that during the period of Turkic rule, a number of semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral settlements appeared on the Mongolian plateau, reflecting the fact that nomads began to experiment with new ways of living under the pressure of the Great Wall.
However, while the Great Wall prevented the nomads from moving south, it also inadvertently pushed them westward. Blocked from the Great Wall, the nomads began to look to the vast grasslands and oases of the west. This trend reached its peak during the Mongol Empire.
At the beginning of Genghis Khan's rise, he also made many attempts to break through the defense line of the Great Wall. But after repeated setbacks, he decided to change his tactics and expand into the West instead. This decision not only changed the trajectory of the Mongol Empire, but also had a profound impact on the history of Eurasia as a whole. The westward expedition of the Mongol cavalry brought China's advanced technology and culture to distant Europe, promoting the exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations.
It is important to note that the impact of the Great Wall on nomads was not always negative. In some periods, the Great Wall instead served as a place of trade and cultural exchange between nomads and the Central Plains Dynasty. For example, during the Tang Dynasty, some of the passes along the Great Wall became important trade bazaars. Here, the nomads exchanged horses, furs and other materials with the merchants of the Central Plains, and also came into contact with the culture and technology of the Central Plains.
In addition, the Great Wall also indirectly contributed to the integration within the nomadic peoples. Faced with this formidable fortification, the scattered nomadic tribes realized that they had to unite in order to fight against the Central Plains Dynasty. This realization fostered the political integration of the nomads, giving rise to some powerful nomadic empires. The rise of nomadic empires such as the Xiongnu, Turkic, and Mongol is to some extent related to the existence of the Great Wall.
Fourth, the economic impact and trade role of the Great Wall
The Great Wall is not only a military line of defense, but also an economic belt that runs through northern China. Its construction and maintenance had a profound impact on the economic development of ancient China, and also played an important role in promoting trade exchanges between the nomadic peoples of the Central Plains and the north.
First of all, the construction of the Great Wall itself was a huge economic project. Taking the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty as an example, its construction took nearly 200 years, mobilized millions of laborers, and consumed a lot of material and financial resources. According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty", a large-scale renovation during the Jiajing period alone cost nearly 5 million taels of silver, which was equivalent to two years of financial revenue of the imperial court at that time. This huge expenditure has undoubtedly caused a heavy burden on the national finances, but at the same time, it has also stimulated the development of related industries.
During the construction of the Great Wall, a large number of bricks, tiles, wood, stones and other building materials were in demand, which led to the rise of related industries. In the Ming Dynasty, for example, in order to meet the needs of the construction of the Great Wall, a large number of brick kilns and tile kilns appeared in the surrounding areas of Beijing. These kilns not only provided building materials for the Great Wall, but also created employment opportunities for local residents. Archaeological discoveries show that in Miyun, Huairou and other areas, the ancient kiln sites that provided building materials for the Great Wall can still be found.
The construction of the Great Wall also gave impetus to the development of the transportation industry. In order to transport large quantities of building materials and grain along the Great Wall, the imperial court had to build and maintain a large number of roads. These roads not only served the construction of the Great Wall, but also provided convenience for merchants and ordinary people, and promoted economic ties between various regions.
For example, in the Ming Dynasty, in order to ensure the supply of military supplies along the Great Wall, the imperial court opened a special military transportation channel between Beijing and Xuanhua, known as the "grain road". This road was not only used for military transportation, but also became an important channel for merchants to travel and promote the economic development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
The Great Wall also played an important role in facilitating trade exchanges between the Central Plains and the nomadic peoples of the north. Many passes along the Great Wall, such as Shanhaiguan and Jiayuguan, became important trade bazaars. In these places, the merchants of the Central Plains exchanged goods with the nomads, forming a unique border trade economy.
Take Xuanfu Town in the Ming Dynasty as an example, it is one of the nine important towns on the Great Wall and the location of an important horse market. Every spring and autumn, Mongolian merchants would bring horses, furs and other materials to trade here in exchange for tea, silk and other Central Plains goods. This trade not only met the material needs of both sides, but also promoted cultural exchanges.
Trade along the Great Wall also promoted the development of a number of specialty industries. For example, in the Zhangjiakou area near the Great Wall, a unique "Yishui inkstone" production process was gradually developed due to the perennial tea trade with Mongolian merchants. This inkstone is known for its exquisite carvings and excellent performance, and has become a local specialty product.
In addition to facilitating trade, the Great Wall also played an important role in agricultural development. Many areas along the Great Wall were originally barren, but with the construction of the Great Wall and the implementation of military reclamation, these areas were gradually developed into farmland. This has not only increased food production, but also changed the ecological environment of these areas.
Take the Ming Dynasty Yulin Town, for example, which was located at the northern end of the Great Wall and was originally a desert. However, after the Ming Dynasty implemented the military tuntian policy, a large number of soldiers were placed here to reclaim farmland. According to historical records, by the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Yulin Town had become an important grain production base, producing hundreds of thousands of stones of grain every year.
The Great Wall has also promoted the development of a number of new industries. For example, in order to meet the needs of soldiers along the Great Wall, some places developed unique winemaking industries. Shanxi's Fenjiu is a prime example. Legend has it that Fenjiu was originally brewed to comfort the defenders of the Great Wall, and has since developed into a famous liquor in northern China.
The economic impact of the Great Wall even extends to the cultural industries. As the military function of the Great Wall gradually weakened, its cultural and tourism value began to come to the fore. As early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were literati who visited the Great Wall and left a large number of poems. These literary works not only enriched Chinese culture, but also laid the foundation for the Great Wall tourism in later generations.
For example, Yuan Hongdao, a famous literary scholar in the Ming Dynasty, visited the Great Wall many times and wrote famous works such as "Climbing the Great Wall". These works not only depict the magnificent scenery of the Great Wall, but also reflect the social conditions and literati mentality of the time, and have become important chapters in the history of Chinese literature.
The impact of the Great Wall on the ancient Chinese economy was manifold. It is not only a huge economic project, but also an important factor in promoting trade and promoting regional development. The existence of the Great Wall shaped the unique economic geography of northern China, and its influence continues to this day.
5. The cultural significance and global influence of the Great Wall
As a symbol of Chinese civilization, the cultural significance and global influence of the Great Wall go far beyond its military and economic functions. From ancient times to the present, the Great Wall has not only profoundly influenced the cultural psychology of Chinese, but also become an important window for the world to understand China.
In traditional Chinese culture, the Great Wall is often regarded as a symbol of national spirit and national unity. As early as the Warring States period, the Great Wall had already become a symbol of the borders of the vassal states. After Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, he connected the original Great Wall to form a unified defense system, which also symbolized the unification of China to some extent.
The famous sentence of the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Zhilian, "If you want to be poor for a thousand miles, go to the next level", it was written when you climbed the Great Wall. This poem not only depicts the majesty of the Great Wall, but also expresses the spirit of the Chinese in pursuing lofty ideals. There are many similar literary works, such as Qi Jiguang's "Ballad of the Great Wall" in the Ming Dynasty, and Gong Zizhen's "Miscellaneous Poems" in the Qing Dynasty, all of which show the cultural connotation of the Great Wall from different angles.
The Great Wall is also the culmination of ancient Chinese technology and engineering technology. Take the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty as an example, and the most advanced construction technology was used in its construction. For example, in order to adapt to the complex terrain, the designers of the Great Wall adopted the principle of "adapting to local conditions", building "hollow walls" on ridges and "solid walls" on flat ground, which not only saved materials, but also enhanced the stability of the structure.
The beacon system of the Great Wall is a model of ancient communication technology. According to historical records, in the Ming Dynasty, more than 1,800 beacon towers were set up along the Great Wall. These beacons form a complex communication network that can transmit information from the border to the capital in a short period of time. The efficiency of this communication system was second to none in the world at the time.
The Great Wall also profoundly influenced China's military thinking. The defensive concept of "defending the territory and fortifying the border" has been dominant for a long time in Chinese history, which is closely related to the existence of the Great Wall. For example, Qi Jiguang, a famous military strategist of the Ming Dynasty, discussed in detail how to use the Great Wall for defensive operations in his book "The New Book of Ji Xiao". These military ideas have not only influenced China, but also had a profound impact on the world's military history.
On the international stage, the Great Wall is often regarded as a representative symbol of China. As early as the 17th century, European missionaries brought the message of the Great Wall back to the West. For example, the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci in his book "Notes on China", described in detail the magnificent scene of the Great Wall, which aroused great interest among Europeans.
At the end of the 19th century, with the arrival of Western explorers and photographers, the image of the Great Wall began to spread around the world through photographs and paintings. British photographer Felice Beato's photographs of the Great Wall in the 1870s are one of the earliest known photographs of the Great Wall. These photographs not only document the condition of the Great Wall at that time, but also give the world the first real view of this landmark in China.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Great Wall became a symbol of China's resistance to foreign aggression. In 1933, when Japanese troops invaded along the Great Wall, Chinese troops put up stubborn resistance here. This battle, known as the "Great Wall War of Resistance", although ultimately failed, it inspired the national consciousness of the Chinese and became an important prelude to the War of Resistance Against Japan.
In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon visited the Great Wall during his visit to China. His comment on the Great Wall, "Great Great Wall, Great Country" has not only become a symbol of the thaw in Sino-US relations, but also made the Great Wall once again the focus of world attention. After this visit, the status of the Great Wall as a cultural symbol of China on the international stage has been further enhanced.
In 1987, the Great Wall was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. This initiative not only affirms the historical and cultural value of the Great Wall, but also provides an international platform for the protection and research of the Great Wall. Since then, tourists, scholars and conservation experts from all over the world have come to the Great Wall for investigation, research and exchange.
In the 21st century, the Great Wall is playing an increasingly important role in international cultural exchanges. For example, at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the use of elements of the Great Wall made the world feel the charm of Chinese culture again. In recent years, the Great Wall has also become an important cultural symbol of China's Belt and Road Initiative, symbolizing China's connectivity with the rest of the world.
The cultural influence of the Great Wall even extends into space. In 2003, China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, claimed to have seen the Great Wall in space, and although it was later confirmed that this may have been a misunderstanding, the incident sparked a new round of global attention to the Great Wall and reflected the importance of the Great Wall in the hearts of Chinese.