Page 245 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

2022 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

Selections from the Writings of
Confucianists and Neo-Confucianists on War

In his punitive expedition,Tang began with Ge.With barbarians complained. They all said, ‘Why does he
this, he gained the trust of the Empire,...so when he not come to us first?’”
marched to the south, the northern barbarians com- When King Wu marched on Yin, he had three hun-
plained, “Why does he not come to us first?” The dred war chariots and three thousand brave warriors.
people longed for his coming as they longed for a He said,“Do not be afraid, I come to bring you peace,
rainbow in time of severe drought.Those who were not to wage war on the people.” Then, the sound of
going to market did not stop; those who were plow- people knocking their heads on the ground—to show
ing went on plowing. He only punished the evil gratitude and respect—was like the collapse of a
rulers and brought security to the people, like the mountain.To wage a punitive war is to rectify.There
fall of timely rain, and the people rejoiced greatly in is no one who does not wish himself to be rectified.
his coming. (Mencius 1B.11) What, then, is the need for war? (Mencius 7B.4)
There are people who say, “I am expert at military The humane man indeed loves others; because he
formations; I am expert at waging war.” This is a grave loves others, he hates to see men bring harm to them.
crime. If the ruler of a state is drawn to humanity, he The righteous man acts on his sense of appropriateness,
will have no match in the Empire. Thus, “When he and so he hates to see men commit terrible wrongs.He
marched to the south, the northern barbarians com- takes up arms only in order to put an end to violence
plained; when he marched to the east, the western and harm, not in order to contend with others for
spoils.Therefore,where the troops of a humane ruler are

over resources like good land, but unlike states, most Moats and defensive walls—powerful indicators of
chiefdoms did not have the manpower or political struc- warfare—have a much higher survival probability than
ture to conquer and hold onto others’ lands. They may painted murals, fragile scrolls, or wooden spears that may
therefore have contented themselves with burning a rival tell of equally significant warfare. Moreover, other fea-
village, destroying its temple or Men’s House, killing its tures of warfare—for instance, perishable weapons, troop
chief, then returning home to torture or sacrifice a few movements, battle actions, and others—are archaeolog-
prisoners. ically invisible.This survey is based on six standard indi-
Thus, chiefly warfare among pre-state societies already cators for detecting the emergence of warfare for a given
contains many of the later characteristics (political region in a given period: forensic, locational, structural,
motives, incipient warrior classes, specialized weapons, artifactual, iconographic, and epigraphic.
basic military engineering) that warfare will develop and
enhance with increased political complexity. Prior to Forensic
chiefly warfare, belligerents manifested only an archaic Forensic evidence of warfare is contained in human
form of warfare that was not distinguishable from basic skeletal remains, including but not exclusively violent
homicidal and hunting skills (coordinated killing of other traumatic wounds. Embedded projectile points, parry
humans). fractures, perforated or fractured skulls, decapitated or
dismembered skeletons, and other similarly deadly
Indicators of the lesions imparted by force constitute forensic evidence that
Earliest Warfare may indicate the presence of warfare, particularly when
Measurement of warfare origins is based on several indi- such remains are present in large numbers in a small area
cators or multiple lines of evidence, an indispensable (high density of skeletal trauma) having some military sig-
redundant strategy because unfortunately all indicators nificance. Forensic evidence must be used with caution
do not have the same survivability in the extant record. because alternative explanations for its presence—for