An Exploratory Study On The Military Geography Of Jingxiang War Zone In Southern Song Dynasty

Being one of the important war zones in the Southern Song Dynasty's resistance to southward invasion, Jingxiang war zone is an essential part in the national defense system of Southern Song Dynasty, the military geography of which serves as the fundamental basis for defense preparations and military planning of the defending troops. The research on military geography of Jingxiang war zone in Southern Song Dynasty will have a certain significance of further clarifying the military defense and the war situation change in Jingxiang, understanding major military-geographic problems, and promoting research on history and geography of the middle reach of Yangtze River.This paper analyses at all levels, from the perspective of military geography, the topography of the region, military transport routes, military focus changes, and other military elements based on the military-geographic environment of Jingxiang region. Besides, the overall state of Jingxiang region will be analysed from both time and space, and the problems and characteristics of the regional military strategy and tactics in Jingxiang region will be revealed. This paper is divided into five parts:The first part explores the geographical conditions of the battlefields in Jingxiang region in Southern Song Dynasty, including macro military terrain and micro military topography, military areas division and the performance of military tactics.The second part of clears up the transport routes which connect different areas to understand the military offensive and defensive orientation and internal links.The third part probes into the features and fortifications of Southern Song Dynasty as well as the three military focuses in Jingxiang. It also analyses the change of military focus in this region.The fourth part introduces the evolution of Jingxiang war zone in Southern Song Dynasty and its position in national defense, explores the process of establishment, development, maturity, collapse and disintegration. Jingxiang's position in national defense system will be viewed on this basis.In Part Five, three military issues in Jingxiang will be discussed based on the preliminary analysis of military geography in Jingxiang, namely, the defense system in the northern part of South Jingxi Road, the defense affairs in the binding site of Jingxiang and Huaixi battlefields, and the shielding effect of Tang and Deng states.