Abstract: The border tribes of the Song and Xia dynasties were an important focus of attention in the Northern Song Dynastys implementation of the “banning salt to control Xia” policy.During the reign of Emperor Taizong,the Northern Song Dynasty did not recognize the military value of the barbarians for its own use,so the ban on salt was aimed at the entire barbarian tribe.During the reigns of Emperor Zhenzong and Emperor Renzong,the Northern Song Dynasty attached great importance to the role of the Shu Hu tribe in defending against Xixia,and instead targeted the Sheng Hu tribe through the “banning salt to control Xia” policy.The change of salt prohibition targets in the Northern Song Dynasty was related to the changes in the military situation between the Song and Xia dynasties,reflecting the flexibility of the implementation strategy of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Key words: “banning salt to control Xia”, building a union with the border tribes to control Xia, Sheng Hu, Shu Hu