2．王朝兴衰金陵册

2．王朝兴衰金陵册

相传在公元前5世纪，吴王夫差在今南京城内的冶山（朝天空附近）建冶炼作坊，取名冶城。公元前472年，越灭吴后，越王勾践命令范蠡在现在的中华门外修筑了一座规模较大的土城，作为攻打楚国的根据地，叫作越城，又叫范蠡城。从这一次筑城算起，南京已经有2400多年的历史了。公元前333年楚灭越，楚威王在今天的清凉寺筑城。传说楚威王看到南京地理形势险要，怕日后有人在此称王，便在狮子山北的江边埋下黄金，以压王气。南京因此得名金陵，这也是南京的第一个正式称谓。

三国时代，东吴控制长江中下游，孙权于公元211年迁首府到秣陵，改秣陵为建业（即今天的南京），意思为“建立帝王之大业”，并在楚国金陵故址的基础上修建了石头城。221年，孙权建都于武昌，并于229年在武昌称帝，但在江南大族和北方士族的共同要求下，他放弃了建都已有8年之久的武昌，迁都建业。这也表明，到了孙吴时期，建业已经成为大家所公认的江南中心。这也是南京第一次成为封建王朝的都城。

280年，以洛阳为都城的西晋政权，开始了以统一中国为目标的伐吴战争。虽然孙吴的士兵在长江中设置了铁链，但仍挡不住晋兵的长驱直入，后主孙皓被迫在石头城投降，由此宣告了孙吴的灭亡。

316年，西晋王朝在北方各族人民大起义的风暴中灭亡，中国北方陷入了战乱的五胡十六国时期，南逃的北方士族共同拥戴镇守建康（今南京）的西晋宗室成员司马睿出来当皇帝，开创了东晋王朝。

由于西晋末年战乱，北方大量的汉人向南迁移。东晋时，都城建康内外居住着大批的北方南来的人群，他们的数量甚至超过了当地人口，大大改变了建康的语言、风俗和习惯。从此，建康城不再是单纯的江南城市，而逐渐发展成为融合南北风格的全国性大城市。随着人口的增多，建康的工商区和住宅区都有所扩大，逐渐向秦淮河发展。其中最著名的乌衣巷就是东晋宰相王导、谢安两个豪门家族居住的地方。传说是因为三国孙吴时，乌衣营驻扎在此，所以叫乌衣巷。

420年，东晋最后一个皇帝--晋慕帝司马德文被迫将帝位让给了大臣刘裕。此后，宋齐梁陈四个王朝相继在建康定都，史称“南朝”。在这四个王朝的变更过程中，有两个皇帝的悲剧故事尤其值得一提，他们是梁武帝和陈后主。

梁武帝萧衍，是历史上享年最高的一个皇帝，终年86岁，在位48年，仅次于清朝康熙和乾隆皇帝的在位时间。他是梁王朝的第一个皇帝，也是最后一个皇帝。548年，东魏投降的将领侯景举兵叛乱，第二年就攻占了台城。台城即南朝时代的建康宫城，当时的台省和皇帝后宫都在城中。据史学工作者考察推测，台城的位置大约在今天南京的总统府一带，而不是人们误以为的解放门一带。侯景攻占台城之后，就将梁武帝软禁在台城的净居殿。梁武帝后来被活活饿死在净居殿中。

陈朝时的陈后主称得上是风流天子。他在台城中大兴土木，终日与嫔妃、文臣学士们在一起寻欢作乐。589年，隋朝利用过春节的时机，派兵进攻江南的陈王朝，陈朝许多守江的将领紧急请求支援，陈后主却一概不理。当台城被围困时，陈后主便带着他所宠爱的张贵妃、孙贵嫔躲入后花园的景阳井内，最后被隋朝士兵用绳子拉了上来，全部活捉。现在，景阳井石栏的颜色像胭脂的颜色，传说是当时张贵妃、孙贵嫔躲入洞中时留下的胭脂痕，所以后人也称之为胭脂井，又因为陈后主亡国受辱，所以也将其称为辱井。

南朝时期，建康城进一步繁荣和发展起来，人口最多时超过50万。

以金陵为都城的南唐作为十国之一，不仅是一个重要的地方割据政权，而且还是这一时期中国东南地区的政治、经济、军事和文化中心。

李昪因为试图长生不老而服用丹药中毒而死，他的儿子李璟（即李景）继位。李璟曾先后出兵灭掉闽国和楚国，但却在与北周交战中惨败，失去了江淮之间的大片土地，最后被迫向北周称臣。李璟死后，他的儿子李煜继位。与其说李煜是个皇帝，倒不如说他是个文人。因为他没有统一天下的豪情壮志，而是对文学情有独钟。他才华横溢，擅长书画，尤其擅长填词，却也因此耽误了政事。947年，宋太宗发动了消灭南唐的战争，李煜仓促应战，却未能改变南唐亡国的命运。宋军攻破金陵后，李煜成为宋朝军队的俘虏，被押到了汴京（今河南开封）。在被囚禁的两年多时间里，李煜创作了大量的优秀诗词，但这些诗词却引起了宋太宗的猜忌。后来，李煜被宋太宗所赐的毒药毒杀而死，死后葬于开封，沦为了异乡之鬼，而他的墓地也已随着历史的变迁而化为尘埃。但他的祖父李昪、父亲李璟的陵墓在南京南郊的祖唐山，至今仍被较好地保存着，被成为“南唐二陵”，现在已经开放，供人们游览参观。

北宋建都汴京，但江宁（即南京）仍然是东南部的政治中心。宋神宗时，著名的政治家王安石曾三次担任江宁府尹。

明代朱元璋统一全国，在应天府称帝，建立了明朝，并改应天府为南京，于是，南京第一次成为全国的首都。从此，“南京”这个名字成了这座历史文化名城的专利。

从明太祖朱元璋开始，先后有三个皇帝在南京定都。1421年，明成祖迁都北京，南京成为留都朱元璋用了28年营建的这座南京城全长30.67千米，高14～21米，城基宽14米左右，顶宽4～9米，全部用砖砌成。城的规模很大，把六朝的建康城、石头城，南唐的金陵城全都包括在内，并向东、北扩展，依山临水，气势雄伟。南京城的城门共有13座，现存4座，其中的聚宝门（今中华门）保存得最为完整。相传在朱元璋营建都城的过程中，建造南门时，屡建屡塌，影响了工程的进度。就在朱元璋焦急的时候，大臣刘伯温出主意：命令江南首富沈万三拿出家里的聚宝盆，埋入墙基中。按照这个想法做了之后，城门得以顺利建成。所以中华门过去称为聚宝门。

南京在六朝时已经有了丝织业，宋元时有了进一步的发展。明代时，南京出产的缎子、罗纺、云绢等都远销国内外。当时不仅有官方经营的制造局，还有民间的“机户”，它们都聚集在当时的聚宝门附近。

2. History

According to the legend, Fu Chai, the King of the State of Wu, founded the first city, Yecheng on the Ye Mountain (near Today's Chaotian Palace, a museum and Kunqu theatre) around the 5th century BC. Then in 472 BC, after Yue defeated Wu, Gou Jian, the King of Yue ordered one of his officials Fan Li to build a city with rammed earth outside today's Zhonghua Gate. Known as Yuecheng or Fanlicheng, the city served as a military base for attacking Chu. If this is regarded as its origin, Nanjing has been in existence for more than 2,400 years. In 333 BC, Chu defeated Yue and a new city was built where today's Qingliang Temple is. Legend goes that when the King of Chu saw the geographic location of the city was so strategic that he ordered to bury some gold under the Lion Mountain to prevent others from becoming emperor. Thus the city got its first official name in history: Jinling. ("Jin" in Chinese literally means "gold" and "ling" in Chinese is hilly area.)

In 221, Sun Quan, the Lord of Eastern Wu, a kingdom which controlled the area along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, moved his capital to Moling (today's Nanjing) and renamed it Jianye which implied his intention to "build a dynasty and become the emperor". Following the move of the capital, a stone city was constructed on the site of Jinling built by Chu. In 229, Sun declared himself the emperor and made Wuchang his capital. However, on the request of influential and privileged families living in both the south, he had to give up Wuchang which had been the capital for eight years and moved to Jianye. This historical fact shows that by then Nanjing had already been recognized as the center of the south. For the first time in history, Nanjing became the capital of a feudal dynasty.

In 280, the Western Jin dynasty with Luoyang as its capital started a war against Wu Kingdom in the hope of unifying the whole China. Though soldiers of Wu put iron chains in the Yangtze river, they were still unable to prevent the invasion. As a result, Sun Hao, the son of Sun Quan, was forced to surrender in the stone city, marking the demise of Wu.

In 316, Western Jin was toppled by uprisings staged by people of various ethnic groups in the north. After that, the north China was reduced into a battlefield and influential and privileged families all fled to the south. There they supported Sima Rui, governor of Jiankang (today's Nanjing) and a member of the royal family of Western Jin, to be the emperor. Thus, the Eastern Jin dynasty was founded.

Since warfare drove a lot of Han people to the south in the late years of Western Jin, when Eastern Jin was founded, there were thousands of northerners living inside and outside Jiankang. They even outnumbered the local residents. As a result, language and customs in Jiankang changed dramatically. No longer a pure southern city, Jiankang gradually developed into a national metropolis where northern and southern customs were woven together. As population increased, commercial areas and residential areas in the city gradually expanded toward the Qinhuai River. At that time, the most famous residential area was Wuyi alley where lived two rich and noble families-the family of the Prime Minister Wang Dao and the family of Xie An, a duke. It was said the place was named so because Wuyi Battalion of the Wu Kingdom used to be stationed here.

In 420, Sima Wen, the last Emperor of Eastern Jin, was forced to give the throne to Liu Yu, one of his officials. After that, four dynasties-Song, Qi, Liang, Chen-came into the historical stage successively, all taking Jiankang as capital. This period in history is referred to as "Southern Dynasties". During the alternation of the four dynasties, the tragedies of two emperors - Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty and the last emperor of Chen - are worth mentioning.

The real name of Emperor Wu was Xiao Yan. He died at the age of 86 and enjoyed the longest life span among all the feudal emperors in China. The first and the last emperor of the Liang dynasty, he was in power for 48 years, only second to Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty. In 548, one of his generals Hou Jing who was once a general of Eastern Wei called out the troops to revolt and occupied the imperial palace Taicheng in the following year. According to the investigations of historic researchers, Taicheng was somewhere near today's Chiang Kaishek's Presidential Palace instead of Jiefang Gate as most people believe. After he occupied Taicheng, Hou Jing put Emperor Wu under house arrest in the Jingju Palace where the emperor was starved to death.

The last emperor of Chen was an emperor indulged in amorous affairs. He ordered to build numerous entertainment places to enjoy himself together with his concubines and officials. During the Spring Festival in 589, the Sui dynasty sent off troops to attack Chen. When Chen's military officers stationed along the Yangtze River issued a state of emergency and asked for support from the emperor, the emperor turned a deaf ear. Finally the Sui forces seized Taicheng. To save their life, the emperor hid himself and his two favorite concubines in a well in the back garden, but they were eventually found by the soldiers of the Sui dynasty. Today, the stone fence of the well which is called Jingyang Well is still of the rouge color. It is said this is because the fence was dyed rouge when the two concubines were hidden in the well. So the well gets its second name Rouge Well. It is also called Humiliation Well because the emperor was captured here.

In Southern Dynasties, Jiankang became more prosperous and the population exceeded 500,000 at the prime time of the city.

Southern Tang (937-975) in the Five Dynasties and Ten States Period was another short-lived dynasty who took Nanjing as its capital.

The first emperor of Southern Tang was Li Bian. After he was poisoned by the so-called "life-prolonging drug", his son Li Jing succeeded the throne. Though a winner in the war against Min and Chu (another two small dynasties in this period), Li Jing lost a vast area of land between the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River in the fight against Northern Zhou and thus had to acknowledge his subjugation to Northern Zhou. After Li Jing died, his son Li Yu took over his position. Li Yu was more a poet than an emperor. Without the ambition to rule and conquer, he indulged himself in painting and writing and was finally made a captive after the Song dynasty invaded into Southern Tang in 947. During the two years when he was detained in Bianjing (today's Kaifeng in Henan province), Li Yu wrote a lot of excellent poems and poetic prose which however aroused the suspicion of Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty that he would intend to recover the Southern Tang. Soon after, Li Yu was poisoned by Emperor Taizong and buried in Bianjing. So even after death he was unable to return to his home land. His tomb was reduced to dust long before as time went by; yet his father's and his grandfather's still lie on today's Zutang Mountain in the suburb south of Nanjing. Well preserved, today, the tombs known as "Southern Tang Mausoleums" are open to visitors.

Though the capital of the Song dynasty was Bianjing, Nanjing which was called Jiangning Fu then remained the political center of southeast China. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, a well-known statesman Wang Anshi was sent by the emperor to govern Jiangning Fu three times.

After Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty unified China, he appointed Yingtian as the capital and renamed the city Nanjing. Thus, for the first time in history, the city became the capital of the whole country and Nanjing its name.

Nanjing remained Ming's capital in the early years until 1421 when Emperor Chengzu moved the capital to Beijing.

Built by the first Ming emperor and in 28 years, Nanjing was 30.67 kilometers long in perimeter and 14 to 21 meters in height. The city was so large that it included the stone city and Jiankang city built in Six Dynasties and Jinling built by Southern Tang. But that was not all. The city further expanded eastward and northward until it reached the rivers and foot of mountains. Nanjing used to have 13 gates, but now only four of them are still seen. Jubao Gate which is named Zhonghua Gate now is the best preserved. An interesting story tells why the gate was named Jubao. When the south gate was constructed, the gate habitually collapsed before it was finished. This seriously hindered the progress of the whole project. Seeing Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was so disturbed, Liu Bowen, one of the emperor's officials, came up with an idea. He suggested the emperor taking away a treasure bowl from the richest person in South China and burying it under the base of the city wall. Surprisingly, the gate was successfully erected after the idea was adopted. Thus the gate was named Jubao Gate. (Jubao in Chinese literally means treasure-collecting.)

In Nanjing, silk textile industry burgeoned in the Six Dynasties and further developed in the Song and Yuan dynasties. In the Ming dynasty, different types of silk products such as satin, gauze and plain silk were sold abroad. There were official manufacturing plants as well as private ones, all located around Jubao Gate.