Conquering the Realm

The Conquest Chronicle of the Jurchen's Meteoric Rise, and the Historical Cycle of Prosperity and Decline in the Northern Song and Khitan Liao Dynasties¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿In the 11th century, while the Song and Liao dynasties stood as two major powers, the Jurchen tribes inhabiting the "Land of White Mountains and Black Waters" gradually grew in strength and moved toward unification. To break free from the rule of Emperor Tianzuo of Liao, the Jurchen leader Wanyan Aguda proactively launched military campaigns, capturing key frontier towns such as Ningjiangzhou. He then advanced into Liaodong, swept through the Yan-Yun region, and penetrated deep into the northern frontiers. Over the course of eleven years (1114-1125) of warfare, and with the distant support of Song forces, the Jurchens ultimately brought about the fall of the Liao dynasty. Throughout their engagements with the Liao army, the Jurchens often achieved victory despite being outnumbered, earning the formidable reputation that "no force could withstand the Jurchens once they numbered ten thousand."The author, having long studied ancient military history, conducted extensive research into the vast sea of historical documents. Rather than merely compiling sources, the author distilled the complexity of the material into a clear and accessible narrative, detailing the decision-making processes of both sides and the specifics of battlefield confrontations. From this, the author distilled the underlying patterns of warfare, striving to uncover the secrets behind victories and defeats.Readers will witness the clashes between Jurchen cavalry and the cavalry of the Khitans or the infantry and cavalry of the Song army, as well as the confrontations between Jurchen siege tactics and Song defensive strategies. They will also experience the vivid dynamics of warfare in an era where firearms coexisted with cold weapons, and military tactics were frequently exchanged and evolved.11¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿"¿¿¿¿"¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿1114-1125¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿"¿¿¿¿¿¿¿"¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿

Pages: 342, Edition: Unabridged, Paperback, China National Publications Import & Export C