Highlights: Mr. Gu has been working on the academic bench for more than ten years, citing 237 works of Fang Zhida and 579 kinds of bibliography. He searched almost every state and county where the rebels in Nanming went, which can be described as "a word without a source" and solved many historical knots.
The method of managing history, the rigorous and realistic plain spirit, and the real and vivid historical plot have dispelled the fog of the anti-Qing movement and reappeared historical figures who have made great contributions.
The History of Nanming is an excellent historical masterpiece with profound knowledge, concise words, simple explanations and strong readability. Won the China National Book Award.
Scholars said: "The History of Nanming is a genuine academic work, but it is written in simple terms, which is not only appreciated by colleagues who study the history of Ming Dynasty, but also understood by ordinary readers with certain historical knowledge."
Reprint function
Presented in the form of "Gu Cheng's Works Series", it is close to all the works of historian Gu Cheng's life and shows the achievements of a generation of historians. Every book is a masterpiece, and many articles are published for the first time after writing.
The republished History of the Southern Ming Dynasty also includes the full text of Me and the History of the Ming Dynasty written by Mr. Gu before his death, and reviews his academic career for decades. There is Mr. Gu's handwriting.
Why should this book be published at this time?
Mr. Gu Cheng's research is of great significance to the historiography circle of Ming and Qing Dynasties, the history of China and even the whole historiography circle. It has been eight years since Mr. Gu died, and his academic influence is still remarkable, but his published works have long been out of stock in the market. This time, Mr. Gu's family and disciples, together with Guangming Daily Publishing House, rearranged all the works and articles of Mr. Gu's life and presented them in a panoramic view in the form of "Gucheng Works Series", comforting Mr. Gu's spirit in heaven and presenting a set of classic historical research works for the vast number of historical researchers and readers. Compared with various historical works of Nanming in the past (since the early Qing Dynasty), the History of Nanming has two main characteristics: First, it basically focuses on the struggle against the Qing Dynasty by the people, such as the surplus of Dashun Army, the surplus of Daxi Army, and Zheng Chenggong in Haikou, rather than the rise and fall of several Zhujiajian Island courts in Nanming. Second, the main thread that runs through the book is to emphasize that the struggle of the Han nationality and other ethnic groups (such as the Hui nationality in the northwest and the ethnic minorities in the southwest) against the Manchu nobility ultimately failed. The main reason is that internal contradictions and intrigues have seriously dispersed and offset the anti-Qing forces.
The Manchu aristocrats such as Dourgen and Fu Lin not only represented the relatively backward mode of production, but also had very limited troops and reserve soldiers. It is impossible for them to conquer the whole country by their own Eight Banners, and the failure of the anti-Qing forces of various Han factions is largely their own failure. More precisely, the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is a small but fierce Manchu elite within the Chinese nation, colluding with the most reactionary officials, gentry and landlords in the Han nationality, taking advantage of contradictions and stealing the fruits of the victory of the peasant uprising. After Manchu aristocrats entered the Central Plains, under the influence of more advanced Han culture, their own development made a staged leap.
During a period of time, the Qing Dynasty was full of vitality and its national strength was quite strong, which played an important and positive role in the establishment of China, a multi-ethnic country. On the other hand, the policy of ethnic discrimination pursued by Manchu nobles caused great political turmoil in China and interrupted the normal process of social development in China, which cannot be ignored. The facts of historical progress provide the most powerful evidence. China was in a leading position in the world before the mid-Ming Dynasty, and gradually fell behind in science and technology after the mid-Ming Dynasty. However, the gap between China and western European countries was not big until the late Ming Dynasty. During the reign of Zhu Youjian, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty overthrown by Dashun Army, he still assiduously introduced western technology, especially firearms and calendars. Many scholars also put aside their views on territory and absorbed new knowledge from the west, although their purpose was to save the dying Ming empire. The establishment of the rule of the Qing Dynasty was at the expense of the great destruction of the country's productive forces. The stable rule was touted by some people as the prosperous period of Kang Yong. It is in this "flourishing age" of more than 100 years that China is getting farther and farther away from the development level of western society.
Less than 50 years after the "prosperous time" (if some scholars touted Kang, Yong and Gan san huang who had been in power for 25 years after Qianlong, Jiaqing should also be regarded as a good emperor who tried to govern, at least not a bad emperor who could not help it), the Sino-British Opium War broke out, which was followed by scenes of humiliating the country and exposing the decay and backwardness of the Qing Empire. The author of the History of Nanming Dynasty proved with conclusive facts in the History of Peasant War in the Late Ming Dynasty that Dashun Army overthrew the Ming Dynasty and took over the whole Yellow River basin, hardly causing any damage to social production, sweeping away or severely damaging the aristocratic officials and gentry forces that seriously hindered the development of productive forces. If this momentum is not interrupted by Manchu aristocrats, renegade Wu Sangui and other Han warlords, China society will achieve rapid development on the basis of what has been achieved in the Ming Dynasty, and the history of nearly 300 years may be another way. It is a tradition in China to learn from history. Unfortunately, in the mirrors made by most historians in the past, the dwarfs were inflated, the image of perseverance was distorted and even squeezed out of the frame to become authentic mirrors. The author of History of Nanming tries to re-describe the history of Ming and Qing Dynasties with reliable historical facts. Due to the lack of materials, it is definitely not satisfactory. I hope that the publication of this book can provide readers with some descriptions and arguments closer to the truth. Perhaps after reading the History of the Southern Ming Dynasty, some people will assert that the author's critical edge only points to the rulers of the Qing Dynasty (including the Qing Dynasty nobles and Han officials and gentry), while the Dashun Army and the Daxi Army, which originated from farmers, are covered up everywhere out of preference. This is not correct. Because the book first criticizes the Dashun regime led by Li Zicheng for making irreparable mistakes in political and military deployment at a critical moment, and then points out that Dashun Army has never formed a relatively stable leadership core after Li Zicheng's sacrifice, and has been in an isolated state for a long time, failing to play a greater role in the anti-Qing struggle. Zhang's criticism is clearly stated in the History of Peasant War in the Late Ming Dynasty. Sun Kewang was an early outstanding figure. Later, his arrogance led to the reversal of the overall situation. Finally, he turned away from his relatives and rushed out. Nanming's history has no place to defend itself. As for the decay and infighting of the Nanming regime, the History of Nanming also made a truthful disclosure. It is not difficult for readers to find that the book not only lashed the ignorance and cowardice of Zhu Yousong, Zhu Changfang and Zhu Youlang, but also criticized some figures who are still admired by people, such as Shi Kefa, He Tengjiao, Qu Shizhen and Zheng Chenggong. Some readers may ask: Are you too critical of many outstanding figures in Nanming? My answer is simple. If these celebrities are really as perfect as described in the history books, Nanming will not perish at all, and these people will go down in history as the resurgence of the Ming Dynasty.
The inevitability and contingency of historical process is a long-term concern of historians. In my opinion, there is only one inevitability: that is, society should develop and progress; There may be short-term reversals and twists and turns. As for the establishment of the ruling dynasty and the replacement of rulers, it is mostly accidental factors. It's just that people are too used to treating a fait accompli as a historical necessity. In essence, this is not much different from the "care for fate" in feudal history books. Since the mid-Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the political affairs of the dynasty have become increasingly corrupt, and it is inevitable that internal and external troubles will break out one after another. It may be the Dashun Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty or even the imperial court in Sun Kewang that holds the real power, which does not rule out a long-term division.
The author of "History of Nanming" is concerned with the success or failure of various factions, and which forces have the least damage to China's social production and are most conducive to promoting China's social progress. Speaking of inevitability, I think that under the social conditions at that time, after the demise of the Ming Dynasty, China will still establish a feudal dynasty, and the society will still be within the framework of the feudal system (the development or contraction of commodity economy will depend on the development or destruction of social productive forces). Only this is certain. The difference lies in the different policies and means implemented by various factions, which will have different influences on the social development process of China. If all the faits accomplis are described as historical inevitability, it is useless to study and study history. The perpetuation of historical science is to teach the latecomers to learn from the successful experience in history, avoid repeating the mistakes of failure, make our cause smoother, do not go back, and make contributions to the prosperity of the Chinese nation. The popular theory of "historical crisis" can rest, and the wise people of China will learn from the rich historical heritage and push forward the great cause of rejuvenating China. The History of the Southern Ming Dynasty severely criticized Shi Kefa and others, accusing Shi Kefa of making key mistakes in formulating policies, and accusing him of being the main advocate and executor of the wrong policy of "uniting the land and defending the enemy" that led to the collapse of the regime. The History of Nanming emphasizes that Shi Kefa lacks great talent and decisive courage besides his open-minded views. These criticisms are completely effective and correct in the main spirit. However, it seems too intense to think that Shi Kefa ignored the national justice and just tried to steal peace, or just wanted to use four towns to save the small court in Nanjing in order to keep his master's title, which is not in line with the reality in Shi Kefa. The evaluation of historical figures has always been a difficult point in historical research.
Shi Kefa is a relatively honest and mediocre person. This ability does not refer to the general ability to do things, but to the ability to plan and make decisions, save the times, change the economy and lead the country. This is on the one hand, on the other hand, he was brought up by the milk of Neo-Confucianism, and his political ideal was to be a "pure minister" and act according to the rules of Neo-Confucianism, which actually poisoned him. Mu Kepeng and Ouyang advised him to go there with Zuo Liangyu to regain power. He was surprised and said, "You are young, energetic and so pure?" (Note: Peng: The preface of "Shame Gong Chao", Lu Linshu: "The Biography of Mr. Gong Peng". ) In Shi Kefa's view, it is impossible to be a pure minister in the face of military power and to deter the emperor. Therefore, he is also afraid and alienated from the two screen guests who put forward such a claim to seize power. This is the quality that he embodies his principles. Judging from his quality, he is only a candidate for Prime Minister Taiping. This is not discovered by today's talents, but has been widely recognized by contemporary people. Xia Wanchun, a young man, made it clear: "Taoism has more history than the Qing Dynasty. , but it has become insufficient. " "The use of soldiers will be slightly different from that of neighboring soldiers." Zheng Lian put it more concretely: Shi Kefa is "loyal and honest, and he is a good minister to govern the world. In case it changes, he will believe in the country and ignore the mountains. "It is to control netting, and it should change with opportunities, not its strengths." However, the development of history pushed Shi Kefa to the position of power center and national salvation leader. His personal qualities are not commensurate with the tasks he undertakes. This is a tragedy, not only the tragedy of Nan Ming, but also the personal tragedy of Shi Kefa.
Nanming had two rivals: Dashun Peasant Army and Qing Dynasty. It is clear that the weak South can't attack with both fists, either unite with Qing Dynasty or "unite with Lu Ping Kou", which is one of them. Under the conditions at that time, as the decision-maker of Nanming, if he chose the policy of uniting with Shun and resisting Qing, he obviously had to have a far-sighted vision and be brave and resourceful. In fact, to realize the real action of peasant army's joint resistance to Qing Dynasty, we have to wait until the sacrifice of Li Zicheng and Zhang, and the further weakening of Nanming. Prior to this, there were obstacles in the traditional concept to realize this alliance. Obviously, Shi Kefa, especially after making the wrong decision to support this move, could not unite with Dashun who drank "Fulu wine", which led to the wrong strategic policy. This will inevitably lead to the relaxation and concession of the attitude towards the Qing Dynasty.
As the de facto supreme military commander, Shi Kefa can't command the army freely and has no reliable logistical support. He could not rashly explore the north, but was also restricted by the military, political and economic situation. It can be seen that the tragic and disastrous ending is not purely Shi Kefa's personal reason. Shi Kefa didn't mean to hide or excuse this. His position made him bear the greatest historical responsibility. People have the right to ask him to make fewer mistakes, break through the shackles of the environment and create a new situation. I just want to seek an understanding of the root causes of ancient mistakes. Shi Kefa, after all, was not an insignificant figure, but became a national flag at that time and later generations. To evaluate historical figures, Nanming history should be said to be realistic, with a clear view and an accommodating attitude. It is believed that the "abnormal performance" of Lingxun is not due to two sources, loyalty to two masters, and close communication between the north and the south, but is deeply influenced by the policy of "uniting with Lu Ping"; This clearly shows the author's scientific scale. In order to clarify historical facts and change the praise of Shi Kefa and others, there is nothing wrong with overcorrection.