略论马在中国历史上的作用——兼评姜戎《狼图腾》

The Role of Horses in Chinese History

马在中国历史上发挥的作用极大。中国历代政权的更迭,除人心的向背外,在以战争决胜负的关键上,有无马资源可谓为一大要素。武王伐纣,牧野之战,就是以骑兵战胜纣王的步兵。秦能扫灭六国一统天下,因其所据正是西周龙兴之地,有大量马资源和关中大粮仓。汉武帝能打败匈奴,就是重视良种马的培育,以骑兵制骑兵,终能驱除特具狼性的匈奴。可见马蹄踏碎狼图腾,一个民族是否具有“狼”性并非致胜的关键。中国古代自西周至满清历朝得国的原因及享祚之长短,就是拥有大量的马资源、发达的农业经济以及政制上是否实行儒家礼治。

Horses play extremely important roles in the development of Chinese history.Besides the attitudes of the people,whether one possessed horses or not is an important element in the turnover of dynasties.This paper surveys the roles that horse played from West Zhou through to the Qing Dynasty as well as the roles of prosperous agriculture and the Confucianism-etiquette administration.