A study of Zhengguan yujing jiang and military system of Western Xia dynasty = "Zhen'guan yu jing jiang" yu Xi Xia jun zhi yan jiu

Abstract

Zhengguan yujing jiang 《貞觀玉鏡將》, a book compiled in Western Xia characters during the reign of Zhao Qianshun趙乾順 (嵬名乾順, r. 1086-1139) in the early 12thcentury on the art of military strategy and tactics, was discovered by a Russian in 1908. This provides scholars a valuable original source to carry out in-depth study on the military confrontation between Western Xia and the Northern Song Dynasty.

Since the establishment of the Western Xia, there were long lasting internal disputes on their policies towards the Northern Song Dynasty. War or peace not only determined by their military power, their outcomes of political and economic reforms also played important roles. Different kinds of military strategy and tactics had been attempted but not much success had been secured. Zhengguan yujing jiang will be used as the primary resource in this thesis in order to find out the picture behind the screen. Special attentions will be focus on the modification and improvement of military system, military law and military strategy.