Move the border and ban the sea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  1st floor

  One of the characteristics of the Qing dynasty was that its brutality could be very imaginative, and it could do things that others couldn't even think of, such as the coastal evacuation.

  People who often praise the Qing dynasty like to use the Great Wall as an example. The Qing dynasty did not repair the Great Wall, and the border was peaceful. The Ming dynasty repaired the Great Wall, but the border troubles were endless, and the pros and cons are obvious. A common argument is that the Great Wall is a symbol of closure and conservatism. Ignorant and self-righteous people have also said: "In history, the Ming dynasty built the Great Wall the most times and with the largest project, which was also the dynasty with the deepest hostility towards the northern and northwestern ethnic minorities, and it was also the most conservative and incompetent dynasty."

  Such a view is certainly incorrect and cannot withstand the test of facts. The Ming Dynasty was actually the period in Chinese history when people's thinking was most open, their spirit was most vibrant, their vision was broadest, and they were economically wealthiest and strongest for the longest time.

  The Great Wall was built to defend against the nomadic or hunting tribes of the north, whose social forms and levels of civilization were far lower than those of the Central Plains. This is an undisputed fact. Each time these tribes invaded and plundered the south, they objectively caused destruction and regression of civilization. The existence of the Great Wall increased the difficulty for these barbarian tribes to invade, slaughter, and plunder, and its significance in protecting civilization and promoting social development cannot be denied. Opening up to barbarian invasion, slaughter, and plunder is equivalent to closing off progress in civilization. The Qing dynasty, which did not repair the Great Wall, was actually the most closed-off, rigid, and conservative dynasty in Chinese history. By the end of the Ming dynasty, China had already entered an era where cold weapons were being replaced by hot weapons, but by the end of the Qing dynasty, they had regressed to using large knives and long spears to fight against foreign guns and cannons. This is an iron-clad fact.

  Those who like to eulogize the Qing dynasty often quote a decree by Kangxi: "Since Qin built the Great Wall, Han, Tang and Song also frequently repaired it. At that time, were there no border troubles? In the late Ming, my Taizu led soldiers and generals, all of whom collapsed on various fronts, none of whom could withstand. It can be seen that the way to defend a country lies in cultivating virtues and bringing peace to the people. When the hearts of the people are delighted, the foundation of the state is established, and the borders are naturally solidified. This is what is meant by 'the will of the multitude forms a wall'."

  This passage is truly grandiose, with a tone of utmost sincerity and reverence. It's no wonder that someone named Wang Ben Dao was deeply moved, his spirit overwhelmed, and his words of praise flowed endlessly. The extent of the flattery can be seen below: "The words spoken by Emperor Kangxi over 300 years ago had a profound impact on my long-held 'Great Wall complex'. It was indeed Kangxi who, based on the idea of 'cultivating virtue and pacifying the people', insisted on establishing friendly relations with the northern ethnic minorities... It was Kangxi's openness that led to a period of prosperity in our country's history. And it was also Kangxi's wisdom that brought an end to the construction of the Great Wall, which had been ongoing for over two thousand years."

  After reading this, I really have a feeling of time and space being reversed. I suspect that what I see is not the words of modern people, but rather the orthodox Manchu slaves who were loyal to the imperial court over 300 years ago, who have traveled through a time tunnel to the present day to speak freely!

  We needn't doubt the sincerity of the person who says these words. When he says them, he doesn't feel embarrassed or blush, but instead feels at peace and is devout, perhaps even a bit excited. To be enslaved to such an extent is indeed thoroughgoing.

  But the historical facts are ruthless, giving this kind of shameless literati a hard time. The fact that Kangxi did not repair the Great Wall is true. However, the entry of the Qing dynasty into the Central Plains was originally a collusion between the ruling classes of the Manchu and Mongol peoples, entering the Central Plains to burn, kill, loot, and enslave the people. What remained was only how to divide the spoils, and indeed there was no need for the Great Wall. As for this fortification that had previously hindered their wanton slaughter and plunder, they would naturally not have any regard for it. The Great Wall in the north became a mere formality, but along the entire coast of China, during the reign of Kangxi, who spoke with grandiose words, a period of more than 20 years was spent building an invisible and even visible Great Wall. Its scale was so vast, its connections so extensive, that the Great Wall could only look up to it in admiration.

  The coastal evacuation, most historical books do not mention it, even if they do, they often gloss over it lightly, as if it were insignificant and unrelated to the overall situation. However, I believe that the severity of this event has been severely underestimated, its brutality, shocking degree, and impact on history are unprecedented, it is not only a major event in Chinese history but also a significant one in world history, if we were to list the top 100 most impactful events in human history, the Qing dynasty's coastal evacuation should be included.

  What is the coastal evacuation? Simply put, it turned China from one of the countries with the longest coastline in the world into a landlocked country over a period of more than 20 years. Specifically, the Qing government designated a coastal area (from about 30 miles to 40, 50, or even 200-300 miles) and set up boundary markers, built walls, and forcibly relocated residents within this range. Those who refused to relocate were killed without pardon, as were those who dared to cross the border. In short, the entire coastal area of China, from 30 to 200-300 miles away from the sea, became a no-man's land. During this period, if the Qing rulers felt that the distance was too close, they would continue to order further relocation, and their fear of the ocean had reached a pathological level. According to the records of "Southern Ming History"

  In the first month of Kangxi's first year, the Qing court sent two high-ranking officials, Ke'erqin and Jieshan, to inspect the coastal borders. They were ordered to relocate all coastal residents inland by 50 li to cut off any potential aid to Taiwan. As a result, they mobilized troops to demarcate the border, setting a deadline of three days to evacuate the area and relocate its people. In Kangxi's second year, "Huada came to inspect the border again and relocated the people once more." In the spring of the third year of Kangxi (甲寅), the residents along the coast of Panyu, Shunde, Xinhui, Dongguan, and Xiangshan counties were relocated. "At first, the boundary was set up, but it was still considered too close, so it was moved further away, and then again even further away, a total of three relocations before the border was finally settled."

  How was the process of coastal migration carried out? Was it like the Three Gorges migrant relocation, where the migrants were first settled and given appropriate compensation before being relocated step by step? No! The process of coastal migration can hardly be called migration; it would be better to describe it as an unprecedented massacre and looting.

  According to the records of people at that time, "the deadline was only three days, and those who were far away did not know about it yet. Those who were near knew but did not believe it. More than two days passed, and then the cavalry arrived. At that moment, people were in a state of panic. The rich abandoned their wealth, while the poor carried their pots, wives carried their children on their backs, carrying rice, and holding onto their bundles, fleeing to other places for shelter. From Jiangsu and Zhejiang to Fujian and Guangdong, thousands of miles of land were deserted, and all the local people migrated."

  In plain language, it means that within three days, people were forced to relocate, and those who lived far away didn't even have time to learn about the news. Those who lived close by didn't believe the news even after they heard it. After two days, the cavalry arrived, and as a result, the wealthy abandoned their wealth, while the poor took their pots and pans, along with their wives and children, and became homeless refugees. From Jiangsu to Guangdong, Fujian, and thousands of miles of fertile coastline were turned into desolate wilderness.

  It can be imagined that even if modern people plan to move and implement, the specific operation preparation is absolutely not completed in three days. However, at that time, the coastal residents of China were forced to leave their hometown under the coercion of the Qing court rulers without any warning or preparation, and the miserable and sad situation is self-evident.

  At that time, people described it as "on the day of the order, they took their wives and children on the road, set fire to their homes, and left no stone unturned. More than half of the people died, and the bodies filled the roads. Even those who managed to reach the inner lands had no food to eat, and starvation was imminent."

  At that time, more than half of the coastal residents died, and less than 20% of the remaining people were able to make it inland, where they were not far from starving to death.

  At the same time as the migration, there was a fire. "Later, the cavalry galloped and shot, fire arrows burned their houses, the people were in a panic like birds and beasts scattering, and the fire did not go out for several months. The warships of the water army, numbering thousands, were also burned at the same time, saying: 'No resources for the enemy to use.'"

  Burn down the house, burn the warship, and indeed it is done thoroughly.

  For residents who refused to relocate, it was a single word: "kill". The Qing rulers and their running dogs had always been ruthless in this regard.

  "At first, when the people of Huangliangdu (in Guangdong's Xiangshan County) were relocated, many were reluctant to leave their homes. The area was mountainous and had many hidden places. ... They deceived them by saying that they would be allowed to return home after a headcount, and the foolish commoners believed it. But then, Shi Lang led his troops to Liangchengpu, and ordered the people to move from the front camp to the back camp, one by one. As soon as they entered, they were killed; not a single person escaped. After the massacre, dry bones covered the ground, and the local people buried them together on a mound, planting a wooden tablet that read 'Wooden Dragon Year Mound'. 'Wooden Dragon' was a secret code for the year Jiachen."

  Not only did they burn houses and kill people, but also didn't spare trees and grass. Compared to the thorough brutality of Japan's Three Alls Policy, that of the Qing government was a whole order of magnitude worse.

  "After the broadcast migration, a large number of civilians were mobilized to escort officials out of the border, destroying houses and dismantling walls, resulting in civilian casualties. In an instant, it became desolate. Another order was given to cut down trees, resulting in the destruction of thousands of mulberry trees, countless fruit trees, and numerous pine and cypress trees. ... Within three months, orders were given to soldiers patrolling the border to cut down young grass, leaving not a single blade on the ground."

  As for why the trees were cut down, and all the fruit trees and cypresses were destroyed, it was probably also to prevent the anti-Qing restoration forces at sea from taking advantage of them. The thoroughness and imagination of the brutality of the Qing rulers are indeed breathtaking. Unfortunately, the Western missionaries who visited China during the Ming Dynasty recorded that the vast coastal areas of China were full of birdsong and lush forests, with fruit trees and cypresses growing in clusters, a scene of prosperity and flourishing that was extinguished under the rule of the Manchu Qing.

  The process of moving the boundary is accompanied by drawing boundaries, setting boundaries, and guarding boundaries. "First draw a boundary, and then use a rope to straighten it. In between, there is a house that has been abandoned halfway, and a room that has been interrupted in the middle. Dig a deep ditch to separate the inside from the outside. Take a few steps beyond, and death will follow immediately."

  The Qing court did not even spare rivers, and its ferocity was indeed unprecedented in history.

  The Qing government, in order to prevent the slightest invasion, uniformly dispatched troops to block off all rivers flowing into the sea, and erected wooden stakes in the rivers to prevent boats from passing through. For example, in Fujian Province, "the waters that flow into the sea are called Pantu River, Tongjing River, Liangcun River, Yangwei River, Damei River, Chitou River, Yunxiao River, and Rikai Creek, all of which were blocked off and guarded." In Xinghua County, Subei, four sluice gates were originally built at Baiju Chang to regulate the water flowing into the sea in the Huaiyang area according to dry and wet conditions. Despite "Baiju Chang being far from the sea and not a border area", the Qing government still ruthlessly ordered it to be filled up, "causing the water to have nowhere to go, flooding fields and crops", turning water benefits into water disasters.

  Even the island of Hainan in the South China Sea, the Qing government insisted on isolating the island's residents from the sea. The entire island was "surrounded by a boundary of 2,700 miles, only the sea mouth was allowed to pass through as usual, and all other small paths were strictly prohibited".

  Those who dared to cross the border were killed without pardon. Looking at the records of the time, there was indeed a shocking feeling. "Every place had a sign that said: 'Dare to cross the border and be beheaded!'" "Crossing the border by several steps would result in immediate beheading." "The coastal residents were ordered to move inland within 20 miles of the city and live there. A mud wall was built 20 miles outside the city as a boundary, and not even an inch of wood was allowed to go out to sea. It was forbidden to stroll outside the border, and those who crossed the border would be killed on the spot for violating the imperial edict. Soldiers patrolled the border from time to time. Occasionally, there were people who crossed the border, and as soon as they encountered patrol soldiers, they would be beheaded immediately." The "History of Southern Ming" specifically cited an example of Zhang An, a general from Putian County, Fujian Province, "Every time he went out on patrol, he only brought a knife with him. Whenever he met someone, he would kill them... In the past decade or so, he had killed thousands of people." The same book quoted Kuai Dajun's "New Language of Guangdong" which described the situation in Guangdong Province: "From the east at the Great Tiger Gate to the west at Fangcheng, an area of over 3,000 miles was designated as a large border. If civilians crossed the border by even an inch, they would be arrested and executed. And how many people had died mistakenly crossing the wall? Since the establishment of Guangdong Province, this disaster has been the most tragic."

  "Since the Guangdong East, the disaster of life is no more miserable than this", the Qing court's tyranny has indeed reached an extreme degree. I don't understand why such a tragic event was deliberately ignored and covered up, what is the reason?

  The coastal evacuation policy has been implemented for more than 20 years, most of which were under the rule of Kangxi. If the first few years had nothing to do with Kangxi, then for the rest of the time, Kangxi was the primary culprit. On the one hand, he grandly talked about "the people's hearts are happy and the country is stable, and the borders are naturally secure", but on the other hand, it was during his rule that the construction of the so-called border wall began. Originally, the coastal evacuation policy only used wooden fences and earth walls as boundaries, but it was not until Kangxi's rule that large-scale construction of border walls began, really intending to enclose China inside and completely isolate it from the ocean. The following is a record from the "History of Southern Ming":

  (In the 7th year of Kangxi) In the first month, an imperial edict was issued, ordering the people of the southern and northern oceans to build a boundary wall from the river mouth to Fengting. The wall is four feet wide and six feet high, with each household responsible for building two zhang and one foot. A watchtower was built at the boundary entrance, and another dike was built where it meets the sea.

  Regarding the fortifications set up along the border, Fujian calls them "zhai" and "dun", while Guangdong calls them "tai" and "dun". The general situation is: 'After the borders were closed, they worried about people entering and leaving without restrictions. Therefore, they built forts and watchtowers along the border, with four zhais and ten or more duns, and stationed soldiers to guard them. Outside the city, civilians were taxed according to their household registration, and were forced to provide labor service. ... The cost of building one zhais was as high as 3,000 to 4,000 taels of silver, and half that for a dun. Many people died from exhaustion and whipping while working on these projects.' 'The circumference of a zhais is about 160 zhang, and the circumference of a dun is not equal to 10 zhang'. 'There is one dun every five li, and one tai every ten li. Each dun has five soldiers stationed there, and each tai has six soldiers stationed there, and civilians are forbidden from going out.'

  At that time, Lu Ruoteng said in his poem:

  The day is cold and the sun is setting in the west, an old couple are supporting each other as they walk.

  Where is it going to be comfortable? Crying by the roadside with a covered face.

  The Hu cavalry is pressing hard on our heels, and we cannot afford to delay for a single day.

  Weed through the coastal land, and make it a lush meadow.

  The rich suddenly become poor, who can lift up the poor?

  One cannot fish without a deep pool, nor can one farm without broad fields.

  Inland worries are full, and the wife and mother-in-law respond to the creek.

  A crowd is easily led astray, and famine is often caused by being squeezed.

  It is heard that they will dig a long moat and set up a garrison with drums and bells.

  Defend the coast as defend the border, labor and hardship are also in the wilderness.

  "When music is mournful and heart-wrenching, who can stop its overflowing?"

  Among them, the two sentences are particularly brilliant: "When you hear that you will dig a long dike and set up a drum tower. Defending the sea is like defending the border, and laboring to the point of exhaustion." The phrase "defending the sea is like defending the border" truly depicts the cruel and absurd degree of the Qing court's tyranny. Comparing "defending the sea is like defending the border" with Kangxi's hypocritical and sanctimonious words "The way to defend a country lies in cultivating virtue and bringing peace to the people. When the people are happy, the foundation of the state will be solid, and the borders will naturally be secure, as if 'the collective will becomes a fortress'", doesn't it give you an extra sense of absurdity and ridicule? Shouldn't those shameless scholars who enthusiastically eulogize the Manchu emperor's merits and virtues be utterly ashamed to death?

  The extent of the coastal migration is vast, as quoted by Gu Cheng from Ruan Zongxi's "Hai Shang Jian Wen Lu": "From Liaodong in the north to Guangdong in the south, all were relocated, building short walls, setting up boundary steles, deploying troops for defense, those who went out of bounds would be killed, and the number of civilians who lost their livelihoods and died was in the tens of millions."

  "Fujian Governor Yao Qisheng said in a memorial: 'In the past, due to the Fujian pirates' rampant behavior, it was proposed to move the border, and because of the bandits' spread, moving only the border of Fujian Province was not enough to contain the bandits. Therefore, they also moved the borders of Guangdong East, Zhejiang, Jiangnan, Shandong, and North Zhili five provinces. The calamity of moving the borders of these five provinces actually originated from the Zheng pirates in Fujian.' According to this record, at that time, there were six provinces (including present-day Guangxi and Hainan coastal areas) that received the imperial edict to move their coastlines: Zhili, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong East."

  Here is the translation:

  That is to say, from the perspective of people at that time and the official policies set by the Qing government, the coastal evacuation area stretched from Liaodong in the north to Guangxi and Hainan in the south. In "Hai Shang Jian Wen Lu" (Records of What I Saw and Heard on the Coast), Ruan Minxi wrote that the number of civilian deaths caused by the coastal evacuation was "countless tens of millions", which means hundreds of millions. Is this number exaggerated? I don't think so. According to historical demographers' estimates, China's population at the end of the Ming dynasty was around 200 million (the Ming government's own statistics were over 50 million). But how many people were left in China during the early Qing period? According to the Manchu rulers' own statistics, it was only over 10 million. Even if we multiply this number by four, it would be less than 80 million. In reality, the Manchu government was not as lax as the Ming government, and their population statistics were likely inflated for propaganda purposes rather than being intentionally underestimated. So even if we make a high estimate, it would be around 40 million. Compared to the end of the Ming dynasty, the population had decreased by at least 160 million, more than half of whom were civilians killed or persecuted by the Qing government. The population density in coastal areas was also much higher than in other regions. The Manchu government's coastal evacuation devastated these areas, and it is not an exaggeration to estimate that tens of millions of civilians were killed.

  In "History of Southern Ming", it is recorded that at that time, Guangdong was in a state of "

  The people who were displaced thought they would return soon, but could not bear to part with their loved ones. Now that they have been drifting for a long time, they have no way to make a living. As a result, fathers and sons, husbands and wives are abandoning each other, crying and parting ways. A son is sold for a peck of grain, a daughter for a hundred coins... The strong and able-bodied go off to be soldiers, the old and weak wander around and die in ditches. Some families drink poison together, others throw themselves into rivers. The officials regard them as ants, without any benevolence to save them; relatives regard each other as dirt and sand, without any intention of helping each other. As a result, the number of deaths among the people of the eight counties is again counted in tens of millions.

  In the 4th year of Kangxi, Li Ratei also said in his will: "I was previously in Guangdong, and the people still had a way to make a living. Recently, due to the relocation, they have been dying gradually, with only 10-20% remaining." Li Ratei himself was an official slave of the Qing court, so he had no motive to exaggerate the situation. Moreover, this is his will, which means that these words were written down by him when he knew he was about to die. The phrase "recently due to relocation, 10-20% remaining" means that 80-90% of the population died. This corresponds to what Qu Dajun said earlier: "Since Guangdong, the disaster suffered by the people has been the most severe." It can be seen that this is not an exaggeration. According to their account, the Qing's coastal evacuation was the greatest disaster suffered by the people since Guangdong existed, and this statement may not only apply to Guangdong but also to the entire China.

  How to estimate the destruction caused by the coastal evacuation, and how to estimate the significant impact of this event, is probably a problem that can never be solved. The coastal areas have been gradually becoming the most prosperous regions in China since the Song Dynasty, and the wealth accumulated over thousands of years has been destroyed overnight due to the brutal actions of the Qing court. In more than 20 years, China changed from a coastal country to an inland country. The destruction and aftermath far exceeded that of a super-large-scale war. In a war, even if an area is severely damaged, there are still people living and working on it, with houses and trees preserved. However, the coastal evacuation turned the entire coastal area into a no-man's land in more than 20 years. Previously, the Ming Dynasty government had also issued a maritime ban for a short period, but its nature was mainly aimed at Japanese pirates, and trade with Southeast Asia never stopped. The ban was just an empty word, and private overseas trade continued uninterrupted from the beginning to the end of the Ming Dynasty. In summary, China's maritime power has been continuously strengthened during the Ming Dynasty, and cultural and technological exchanges with the West have never been interrupted and have even been strengthened. By the time of Zheng Chenggong's father, there was a trend of completely surpassing Western colonial powers in terms of maritime power. The Qing court's 20-year coastal evacuation was equivalent to uprooting China's maritime power, which had a profound impact on China that lasted for two or three hundred years. How could the maritime power that took thousands of years to cultivate be restored after being destroyed?

  Nowadays, people often ask why China fell behind the West in modern science and technology economy. Different people have sought out various reasons, with answers ranging from Confucian civilization, agricultural civilization, the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism, the imperial examination system, to even blaming the Ming dynasty's rule, among many others.

  In fact, such a question and such an answer are essentially pseudo-questions and pseudo-answers. The absurdity is comparable to several near-sighted people competing to see who has better eyesight by trying to read the characters on a distant plaque, only to find out that there is no plaque in the first place, or even more absurd than that.

  Just imagine, if Britain and Western Europe were in the same capitalist sprout period as China during the Ming and Qing dynasties (their capitalist development and political philosophy theories were still lagging behind those of the Ming dynasty), and if they had suffered similar barbaric rule like the Manchu people, with their most developed and prosperous cities suffering the fate of being slaughtered, with everyone forced to wear a queue, otherwise beheaded without pardon, and if they had suffered such brutal and inhumane literary inquisition, and if for over 200 years they had been subjected to coastal evacuation, with coastal areas becoming uninhabited zones, and coastal residents being killed at a rate of 80-90%, and all the trees and vegetation along the coast being destroyed, I would like to know, what kind of capitalism would have remained? If they had developed faster than China, that would be a miracle.

  Even the premise of comparison is inconsistent, if this kind of question isn't a pseudo-question, then what is it?

  Just like now there are two people, A encountered a group of robbers, his head was cut off and he died. B did not encounter the robbers and lived healthily. Now some foolish people come to ask meaningless questions: Why did A die earlier than B? Then more foolish people gather together to answer this question meaninglessly: Some say that A didn't pay attention to exercising, so he died earlier than B; some say that's wrong, A exercised too much, that's why he died early; some say A had heart disease, so he was short-lived, some say A had high blood pressure, some say A drank too much and his body was weak, some say A smoked even more, and some simply said that A was born with genetic defects, it's only natural that he was short-lived. Unfortunately, these foolish people just don't think about it: if B's head were also cut off, would he still be alive? Since they both wouldn't be alive, then aren't these reasons just nonsense?

  There are also some so-called smart people who say: History cannot be hypothetical! What a ridiculous argument! Wrong! History not only should be hypothesized, but must be hypothesized! Hypothesizing about history is exactly what allows people to see through the fog of history and discover the truth hidden behind it. Humans are human precisely because they can hypothesize! This is a unique cognitive ability that distinguishes humans from animals, an important characteristic that makes humans human. It's because humans can not only see surface phenomena but also see the essence behind them; not only can they see established facts, but also see that so-called established facts are never the only path of development. Taking established facts as inevitable facts is only animal logic that can only do low-level conditioned reflexes, and not human logic.

  Natural science has always been inseparable from assumptions. Without assumptions, there would be no Newtonian mechanics; is it true that there are absolutely smooth planes in the world where objects can slide forever due to inertia? Are there really objects that are not subject to external forces? Without assumptions, there would also be no Einstein's theory of relativity; can one really imagine what happens when a person catches up with light? Can clocks really be placed at every corner of space-time? Of course, quantum mechanics and wave-particle duality theories all started from assumptions.

  Can't natural science be separated from assumptions? Can history, as a social science, be separated from assumptions? The so-called "history cannot assume" is fundamentally a deceitful and self-mutilating fallacy. Now, let's boldly and openly make an assumption: if Britain and Western Europe had been subjected to a similar rule like the Qing dynasty in China at that time, what would have been the result? There is only one outcome: it would be as backward as China under the Qing dynasty, or even more so! Furthermore, if China hadn't suffered such destructive rule, how would things have turned out? By then, wouldn't those foolish people be racking their brains to study why the West was so backward compared to China? Would they attribute it to national character, national culture, ***'s rule, or writing systems, and so on.

  Such research is called academic in name, but it's actually a joke and farce that doesn't even possess basic logical common sense.

  Actually, the real question should be why China was invaded and slaughtered by nomadic hunting tribes that were far behind its own civilization at that time and stage, while Britain and Western Europe did not have such ethnic groups existing next to their countries at that time? Is it due to objective geographical factors or other reasons? This is a truly worth-asking question!