In 960 AD, the Northern Song Dynasty was established, and through the efforts of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, a unified Central Plains Dynasty was formed. In 982 AD, the Xia Zhou Party took the initiative to show goodwill to Emperor Taizong and recommended the leader Li Jipeng to enter the capital, offering the land of Xia, Sui, Yin, You, and Jing under his jurisdiction to the Northern Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty took over all the cities of the five states. This incident led to a major upheaval, and Li Jiqian, the younger brother of Li Jipeng, did not approve of it and planned to engage in the most intense armed confrontation with the Song Dynasty. Under his leadership, a team of only a few dozen people left the city of Yinzhou where he was located, avoiding the heavy encirclement of the Song army, and headed straight for Dijinze, 300 miles away. No one expected that this small force would become the source of the Western Xia Dynasty.
In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, the Dangxiang people who had lived on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau gradually migrated inward due to the invasion of Tubo. This nomadic ethnic group was a branch of the ancient Qiang people. During the process of migration, the Dangxiang people gradually settled down, established their own homes, and formed several relatively large tribes. Among them, the Tuoba tribe where Li Jiqian lived was the most powerful. Li Jiqian left Yinzhou and headed straight to Dijinze, which is now one of the settlements of the Dangxiang people in the northeast of Etoke Banner, Inner Mongolia. This small team chose Dijinze, hoping to use the power of the Dangxiang people here to gather people and horses to fight against the Central Plains dynasty. Here, Li Jiqian solemnly hangs a portrait, believing that with this portrait, he can gain the support of the people of Dijinze Party. The person in the portrait is called Tuoba Sizhong. In the late Tang Dynasty, he and his brother Tuoba Sigong, who served as the leader of the Xiazhou Dangxiang tribe, gathered tens of thousands of Dangxiang people to join the army to quell the Huangchao Uprising due to gratitude for the Tang Dynasty’s help in relocating them. The brutal battle resulted in the unfortunate death of Tuoba Sizhong. The Dangxiang army was filled with grief and anger, and they worked hard to turn the tables. Due to their contributions in suppressing the Huangchao Uprising, the Tang Dynasty bestowed the Li surname on the Dangxiang tribe. From then on, Tuoba Sigong ruled Wancheng and divided the five states of Xia, Sui, Yin, You, and Jing. The scattered Dangxiang tribes were basically unified, and an independent kingdom took shape. It was precisely for this reason that Tuoba Sizhong became a symbol of national spirit in the hearts of generations of Dangxiang people. When Li Jiqian presented this portrait, the Dangxiang people restored the five states. The passion of the state was immediately ignited.
Shi Jinbo, Director of the Western Xia Culture Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Because they are originally a tribe and have relationships with each other, this ethnic group was very particular about these things in that era, and they obeyed him because he was a legitimate branch. This ethnic group values this thing.
In order to resist the Central Plains Dynasty and restore the territory of the Five Provinces, Li Jiqian responded in unison at Dijinze. In 984 AD, Li Jiqian led his troops to lightly capture Wangting Town in the northwest of Xiazhou, boosting morale and then launched attacks in all directions. However, just as Li Jiqian’s power was rapidly expanding, he suffered an unexpected blow. The Song army raided Dijinze, and Li Jiqian’s mother and wife were captured. Li Jiqian fled in embarrassment, and his situation took a sharp turn for the worse. After suffering heavy setbacks, Li Jiqian realized soberly that he could not directly confront the Song Dynasty with his current strength, and the northern Liao Kingdom was also rapidly rising. To the west and south, although the powerful Uyghurs and Tubo were not as strong as Song and Liao, their military strength far exceeded that of the Party. Therefore, before recapturing the Five Provinces, Li Jiqian had to solve the problem of the Party’s strength gaining space for survival and development. Just as he was pondering on countermeasures, an excellent opportunity quietly arrived. In the year 986 AD, Emperor Taizong of Song launched a large-scale war against Liao, known as the Yongxi Northern Expedition. Emperor Taizong of Song was determined to win, and Liao was facing a major war. The confrontation between the two great powers allowed Li Jiqian to find an opportunity. He promptly sent his trusted envoy to Liao and voluntarily requested surrender. Emperor Shengzong of Liao was overjoyed and appointed Li Jiqian as the commander of the Dingnan Army, establishing an alliance between Xia and Liao. Subsequently, Li Jiqian joined hands with Liao to defeat the Song army. Just as the Dangxiang army had repeatedly won, Li Jiqian once again sent the Song historian to the Song Dynasty to submit a petition for surrender.
Bai Bin from the Institute of Nationalities of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: He doesn’t have any rules, procedures, or things that are beneficial or helpful to me. Right? I can marry you in the next few days, and tomorrow I can turn around and fight you. Right? He doesn’t care about this, he just wants to expand and develop his own power.
In fact, one of the important conditions for Li Jiqian to establish good relations with the Song Dynasty was to regain control of the five provinces under the control of the Song Dynasty. At this time, the tug of war between Song and Liao was particularly intense, and Li Jiqian’s support was particularly important to the Song Dynasty. The Song court immediately appointed Li Jiqian as the Governor of Xiazhou and appointed him as the Commander in Chief of the Difficult Army. The land of the five states that could not be obtained during the war is now returned to the hands of the party members without a single soldier. In the midst of his struggles with the Song and Liao dynasties, Li Jiqian realized his dream of restoring his homeland and allowed the Party Department to rest for several years, continuously strengthening his power. However, Li Jiqian was very clear that navigating between the two great powers could only provide temporary peace. To truly break free from the threat and achieve complete independence, he must expand outward and strengthen his own strength from the foundation. Since it is impossible to confront the Song and Liao dynasties, it is better to focus on the Uyghur and Tubo tribes that are becoming weaker and more divided.
Bai Bin from the Institute of Nationalities of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: During Li Jiqian’s reign, he had an idea. Apart from fighting against the Song Dynasty, he had already proposed something called “plundering Tibetan horses to the west, collecting Uyghur soldiers to the north, and then driving southward to attack the south.”.
To achieve this strategic vision, Li Jiqian first had to take over the Hexi Corridor, which was under the control of the Song army, and the important gateway to this corridor was Lingzhou. In the Battle of Lingzhou, Li Jiqian mobilized a strong army that was unstoppable. Just as the defending Song army was indecisive, Li Jiqian had already reached the border with a large army. Lingzhou was easily captured, and Li Jiqian opened the door to advancing westward. In the year 1002 AD, Li Jiqian changed Lingzhou to Xiping Prefecture and officially established the capital here. He was extremely ambitious and said that he would use this as a means of progress and become a hegemonic enterprise.
Bai Bin, Institute of Nationalities, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: With this Lingzhou, after occupying Lingzhou, he has established his capital and is ready to become emperor.
Shi Jinbo, Director of the Western Xia Culture Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Li Jiqian must have been a military strategist. During his wartime interactions with the Song Dynasty, he gradually matured. However, he had one thing: he did not agree with the Song Dynasty. I wanted to establish a political power dominated by the Party and Xiang ethnic groups, which I think he would have had in his mind because he took practical actions. From his later actions, it also proved that he did have such a powerful strategy.
After opening the door to the west, Li Jiqian’s spear pointed directly at Tubo. The Tubo people who had forced the internal migration of the Dangxiang in history were no longer able to stop the powerful Dangxiang army. Li Jiqian was unstoppable and went south to the Xiliang Prefecture occupied by the Panluozhi, forcing the Tubo leader Panluozhi to surrender. Li Jiqian, who had achieved a complete victory, once again made the people of the Communist Party of China feel proud. The troops that had been fighting continuously could finally take a break and return to Xiping Prefecture. However, on the way back, a fatal crisis suddenly occurred. It turned out that the surrender of the Panluo tribe was only a strategy to slow down the progress of the troops. On the necessary path for Li Jiqian to return to Xiping Prefecture, the Tubo people had already set up a trap and the unprepared army of the Communist Party of China was in chaos. Li Jiqian was lost and hit. Shortly after returning to Xiping Prefecture, Li Jiqian suffered arrow injuries. Before his death, he, who had been fighting with the Song Dynasty for many years, repeatedly reminded his son Li Dejing. Ming, no matter what, we must befriend Song.
Bai Bin, Institute of Nationalities, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: After Li Deming ascended the throne, as expected, he became friendly with the Song Dynasty and also with the Liao Dynasty. After thirty years of cultivation without war, he peacefully developed and accumulated power.
In 1004 AD, Li Deming inherited the throne, and the alliance of Chanyuan turned the Liao and Song dynasties from war to peace. Li Deming showed goodwill on both sides, winning a good opportunity for the development of the party. However, he did not forget his father’s wish to unify the northwest. In order to completely control the Hexi Corridor, Li Deming lasted for nearly 20 years and fought fiercely with the Uyghur army, finally taking over Ganzhou. The battle for Liangzhou became even more intense, with the Dangxiang, Tubo, and Uyghurs attacking and killing each other. Liangzhou changed hands several times, and after 28 years, Li Deming finally firmly occupied Liangzhou. At this point, the Dangxiang forces reached Yumen Pass and occupied the entire Hexi Corridor. The dream of the Dangxiang people expanding westward finally came true, and a new force that could compete with the Liao Song Empire truly emerged. At the age of 51, Li Deming designated Xingzhou as his capital and began to prepare intensively for his crucial step of establishing the country and proclaiming himself emperor. However, just as the peak was approaching, the god of death descended again, and Li Deming, like his father, suddenly passed away. The great wish of the father and son to establish the country fell on the shoulders of Li Deming’s son, Li Yuanhao. In 1972, at the foot of Helan Mountain in Ningxia, a small airport was being built by a certain unit of the Lanzhou Military Region of the People’s Liberation Army. During the construction process, several soldiers excavated some broken building components and several remaining steles. The steles were inscribed with several lines of mysterious characters that resembled Chinese but could not be interpreted. After excavation and survey by cultural relics archaeologists in Ningxia, a huge group of tombs gradually emerged on the desert.
Wang Changfeng, Management Office of the Western Xia Mausoleum: It was only through this accidental process that it was discovered and confirmed that this was the Western Xia Emperor Mausoleum. After confirmation, archaeologists in Ningxia conducted a preliminary investigation of the entire Western Xia Mausoleum in the mid-1960s. In this investigation process, for the sake of caution, fifteen imperial tombs were compiled, followed by more than seventy accompanying tombs.
After multiple surveys, archaeologists finally determined nine imperial tombs and 253 accompanying tombs.
The Western Xia Wang Ling Site, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Among the tombs known as the Eastern Pyramid, only the third one has the grandest scale. Although there is currently no consensus in the academic community, it is widely believed that it is likely the tomb of Yuan Hao, the son of Li Deming. The tomb size far exceeds that of his father and grandfather. Does this mean that Yuan Hao is a unique ruler. On the banks of the Yellow River, only three kilometers away from the tomb of the King of Western Xia, a magnificent song and dance drama is about to be staged. It is a performance created against the historical story of the reign of Yuan Hao. Strange hair accessories and clothing may seem exaggerated, but the creators explained that the actors’ designs are based on historical records, and their unique hairstyles, bizarre costumes, and ethnic characteristics are directly related to Yuan Hao. After Yuan Hao ascended to the throne, he made clear regulations on the attire and attire of civil and military officials and civilians in the Party and Xiang dynasties. At the same time, he changed the system of rites and music, and stipulated that the whole country should use feudal rituals, and those who violated them should be executed. He wanted to highlight the characteristics of the Party and Xiang people and achieve imperial success.
Yellow River Hengcheng, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
In 1033 AD, Yuan Hao changed Xingzhou to Xingqing Prefecture and built a palace. On October 11, 1038 AD, Yuan Hao held a coronation ceremony and officially declared the establishment of the Great Xia Kingdom, which was known as the Great White Gao Kingdom and is known as the Western Xia.
Bai Bin from the Institute of Ethnicities of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Li Yuanhao has a strong sense of ethnicity. I am a sovereign country, independent, and I am a sovereign country. I need to write my own language, so I don’t need to use Chinese or anything. My correspondence and correspondence with you are all in Western Xia language.
Shi Jinbo, Director of the Western Xia Culture Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: To a certain extent, in history, after a nation becomes strong, it wants to establish a political power, which also indicates that its political, economic, and cultural development has reached a certain stage before it had such ideas and actions. This is a historical inevitability.
A strong sense of national consciousness and the continuously strong power of the Western Xia Dynasty became the driving force for Yuan Hao’s external expansion. He engaged in fierce battles with Tubo and the Uyghurs, forcing the Hehuang Tubo regime to move westward to Lijing City (Xining, Qinghai). Later, he suffered a major defeat against the Uyghurs, occupying Guazhou, Shazhou, and Suzhou, and completely controlling the Hexi Corridor. At this time, Yuan Hao was no longer satisfied with dominating the western region, but hoped to be on par with the Song Dynasty emperor, hoping that the Song Dynasty would recognize the sovereignty of the Great Xia Kingdom. This was absolutely intolerable for the Song regime, which had always emphasized the righteousness of monarchs and subjects. Therefore, Yuan Hao decided to take the initiative to launch a war and achieve his political ideals to the greatest extent possible. He would plunder the Song Dynasty at will and invade its territory at large. Starting from 1040 AD, Yuan Hao launched a war against the powerful Song Dynasty. In the Battle of Sanchuankou near Yanzhou in 1040 AD, the Song army suffered a great defeat. In 1041 AD, during the Battle of Haoshuichuan in the Liupanshan area, more than 10000 Song soldiers died in battle. In 1042 AD, during the Battle of Dingchuan Fortress, the Song army was once again besieged, with 16 generals killed in battle. Over 9000 famous generals and 600 horses were all captured by Western Xia. Yuan Hao won all three wars, and the ambitious Yuan Hao declared to directly invade the Central Plains.
Bai Bin from the Institute of Nationalities of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Because the Song Dynasty did not recognize him, they did not recognize him, and they did not want to recognize him. Li Yuanhao insisted that you recognize me, no matter what, or I would hit you, and then fight against the Song Dynasty. Therefore, his territory extends to the Yellow River in the east, Yumen in the west, Xiaoguan in the south, and the desert in the north, covering more than ten thousand miles.
However, despite this, the Song Dynasty still refused to recognize the status of the Western Xia Kingdom. The military offensive and political negotiations between the two sides were intertwined, and the Song Dynasty became a nightmare that Yuan Hao could not shake off. In the war with the Song Dynasty, even if Western Xia won, it could never change the overall situation. For the vast and economically prosperous Song Dynasty, the war with Western Xia was only a partial consumption that could be continuously supplemented, while for a small country like Western Xia, the disasters brought by war were fatal. After several major wars, the Western Xia was plagued by a lack of financial resources, and complaints grew everywhere. The spirit gradually dissipated and continued for a long time. Yuan Hao could only run out of ammunition and food, and his country and family perished. Faced with the harsh reality, Yuan Hao, who was resolute and resolute, had to calm down. He finally understood the political wisdom of his grandfather Li Jiqian and father Li Deming. Given their geographical location and comprehensive national strength, Western Xia was destined to survive in the cracks and contradictions of a great country. In the fourth year of the Qingli reign of the Song Dynasty, Yuan Hao finally made concessions to the Song Dynasty on the long-standing issue of ranking. The Song and Xia sides reached a famous Qingli alliance and temporarily suspended hostilities.
In 1044 AD, Yuan Hao defeated 100000 elite soldiers personally led by Liao Xingzong in the Battle of Yuanqu. In addition to a great victory, Yuan Hao took the initiative to seek peace and once again formed an alliance with Liao, forming a pattern of dividing the country into three parts: Song, Liao, and Xia. After making peace with Song and Liao, Western Xia gained a space for peaceful development, which was very beneficial for the country. However, for Yuan Hao, who had great ambitions, compromise and once again submit to Song and Liao became the biggest shame in his heart. He often used alcohol and sex to vent his frustrations. In the situation where there were many wives and concubines, he even took possession of the wife chosen by Prince Ning Lingge. He even had a secret meeting with the beautiful wife of the deceased minister Ye Li who begged, gave birth to a son, and then deposed the empress. The deposed empress was the mother of Prince Ning Lingge, which was his responsibility. Bringing about a fatal disaster. On the Yuanxiao (Filled round balls made of glutinous rice-flour for Lantern Festival) in 1048 AD, the prince Ning Lingge assassinated Yuan Hao at the instigation of the state minister. The founding emperor of the Western Xia Dynasty was killed by his son’s sword at the age of 46.
Shi Jinbo, Director of the Western Xia Culture Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: In the following years, after the Song Xia alliance, he may have felt that he had already formed a alliance, and even if you were to fight against the Song Dynasty, he would not be able to do so. According to this brief historical record, he caused quite a lot of chaos, including his poor relationship with ministers, his poor family management, and many rumors. Therefore, seeing Yuan Hao’s side indicates that this person in the following years is completely different from before, which is certainly a great loss and blow to Western Xia.
After Yuan Hao’s death, Ning Lingge was also executed for the crime of regicide, but all of this did not stop the civilization of the Western Xia Dynasty from advancing. In 1048 AD, the second emperor of the Western Xia Dynasty, Xia Yizong, succeeded to the throne. Unlike Yuan Hao, Xia Yizong admired the advanced Central Plains culture very much. After ascending to the throne, he abolished the feudal system and switched to Han etiquette. In his view, the Dangxiang people who thrived on the Yellow River never left the nourishment of Han culture.
Dafo Temple, Zhangye City, Gansu Province
In today’s Zhangye City, Gansu Province, there is a famous temple from the Western Xia period, the Great Buddha Temple. This is also one of the few Western Xia buildings that we can still see today. In the center of the main hall, there is the largest sleeping Buddha in China, the Nirvana statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. However, in this famous temple, which is revered as a national temple by the Western Xia, it is difficult to find traces of the Dangxiang ethnic group in terms of architecture, sculptures, and even paintings. Although at the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Yuan Hao implemented his national consciousness through fierce means, during the process of coexisting with the Han people, Western Xia was deeply influenced by the advanced civilization of the Central Plains. Yuan Hao selected talents by referring to the imperial examination system in the Central Plains. The central official system he established was basically modeled after the Song Dynasty, especially the fourth emperor of Western Xia, Emperor Renzong of Xia, who reigned for 55 years and was obsessed with Chinese culture. He established traditional Chinese studies to teach Chinese culture, ordered schools to be established in various states and counties, honored Confucius as Emperor Wen Xuan, and translated a large number of Confucian and Buddhist classics in Western Xia language.
Bai Bin: There is a very famous story in the Western Xia Dynasty. We were in St. Petersburg and found that there was woodblock printing in this Western Xia thing, which is quite common. However, there is movable type printing, which was only available during the Song Dynasty. It is similar to using lead type printing in the future. People did not know about it in the past, but we found movable type printing in St. Petersburg.
Western Xia Museum – Explanator: This is the mysterious Western Xia script. Everyone, please take a look at it. The shape is square and the strokes are numerous. From a distance, it looks like our square characters and men, but up close, you don’t recognize any of them.
This is the mysterious script of the Western Xia Dynasty. At the beginning of the establishment of the Western Xia Dynasty, Yuan Hao ordered Ye Li Ren Rong to borrow Chinese characters, use six synthesis methods, compile twelve volumes of character books, and publish them throughout the country. From then on, it became a communication script between the Tubo, Uyghur, and Western Regions. Today, with the interpretation of over 6000 characters in Western Xia, the brilliant Western Xia civilization has gradually begun to emerge. In the nearly 200 years since the establishment of Western Xia, Han culture, Tibetan and Uyghur cultures have jointly nurtured Western Xia civilization, forming a political kingdom and a Buddhist kingdom centered on Confucian laws and regulations. However, it is precisely this dynasty, such a rich, brilliant, and dazzling civilization, that suddenly mysteriously disappeared, to the extent that for the following seven to eight hundred years, people knew very little about Western Xia.
Ejina Banner Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
This is Dalaihubu Town in Ejina Banner, Inner Mongolia. Like her ancestors, Aunt Baole still lives a simple pastoral life. Like Aunt Baole, the Mongolian herdsmen living here have been adhering to a mysterious ancient motto for generations. Cannot approach the ancient castle not far away, Blackwater City.
Aunt Paula: (Blackwater City) The things inside are not picked up by the Mongols at all. It’s not good. Don’t take things from Blackwater City. It’s not good for you, it’s not good for yourself. That’s what everyone says.
Whether it’s Blackwater City or the place where Aunt Pauler lives. More than 700 years ago, it was a territory of the Western Xia Dynasty. Heishui City was also an important military gateway in the northwest of the Western Xia Dynasty, and the location of the Yanjian Military Department in Heishui Town. The mysterious ancient teachings about Heishui City are directly related to his ancestor Genghis Khan. In the 13th century AD, the Mongol army led by Genghis Khan rapidly rose in the northern grasslands of the desert. In 1206, Genghis Khan established the Mongol Khanate and began to launch wars of external expansion. It was not until more than 70 years later that it became the first feudal dynasty in Chinese history established by a minority and ruled the whole country. In 1218 AD, Genghis Khan conquered Western Liao, seized the central capital, and the army reached the Jin capital Bianjing; In 1220 AD, the Khanate of Khwarazm, which traversed Central Asia, was also incorporated into the territory of the Mongol Khanate by Genghis Khan; In 1225 AD, Genghis Khan returned to the east and the unstoppable Mongol army began to launch an attack on the declining Western Xia Dynasty.
Bai Bin, Institute of Nationalities, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Genghis Khan conducted six expeditions against Western Xia. Wherever he went, he fought against Southern Song, and wherever he fought, it was all a sudden autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves. As for Western Xia, he fought six times but couldn’t bring it down, so he held a special grudge against it. After the Western Expedition, he didn’t bring it down and came back to fight again. Western Xia didn’t listen to him, he didn’t hit Western Xia, he was mentally ill.
Aunt Pauler is preparing for a dangerous journey, as she is getting old and about to end the lives of herders. This is the last time she will graze. She will cross the Blackwater River, pass through the Populus euphratica forest, and head to the mysterious ancient city of Blackwater, which is more than ten kilometers away. In 1226 AD, Genghis Khan’s army also marched along this road towards Blackwater. At that time, Blackwater had been besieged for several months and the water source was cut off, but the defending soldiers still did not fear strong enemies and resisted stubbornly. The Mongolian army’s determination was to launch a decisive battle against Blackwater with even stronger troops. Perhaps, with the warning of our ancestors, there is still divine power in the dark. Just as the camel caravan was about to reach Blackwater City, a sandstorm suddenly blew up, and Aunt Pauler’s journey could not continue. However, more than 700 years ago, in such a sandstorm, the strong Mongolian army did not stop, and Blackwater City experienced the most tragic war. The Mongol army encountered the most tenacious resistance in Blackwater City. Due to the disparity in strength, Blackwater City was ultimately conquered by the Mongol army. In the fierce battle, the defending soldiers and the people in Blackwater City suffered heavy casualties. For a time, there were countless souls of the dead in Blackwater City, and the vicious curse made the city full of Yin Qi. Perhaps it was from then on that the local Mongolians passed down an ancient saying that they were not allowed to enter Blackwater City.
Heishuicheng Site, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
The story and legend of Blackwater City have not come to an end. Years later, another mysterious story about Blackwater City began to spread. During the Ming Dynasty, a general suffered a disastrous defeat in a battle with the enemy. Before his death, he killed his wife and children and buried them with a huge treasure in a deep well in the city. Since then, Blackwater City has gradually been covered by wind and sand, and many people call it the Dead City. However, mysterious legends and the temptation of treasures have been circulating for hundreds of years. This desolate and fearful castle has sparked countless people’s imagination and desires. More than a hundred years ago, in April 1908, at dusk, a mysterious camel caravan appeared in the depths of the Badain Jaran Desert. Russian explorer Kozlov arrived at Blackwater City, where he was commissioned by the Russian Royal Geographical Society to conduct a geographical survey. When he opened the ventricles of a Buddhist pagoda in the city, he was pleasantly surprised by the scenery in front of him, as he saw a treasure more precious than treasure. Bai Bin, Institute of Ethnicities, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Opening this pagoda, it is likely that fourteen or more camels were widely used, and camel caravans were carried back, box by box. There are not only literature, but also a large number of Buddhist paintings, thangkas, and linen woodblock prints, which are very exciting.
Shi Jinbo, Director of the Western Xia Cultural Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Koslov took these things from the city of Blackwater in China, and their value was very high, which can be said to be immeasurable. Because he took away the historical and cultural heritage of a dynasty, there were too many things inside, and some physical objects were not only filling the gap in Western Xia. At that time, the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties did not leave these things behind.
Double headed Buddha statue Tangka Western Xia cultural relic
Kozlov showcased the cultural relics and documents he brought from Blackwater at St. Pederburg, which attracted great attention and also attracted the British explorer Stein. He also took a large number of cultural relics and documents from Blackwater, and the extensive excavation of Blackwater relics brought the ancient Western Xia civilization back to the world. A new international discipline, Western Xia Studies, also emerged, and prior to this, there was no complete record in historical records of this dynasty that had existed for nearly two hundred years. What is the reason why such a brilliant Western Xia civilization remained unknown for seven to eight hundred years. After the gates of Heishui City were opened, the Western Xia Dynasty was in direct danger of extinction. In 1227 AD, the Mongol army besieged the capital of Western Xia, Zhongxing Prefecture, and the two sides engaged in a final battle. Emperor Li Dewang died of fear, and his nephew Li Xian succeeded to the throne. The fierce war continued, and Zhongxing Prefecture was besieged for six months. The Western Xia army and civilians were determined to resist with death. However, natural and man-made disasters followed one after another. In June, a strong earthquake suddenly broke out in Zhongxing Prefecture, followed by the spread of disease, and a terrifying atmosphere enveloped the entire Western Xia capital. The late Xia Emperor was forced to surrender, but he made a request to surrender for a month and pay a visit to Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan agreed to the request of the late Xia Emperor. However, a month later, when the gate of Zhongxing Prefecture opened, the late Xia Emperor was directly killed, and the scene of slaughtering the city was once again staged in Zhongxing Prefecture. The late Xia Emperor did not understand why Genghis Khan broke his promise and surrendered his city in exchange for such brutal slaughter by the Mongolian army. Subsequent historical records provide the answer.
It turned out that shortly after the late Xia Emperor surrendered, Genghis Khan died of illness and was kept in the military tent. Before his death, he ordered that he remain silent and wait for the late Xia Emperor to surrender outside the city. The death of Genghis Khan filled the Mongol army with hatred towards Western Xia. After the gate of Zhongxing Mansion was opened, the scene of slaughtering the city occurred again, and Western Xia was destroyed. However, the downfall of the regime was not yet over. After capturing the Western Xia, the Mongols established a regime and ordered that no history of the Western Xia be recorded in history. This practice made it difficult for people to fully understand the nearly 200 year old Western Xia civilization for a long time to come. Not compiling history for Western Xia may be the most brutal revenge given by the Mongols to Western Xia, and from then on, Western Xia mysteriously disappeared.
Shi Jinbo, Director of the Western Xia Culture Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: One reason is that when Genghis Khan attacked, he destroyed a lot of Western Xia culture. This is one of the reasons. Another main reason is that during the Yuan Dynasty’s revision of the history of the previous dynasty, he revised the history of Song, Jin, Liao, but not Western Xia. For Song, Liao, and later Jin, it was all Shu. The Western Xia Dynasty, established for 190 years, made indelible contributions to the unification of the western region of China and the development of the western economy and culture, laying the foundation for the great unification of the Yuan Dynasty.
It creates a rich and unique culture, and as we approach and delve deeper, we will find that it is an inexhaustible and magical treasure, buried with too much history, too many stories, too many mysteries, and too much wisdom.
Xixia Museum, Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Tongwancheng Site, Jingbian County, Shaanxi Province
Mogao Caves, Dunhuang City, Gansu Province
Yulin Caves, Anxi County, Gansu Province
This is the Western Xia Museum, which displays many Western Xia cultural relics. It is the magnificent Tongwancheng Site and the grand Mogao Caves, including 82 Western Xia caves. This is the Yulin Caves, and the murals inside are exquisitely beautiful, depicting the living scenes of various social classes in Western Xia. This 108 Pagoda, located on the banks of the Yellow River, was first built during the Western Xia Dynasty and later expanded and improved by monks in the Yuan Dynasty. The pagoda is magnificent and still retains its former appearance. In the vast northwest desert, a brilliant civilization has disappeared. However, the silent royal tombs, the murals of Mogao Grottoes, the treasures of Heishui City, and the mysterious Western Xia Library will forever become precious legacies of Chinese civilization.
90 Seconds of History: The Dahlhut People
Every morning, accompanied by the rising sun in the east, the Gandeli grassland always rings with an ancient, mysterious, and long-lasting sound. This sound has been heard here for more than seven hundred years, and with this ancient sound, the work of the Dahlhut people begins their day. In Mongolian, Darhute means the person who bears the sacred mission. This sacred mission has been passed down from generation to generation. For over 700 years, the sacred lamp worshipped by the Darhute people has never been extinguished, and they have never stopped guarding the spiritual tent of the Mongolian ancestors. This ancestor created a strong nomadic empire, ended the long-term disputes on the grasslands, and promoted the birth of the Mongolian nation. From then on, this nation on horseback, like a thin sun, leaped out of the horizon of history, shocking the world. He is known as the proud Genghis Khan.
