国马资源谱系演进与汉唐气象的生成

The Evolutionary Lineage of the State’s Equine Resources and Han and Tang Prosperity

汉唐是奠定中华形象认同核心内涵和凝聚力的重要王朝,也是东亚古代世界影响力和辐射力最强的两个王朝。西汉王朝在开通西域过程中对国马资源谱系的完善构建,提高了汉代国家疆域管理的移动性能力,保障了汉王朝的幅员辽阔,奠定了“汉”国号的核心文化凝聚力。唐王朝踵继秦汉北朝而充分发挥了“胡苑之利”的地理资源与技术优势,促成恢宏壮阔的大唐气象,并持续影响了周边古代国家的发展历程,扩大了汉文明儒家文化圈的世界影响力。“汉唐气象”的生成,是以成熟丰繁的中华古代文明积淀的深厚辐射力为基础的,而以国马资源演进为基础、以高度移动性为特征的国家管理能力的增强,也是不可或缺的重要原因。同时,汉唐国家形象的构建也往往以国之名马作为象征性标志,汉画像石中大量的西域天马谱系的汉马,表征着汉代国家形象的塑造与文化认同;而以唐太宗的“昭陵六骏”等为代表的突厥马谱系的唐马形象,则书写了大唐王朝的雄浑气象。

The Han and Tang dynasties were important for the formation of the core identity and cohesion of the Chinese image,and were the two dynasties with the strongest influence and force in the ancient world of East Asia.The Western Han dynasty developed and improved the pedigree of the state’s equine resources in the course of opening up the Western Regions,thus improving Han’s mobility in the management of China’s borderlands and safeguarding the vast Han territories,and establishing the core cultural cohesion signified by the dynastic title“Han.”Following in the footsteps of the Qin,Han,and Northern Dynasties,the Tang dynasty gave full play to the geographical resources and technical advantages of north China’s vast steppes,which assisted in the prosperity and magnificence of the dynasty.Its sustained influence affected the development of its ancient neighbors and expanded the world influence of Chinese civilization and the Confucian culture circle.Han and Tang splendor was based on the strong projection of ancient China’s mature and abundant civilization,but another important,indeed indispensable,reason lay in the managerial capacity possessed by the dynasty and founded on the evolution of the state’s equine resources,resources that gave the Tang their high mobility.At the same time,the country’s famous horses were often used as symbolic markers in the construction of Han and Tang national images.A large number of Han stone carvings feature Han horses from the Western Regions’“heavenly horses”pedigree,demonstrating the shaping of the national image and cultural identity of the Han dynasty;and images of the Tang horses descended from the Turkic line,represented by the“Six Steeds of Zhaoling”of the Tang Emperor Taizong,indicate the magnificence of the Tang dynasty.