Why were books banned in ancient China?

"Banned books" are prohibited by the state, and official website shopping rabbits are not allowed to circulate in public. China banned books a long time ago. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a hundred schools of thought contended, which was one of the golden periods in China's ideological history, but the early Warring States period was also the beginning of the history of banning books. Sun Tzu's Art of War was banned in the pre-Qin and Tang Dynasties, and the art of war was completely banned in the Song Dynasty. Why? Why did China ban military books in ancient times?

During the Wei Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms in the Han Dynasty, it was recorded that Cao Cao ordered "no internal learning and no military books". During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, books such as divination and astronomy were mainly banned. I wonder if military books are banned. The third volume of the Tang Dynasty's Law of Zhenguan said: "Secrets, astronomy, books, prophecies, military books, seven-Yao calendars and Taiyi Lei formulas are not allowed to be kept in private, and offenders will be punished for two years. Its latitude and longitude and the Analects of Confucius can't help. "

Among them, the "art of war" refers to books such as Six Towers of Taigong and Three Views of Huang Shigong, which means that the publication of strategic art of war is restricted. This kind of books are banned because they are so practical that they are afraid of being read by ordinary people and leaving disaster behind.

Like the Tang Dynasty, some military books were banned in the Song Dynasty. After all, Chen Qiao's mutiny led to the wrong path. In addition, Zhao and Song pursued the concept of keeping the inside and keeping the outside, and strictly managed military books. During the period of Taizu and Taizong, restrictions were introduced. In the Song Zhenzong period, with the aggravation of foreign aggression and domestic troubles, the ban on astronomy and the art of war was once again "strictly enforced", prohibiting civilians and soldiers from hiding and learning privately, and even prohibiting foreign envoys from buying.

The forbidden book of Sun Tzu's Art of War is considered to have astronomical books at the same level. Later, due to the need of national defense, the Privy Council proposed to issue some military books to the generals in the northwest frontier to improve their professional level, so that the military books were lifted. Finally, it is stipulated: "All books are forbidden except those quoted by Sun Tzu's Art of War, Woods, Astronomy, Philology and Five Elements."

Tongdian

Compared with the Tang Dynasty, we can refer to Sun Tzu's Art of War, Sun Tzu's Art of War and other strategic books. During the Zongshen period, under the impetus of Wang Anshi's political reform, the government began to issue military books in the Song Dynasty. The government not only funded Woods, Sun Tzu and Woods, 0755.

During the Song Huizong period, the government had to apply for a ban again, because private printing and sales of military books were more restricted. During the Southern Song Dynasty, control was generally strict. Generally speaking, the control over the art of war in the Song Dynasty was slightly looser than that in the Tang Dynasty, especially the official revision of the art of war "Liu Tao". Speaking of Sima Fa, I have to mention that this book is the most detailed national defense bibliography in all previous dynasties. It is an important historical material for understanding the military system of the Song Dynasty, including training, formation, logistics and weapons.

The management of books in Ming and Qing dynasties was particularly strict, but at the same time there were quite a few privately compiled publications. At this time, military books are no longer limited to military thoughts, but cover all aspects of the military. Due to the compilation of a large number of official books, a large number of military manuscripts were collected from the people. It can be seen that military books have been widely circulated among the people or among the people, regardless of whether successive governments have explicitly banned them.