TITLE:
Why the Conflicts between the Hans and the Hsiung-nu Happened?
AUTHORS:
Houjun Gong
KEYWORDS:
Hsiung-nu, Central Plain China, Military Invasion, Natural and Economic Condition
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Historical Studies,
Vol.9 No.2,
June
19,
2020
ABSTRACT: This essay discusses the origin, purpose
and undeniable external circumstances that influenced Hsiung-nu’s long-lasting,
perseverant military invasion movement of the Chinese Central-Plainregion
regimes. Contents in this essay are cited from the article written by Daniel C.
Waugh (2010), “Selection from the Han Narrative Histories”. This article
includes tremendous amount of information about the origin and development of
Hsiung-nu’s culture, its living environment of Hsiung-nu and the conflict
between it and Han Dynasty. Referenced content is used to deduce possible
motivations for the Hsiung-nu military movement to not only the Han Dynasty,
but also each generation of the Chinese regimes set in the Central Plain
region. Hsiung-nu people lived in an environment with a much lower temperature
than that of the Central Plain region; the area Hsiung-nu lived also has little
arable land which leads to poor agriculture and insuffcient food production.
Comparing with the poor and harsh environment in their living area, the Central
Plain was obviously a considerable lure to Hsiung-nu. The problem came with the
vast territory of regimes in the region, so Hsiung-nu came up with the idea to
assault the border, rob labor force and herd, then force Central-Plain government
to pay more resources from them to stop the conflict. Thus, a relatively stable
income was created by this fierce and wise race to sustain their livelihoods.