I watched Er Chuang’s short video, and everything went numb!

[With the intensification of land annexation, by the 12th century, the free peasant class of the Byzantine Empire had almost completely disappeared, and all of them became serfs without personal freedom. ]

……

The plane of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty.

When Zhu Di saw this, a question emerged in his mind:

According to the experience of the replacement of various dynasties in China in history, if land annexation is serious to this level, the entire country should be difficult to maintain, and changing dynasties is really not possible.

Why did the Byzantine Empire last so long?

It was at this time.

A group of barrages appeared on the high-altitude giant screen, and they were also discussing this issue.

……

Comments:

"The Byzantine Empire is quite something. Land annexation is so serious, but it hasn't collapsed yet."

"Reply--Indeed, if it were the Chinese Dynasty, it would have collapsed long ago."

"Reply--The fiscal revenue of the ancient Chinese Dynasty mainly came from land taxes. Extreme land annexation would cause major problems for the court's finances and naturally collapse. The Byzantine Empire is different. It can also rely on its geographical advantages and have commercial income."

"Reply--Yes, it can persist for so long, which is related to the trade on the Silk Road. Later, the Silk Road declined, and it could not hold on."

"..."

Zhu Di looked at these comments and nodded slightly.

He had seen the importance of commercial income from many previous videos.

After the Ming Dynasty started the industrial revolution in the future, the country's tax structure would definitely change accordingly.

……

[Economic recession, shrinking market, weak military, declining international trade, tax revenue is less than 2% of the peak period. ]

[In order to stimulate industry and commerce, the Byzantine Empire implemented currency devaluation, which resulted in the collapse of currency credit and was replaced by Venetian and Genoese gold coins. ]

[Economy is the foundation of politics. If the economy collapses, Byzantium will never be able to revive. ]

……

See here.

Many ancient people in all dynasties thought of a sentence they heard in the previous video:

"The economic base determines the superstructure!"

Among them.

Many emperors in all dynasties understood the serious consequences of the collapse of the court's fiscal revenue.

……

[Moreover. ]

[The rise of the military aristocracy is bound to threaten the autocratic imperial power. ]

[The Byzantine throne succession system is not as perfect as that of China. 】

[JDJ doctrine requires monogamy, and divorce and remarriage are not allowed at will, so the situation of extinction of the family line often occurs. 】

[Of the 93 emperors of the Byzantine Empire, half died abnormally, and one-third died without marriage or heirs. The fight for the throne was very bloody. 】

……

“Ah?!”

Many ancient people from all dynasties were stunned.

The emperor must also be monogamous?

In the eyes of most ancient people, it is somewhat incredible.

This is not surprising.

Although there were emperors like Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youtang who were very loyal and insisted on monogamy in the ancient Chinese dynasties, most emperors had "three palaces, six courtyards and seventy-two concubines".

Moreover, this is not because the emperors are lustful, but it is related to the state system.

The emperor married a wife more to reproduce offspring and consolidate the foundation of his rule.

The plane of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.

After being shocked, Li Shimin showed doubts.

The problem of the extinction of the royal family of the Byzantine Empire was so serious, and it was really strange that they did not change this inexplicable rule.

As the emperor of the Chinese dynasty with supreme imperial power, he naturally could not understand the influence of theocracy in medieval Western countries.

In the planes of other dynasties, many emperors were also shocked and puzzled.

Putting aside personal enjoyment, the emperor cannot have monogamy for the sake of the stability of the state power.

……

[Since the peasant class went bankrupt, military service became a huge burden, and people would rather pay money to avoid military service, and the standing army disintegrated. ]

[The country can only rely on mercenaries, but mercenaries are expensive, which makes the finances even tighter. ]

……

The plane of Taizu of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt that this scene was very similar to the situation in the late Tang Dynasty.

Serious land annexation led to the bankruptcy of the Fubing system, and it had to be changed to the recruiting system.

Then, the financial burden of the court became more and more serious.

Thinking of this.

Zhu Yuanzhang began to think about his own Weisuo system.

This also depends on land.

Once land annexation becomes serious, this system will also have problems.

But the problem is that, looking at the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties in history, land annexation seems to be the inevitable fate of the development of dynasties.

He can control it, but he can't control the emperors of the Zhu family in later generations.

After thinking about it, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that the only solution was to start the industrial revolution and change the situation where land and agricultural taxes were the main source of finance for the court.

……

[In order to make money, the state increased taxes and began to confiscate the property of the church and the nobles. ]

[The nobles would not sit still and wait for death, and began to hire mercenaries to fight the civil war. ]

[The Byzantine Empire declined in the economic collapse and civil strife. ]

……

"Vicious cycle"

This idea came to the minds of many ancient people in all dynasties.

……

[As the saying goes, if you don't take advantage of it, you are a bastard, and foreign enemies began to invade. 】

【In the more than 1,000 years since Constantinople was built, it has been besieged 24 times. 】

【For the Byzantines, being besieged is a state of mind. 】

【They are both practical and superstitious. While they diligently maintain the tall and solid walls and store a lot of food and fresh water, they firmly believe in the Virgin Mary.Blessings, every time in a crisis, they hold up the statue of the Virgin Mary and pray. 】

【The victory after victory gave the Byzantines great confidence. Although the country was weak, no army could break this dual defense of material and spirit. 】

……

Many ancient people in all dynasties became more and more interested in the defense system of Constantinople.

It is indeed quite powerful.

At the same time.

Some ancient people also despised the Byzantine Empire in their hearts.

It was really weak to be besieged by foreign enemies dozens of times.

……

【But they could not imagine. A bigger external threat was on the way. 】

【They could not imagine that this threat would come from the east thousands of miles away. They have a common name: Turks. 】

【When the Turks moved westward, YSL was expanding eastward. 】

【The caliphs in Baghdad found that these nomadic peoples were strong in fighting and had a tenacious character, so they began to recruit and sell Turks. 】

……

The plane of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin and the famous generals of the Tang Dynasty were all happy:

"Are the Turks strong in fighting?"

Perhaps at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, many people in the Central Plains thought that the Turks were indeed strong in fighting.

But as the Tang Dynasty conquered the Eastern Turks and subdued the Western Turks, this concept gradually changed.

Ordinary people in the Tang Dynasty had an absolute psychological advantage over the Turks.

Not to mention Li Shimin and others who were responsible for conquering the Eastern Turks.

……

【These Turks converted to Islam, but still maintained their language and ethnic identity. 】

【As the Turks became stronger, they began to seize power. 】

【The Seljuks, who originated from the Oghuz tribe of the Western Turks, captured Baghdad in 1055 and established the Seljuk Empire. 】

【The Turks began the era of "holding the Caliph hostage to command the princes." 】

【The Arabs, who had lost their hegemony, not only did not resent, but instead believed that their gods had sent the Turks to save YSL. 】

……

"Ah?!"

Many ancient people from all dynasties were stunned.

They could not understand the Arabs' mentality at all and were greatly shocked.

Some ancient people even thought that these Arabs were made stupid by the Turks? They could not even tell good from bad?

This is not surprising.

The Chinese people almost never have such fanatical and extreme views on ZJ.

Since ancient times, the Chinese people's concept of gods has been pragmatic.

... (To read the exciting novels, go to Faloo Novel Network!)

[The Turks concentrated the warlike nature of nomadic peoples, the enterprising spirit of Islam, and the desire for spoils. They led Islam to restore the holy war and frequently attacked the Byzantine Empire. ]

[In 1071, the Byzantine Emperor Romanus IV led his troops eastward,In Manzikert in the east of Asia Minor, they encountered an army led by the Seljuk Sultan himself. 】

【But strangely, the Seljuk Sultan did not seem to want to go to war, because he was just passing by. 】

【The Seljuk Sultan's goal was to destroy the Shiite Fatimid Dynasty in Egypt, so the Sultan proposed a truce, but was ruthlessly rejected by Romanus IV. 】

【So the two sides went to war, 30,000 MSL defeated 70,000 Byzantines, Romanus IV was also captured, and the Byzantine Empire went from prosperity to decline. 】

……

"So weak!"

Many ancients in the past dynasties despised in their hearts.

With such weak strength and not knowing the times, isn't this self-destruction?

Some ancients thought that Romanus IV's choice was unwise. []

……

[Faced with the iron hoofs of the Turks, the weak Byzantine Empire asked for help from its ostensible brothers in the West. ]

[In response to the Byzantine Empire and to recover the holy city of Jerusalem, Pope Urban II launched the ZJ War. ]

[That is, the "Crusades" that lasted for 200 years. ]

[Originally, JDJ was fighting YSL, but it was the Byzantine Empire that was unlucky. ]

[In 1204, the most bizarre scene in JDJ history appeared. ]

[The 4th Crusade, which was originally going to expedition to Egypt, turned around and captured Constantinople under the leadership of the Venetians and looted it. ]

……

"Let the wolf in."

This thought emerged in the minds of many ancient people in all dynasties.

The sudden change of the reinforcements into enemies was a little surprising to them.

However.

Some other ancients were not surprised.

They judged that there must be a huge conflict of interest between the Byzantines and the Crusaders.

It is not uncommon for such partners to fall out because of conflicts of interest.

The speculation of these ancients was accurate.

The reason why this Crusaders captured Constantinople was not because of some doctrinal conflicts as some people thought, but because of interests.

Lexius, a contender for the throne of the Byzantine Empire, hired this Crusaders to help him seize the throne with 200,000 silver marks, but after he succeeded in taking the throne, he could not afford the money, and finally a conflict broke out.

…

[It took the Byzantine Empire 57 years to recapture the ravaged Constantinople. ]

[The Byzantine Empire tried to regroup and tried its best to resist the invasion of Europe. 】

[They were so busy that they forgot that there were enemies behind them. This negligence cost them their demise. 】

[Not far from Constantinople, there was a small Turkic tribe that was rapidly absorbing everything from Byzantium and secretly accumulating strength. 】

[In 1302, under the leadership of their leader Osman, they defeated Byzantium for the first time and began their expansion. 】

…

“Here comes the Ottoman Empire!”

The ancients of all dynasties had watched the previous video about the Ottoman Empire and knew that it was the Ottoman Empire that eventually destroyed the Byzantine Empire.

However, the previous video did not mention the specific process of the destruction of the country.

Therefore, many ancients were also a little curious at this time, how did the Ottoman Empire completely destroy the Byzantine Empire?

……

[At this time, due to the financial collapse of the Byzantine Empire, the empire made a suicidal decision: disbanding the navy. ]

[The unemployed sailors ran to the Ottoman Empire and helped the Ottoman Empire build a powerful fleet. ]

……

“｀Ah this…”

Many ancients of all dynasties felt that this behavior of the Byzantine Empire, in the words of later generations, was stupid.

……

[Later, the Byzantine emperor lost his mind again and hired the Ottomans to fight a civil war. ]

[The MSL army poured into Europe and occupied the Balkan Peninsula. 】

[The Ottoman Empire established the first professional standing army in Europe since ancient Rome, which was well organized and united. 】

[After 650 years, the MSL once again came to the city, and Constantinople persisted in poverty and desolation. 】

[However, the Ottoman Empire, which was rising strongly, was suddenly defeated by the Timurid Empire established by the Turkic Mongols. 】

[The Byzantine Empire was able to survive. 】

……

"Good luck."

In the Great Qin plane, Qin Shihuang sneered.

Many emperors of the Byzantine Empire made many stupid moves.

It was a miracle that the Byzantine Empire could persist for a thousand years.

……

[In 1449, another emperor named Constantine ascended the throne. 】

[He took over a bankrupt finance, a royal family in internal strife, a divided city, unanticipated aid, and a poor and turbulent people. 】

[Rather than saying he was an emperor, it would be better to say he was a poor mayor. 】

[Looking around the world, the only emperor more depressed than him was probably the Ming Dynasty God of War Zhu Qizhen, who went to Wala for sightseeing in the same year. 】

……

The plane of Taizu of the Ming Dynasty and the plane of Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di and others were all numb.

They really didn't expect that they would be hit so hard while watching the history of an empire outside of China.

"Waste!"

In these two dynasties, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di and others cursed Zhu Qizhen in their hearts.

……

[Two years later, another 19-year-old young man named Muhammad officially ascended the throne of the Ottoman Sultan. 】

【He warmly received envoys from all countries and signed peace treaties with them. 】

【Europeans liked this young boy very much, thinking that he was young, ignorant, inexperienced and simple-minded. 】

【However, this 19-year-old young man had emerged from the bloody court struggle, and he had great ambitions., tough and ruthless, never showing his emotions. 】

……

The Great Tang Taizu plane.

Li Shimin felt that these Europeans should not have enough understanding of the Ottoman Empire.

As long as these Europeans knew the bloody succession law of the Ottoman Empire, they would not underestimate the young emperor of the Ottoman Empire.

If he was really young and ignorant, simple-minded, I am afraid he would have died in the bloody struggle for the throne of the Ottoman Empire.

"Did this person finally conquer the Byzantine Empire?"

With this guess, Li Shimin continued to look at the giant screen in the sky.

……

[Constantine XI made a huge mistake. At that time, Orhan, another competitor for the Ottoman throne, was in Constantinople. 】

[So, Byzantium threatened the young Sultan to pay a high tribute, otherwise it would support Orhan in competing for the throne. 】

【This move completely angered the Sultan and the war faction, and they vowed to destroy the Byzantine Empire. 】

【Since the other party gave him an excuse to start a war for free, it must not be wasted. 】

……

Many ancient political elites in all dynasties disagreed with this.

They did not think that the behavior of Constantine XI was a huge mistake.

From previous history, the Ottoman Empire had never given up the idea of ​​attacking the Byzantine Empire.

Whether this happened or not, the Ottoman Empire would have attacked the Byzantine Empire.

If this excuse was gone, there would be other excuses.

……

【In order to better control the strait, monopolize shipping, and cut off Constantinople's support, the little Sultan assembled a large army and supervised the construction of a new fortress not far from Constantinople. 】

【They destroyed the surrounding crops and massacred all the farmers who wanted to defend their homes. 】

[The shadow of war once again enveloped Constantinople. Three]

……

Many ancient people from all dynasties watched more attentively.

It seems that this is the last battle for the Ottoman Empire to conquer the Byzantine Empire.

They are a little curious about the process. .