|
????
Many ethnic groups based their livelihood
on animal husbandry and achieved great skill in raising
horses, sheep and other livestock. This contributed
to the development of a diversified economy in the country
as the Hans were mainly farmers. Horse-raising by the
Xiongnus and their ancestor tribe, the Northern Kunyi
in ancient China, reached a fairly high level; they
spread their knowledge of raising horses, mules and
donkeys to the Central Plains peoples, exerting an enormous
influence on the development of their agriculture and
livestock breeding, and on the development of a system
of stage coaches. Historical records show enormous numbers
of livestock of the ethnic minorities being steadily
drawn to the Central Plains. In one barter the Turk
made with the Sui Dynasty, 10,000 horses and 20,000
sheep were involved; 140,000 bolts of silk cloth were
exchanged every year for Turkish livestock by the Tang.
The Wuman and Baiman people were nationally known for
their fine "Dali" horses -- several thousand of the
breed were imported every year into Yongzhou and the
Central Plains during the Song. During the reign of
Emperor Shen Zong (1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty, 36,000
Mongolian horses were sold in the town of Zhangjiakou
every year. In the Qing Dynasty there was a sale of
100,000 horses and as many as 500,000 sheep made by
the Mongolian Khalkhas.
|
