Study On The Earthquake And Disaster Response Of Shanxi In The Yuan Dynasty

Earthquake is one of the major disasters in the Yuan Dynasty.As a sudden and destructive natural disaster,it has a great impact on the production and life of the people.Because of its important strategic position,strong seismic activity,abundant historical data and relics of seismic activity,Shanxi has become a typical example for studying the earthquake disaster situation and response in the Yuan Dynasty.This paper systematically sorts out various kinds of earthquake disaster literature,and statistics 57 earthquakes in Shanxi in the Yuan Dynasty.Using the method of data statistics,it is found that the earthquakes in Shanxi in the Yuan Dynasty have quasi-periodic characteristics,showing alternating 6 seismic active episodes and 5 seismic quiet episodes as a whole.In terms of spatial distribution,the occurrence of earthquakes is uneven,and there are high and low earthquake occurrence areas.Earthquakes are mainly distributed in 3 fault basins and 7 active fault zones along Taiyuan and Pingyang,as well as some areas of Taihang Mountain and Lvliang Mountain fault block uplift area.The Zhaocheng and Hongtong M8 earthquake of Dade Year 7 of Yuan Dynasty were the worst.According to the theory of disaster science,the earthquake disaster can be divided into primary disasters,secondary disasters and induced disasters.Among them,collapse,landslide and ground fissure are the most serious primary disasters.Fires are more destructive in secondary disasters.Hunger,disordered migration of people,social unrest and psychological changes caused by earthquake interact with each other to form the impact network of earthquake on regional and social development in Shanxi.The main body of earthquake disaster response measures is the government of the Yuan Dynasty and civil society.The measures taken by the the government to deal with the earthquake disaster in Shanxi were concentrated in the period of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan Dynasty,which was the most active and the most serious earthquake disaster.Mainly focusing on relief,it also includes the opening of mountains and rivers,prohibition of alcohol,prohibition of kings from hunting and disturbing the people,restoration of water conservancy facilities,ministers gathering to discuss ways to relief disasters and psychological disaster prevention,as supplementary means of disaster relief.Local government often renovate the damaged buildings such as official schools,Yamen and ancestral temples after the earthquake.The voluntary relief of the folk benevolent people and the exhortation promoted by the government go hand in hand with the official relief,but it is rarely recorded in the official history.In local chronicles and inscriptions,folk self-rescue is more reflected in the renovation of shrines and other buildings.Due to the high level of food consumption in Shanxi in the Yuan Dynasty,the food supply in the disaster areas is difficult,and the role of relief money is difficult to play.The per capita amount of relief food is small,which is not enough to bridge the famine.The inequality of ethnicity and class in the Yuan Dynasty made the relief effect of various people significantly different after the earthquake.The amount of money relief for Mongolians,military and the people of courier station is larger than that for civilian’s household,especially for Mongolians.Monks and Taoists shows greater autonomy in responding to disasters.Civilian’s household rely more on self-rescue.Although the strength is weak and the scope of radiation is small,folk self-rescue is direct,rapid and accurate,which makes up for the lack of official relief.There are great defects in the disaster relief operation procedures and disaster relief organizations of the government of the Yuan Dynasty.Although the operation procedure of disaster relief is relatively complete,it is complicated and cumbersome with many drawbacks.The power of local disaster relief organizations is greatly limited by the central government.The autonomy of implementing relief and the administrative efficiency is low,which seriously affects the development of relief.