Yanmen Commandery was an
administrative subdivision (''jùn'') of the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Zhao Zhao may refer to:
* Zhao (surname) (赵), a Chinese surname
** commonly spelled Chao in Taiwan or up until the early 20th century in other regions
** Chiu, from the Cantonese pronunciation
** Cho (Korean surname), represent the Hanja 趙 (Chine ...
established BC and of northern
imperial Chinese dynasties until AD758. It occupied lands in what is now
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
and
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
. Its first seat was at
Shanwu (near present-day
Youyu
Youyu County, also known by its Chinese language, Chinese name Youyuxian, is a Chinese county, county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shuozhou, in the northwest of Shanxi, Shanxi Province, China. It borders Inner Mongol ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
); its later seats moved southeast to the more defensible sites at
Yinguan (within present-day
Shuozhou
Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Fen River. The prefecture as a whole has an area of about and, in 2010, a popu ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
) and
Guangwu (near present-day
Daixian
Dai County, also known by its Chinese name Daixian, is a county in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China. Its county seat at Shangguan is also known as Daixian. The county has an area of and had a population of 178,870 at the time of the 2020 c ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
).
Name
The name derives from
Yanmen Pass
Yanmen Pass, also known by its Chinese name Yanmenguan and as Xixingguan, is a mountain pass which includes three fortified gatehouses along the Great Wall of China. The area was a strategic choke point in ancient and medieval China, contro ...
in
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
's
Dai County
Dai County, also known by its Chinese name Daixian, is a county in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China. Its county seat at Shangguan is also known as Daixian. The county has an area of and had a population of 178,870 at the time of the 2020 ...
. Yanmen, meaning "Wild Goose Pass"
[.] or "Wildgoose Gate", takes its name from the wild
geese
A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some o ...
that migrate through the area.
History
Zhao Kingdom
Yanmen Commandery was first established around 300BC during China's
Warring States Period
The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
by the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Zhao's
King Yong,
posthumously known as the Wuling ("Martial-&-Numinous") King.
[.] It covered territory in what is now northern
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
and southern
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
.
[.] He created Yanmen Commandery along with its companion commanderies of
Dai and
Yunzhong to consolidate his conquests
[ from invasions of the ]Loufan Loufan may refer to:
* Loufan (tribe) (樓煩), a Xiongnu-associated nomadic tribe; see Loufan County, Shanxi Province, China
* Loufan Commandery (樓煩郡, part of modern Xinzhou), former commandery in what is now Xinzhou Prefecture, Shanxi, Chi ...
( t s ''Lóufán'') and " forest nomads" or "barbarians" ( ''Línhú'') in 306 and 304BC. He protected these new lands by raising earthen walls along their northern border,[.][.] close to what is now Hohhot in Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
. Garrisons and forts were also placed at strategic spots within the new territory, such as Yanmen Pass
Yanmen Pass, also known by its Chinese name Yanmenguan and as Xixingguan, is a mountain pass which includes three fortified gatehouses along the Great Wall of China. The area was a strategic choke point in ancient and medieval China, contro ...
between the northern plains and the Hutuo Valley
The Hutuo River is a major river in northern China and an important member of Hai River system. It derives from Wutai Mountain in Shanxi province and flows through the Taihang Mountains to reach the North China Plain, and meets the Ziya River ...
. In the mid-3rd centuryBC, the Yanmen governor Li Mu
Li Mu (; died 229 BC), personal name Zuo (繓), courtesy name Mu (牧), was a Chinese military general of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. He was named by Chinese historians as one of the four greatest generals of the late Wa ...
, relocated there under the command of Handan used these interior defenses and drills the commandery's citizens to minimize casualties to good effect when he lured more than 100,000 Xiongnu
The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...
horsemen into the heart of the commandery before defeating them with 160,000 chariots, cavalry, and archers.[.]
Qin Empire
Under the Qin Qin may refer to:
Dynasties and states
* Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China
* Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC
* Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...
, Yanmen was one of the commanderies which made up the principal divisions of the empire. Its seat was at Shanwu, south of present-day Youyu
Youyu County, also known by its Chinese language, Chinese name Youyuxian, is a Chinese county, county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Shuozhou, in the northwest of Shanxi, Shanxi Province, China. It borders Inner Mongol ...
in Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
.[ Its territory ran from present-day ]Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
's Hequ, Wuzhai
Wuzhai () is a county of northwestern Shanxi province, China. It is under the administration of Xinzhou City.
Climate
Wuzhai has a monsoon-influenced, humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dwb''), with cold and very dry winters, and warm, humid su ...
, and Ningwu Counties in the south to Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
's Huangqi and Dai Lakes in the north; its eastern border was near Mount Heng.[ The Zhao wall was connected to those of the other former states as part of the ]Great Wall
The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand Li (unit), ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against Eurasian noma ...
.[ This territory was divided into:
]
Western Han Empire
Under the Han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
, Yanmen Commandery maintained its seat at Shanwu.[.] It was part of the realm of Dai, used as an appanage of the imperial kings and a title of rebels like Han Xin
Han Xin (; 231/230–196 BC) was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Han Xin was named as one of the "Three Heroes of the ear ...
and Chen Xi. Han-era Yanmen included the Qin-era counties above, excluding Xincheng and Wangtao, with the addition of:
Eastern Han Empire
Under the Eastern Han
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
, the commandery seat was moved to Yinguan, present-day Xiaguancheng Village[ southeast of ]Shuozhou
Shuozhou is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the northwest. It is situated along the upper reaches of the Fen River. The prefecture as a whole has an area of about and, in 2010, a popu ...
in Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
.[
]
Wei Kingdom
During China's Three Kingdoms Period
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
, Wei moved the commandery seat to Guangwu, southwest of present-day Daixian
Dai County, also known by its Chinese name Daixian, is a county in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China. Its county seat at Shangguan is also known as Daixian. The county has an area of and had a population of 178,870 at the time of the 2020 c ...
in Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
.[ The district is recorded as having 12,600 ]household
A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...
s around AD285.[
]
Eastern Wei
During China's Northern and Southern Dynasties Period, Eastern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Eastern Wei (), was an imperial dynasty of China that followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei dynasty. One of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period, the Eastern We ...
had the commandery seat at Daixian
Dai County, also known by its Chinese name Daixian, is a county in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China. Its county seat at Shangguan is also known as Daixian. The county has an area of and had a population of 178,870 at the time of the 2020 c ...
in what is now Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
.[ During the 540s, the district is recorded having 30,434 people living in 6,328 ]household
A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...
s.[
]
Sui Empire
Under the Sui, Yanmen Commandery was abolished in 583, then revived in 607.[ It was recorded as having 42,502 ]household
A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...
s in 609.[
]
Tang Empire
Under the Tang
Tang or TANG most often refers to:
* Tang dynasty
* Tang (drink mix)
Tang or TANG may also refer to:
Chinese states and dynasties
* Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
, Yanmen Commandery was part of Hedong Circuit __NOTOC__
Hedong (, unless otherwise noted) may refer to these places in China:
Districts
* Hedong District, Sanya, in Sanya, Hainan
* Hedong District, Linyi, in Linyi, Shandong
*Hedong District, Tianjin, in Tianjin
Subdistricts
* Hedong Subdistri ...
until it was abolished and replaced by Dai Prefecture
Dai Prefecture, also known by its Chinese name Daizhou, was a prefecture (''zhou'') of imperial China in what is now northern Shanxi. It existed intermittently from AD585 to 1912. Its eponymous seat Daizhou was located at Shangguan in Dai Count ...
in 618, although it was temporarily restored between 742 and 758.[ During the Tang, the name was retained as an ]honorary title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
: the generals Tian Chengsi
Tian Chengsi (705– March 4, 779), formally the Prince of Yanmen, was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician. He served as a military general in the rebel state of Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, ...
, Tian Xu
Tian Xu ( 220–264) was a military officer of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Life
Tian Xu was from Wuzhong County (無終縣), Youbeiping Commandery (右北平郡), which is in present-day Jizhou District, Ti ...
, Tian Ji'an
Tian Ji'an (781 or 782– September 21, 812), courtesy name Kui and formally the Prince of Yanmen, was a general of the Tang Dynasty, who, as military governor (''Jiedushi''), ruled Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei) ...
, and Wang Zhixing
Wang Zhixing (758– August 21, 836), Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter./ref>'' Old Book of Tang'', vol. 17, part 2. courtesy name Kuangjian and formally the Prince of Yanmen, was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty ...
were created "Prince" or "King of Yanmen" (''Yànménwáng'').
In 882, Yanmen Defense Command (''Yanmen Jiedushi'') was also briefly established to oversee local defense. It had its seat at present-day Daixian
Dai County, also known by its Chinese name Daixian, is a county in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province, China. Its county seat at Shangguan is also known as Daixian. The county has an area of and had a population of 178,870 at the time of the 2020 c ...
, Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
. In 883, its name was changed to Daibei.[
]
Governors
* centuryBC Li Mu
Li Mu (; died 229 BC), personal name Zuo (繓), courtesy name Mu (牧), was a Chinese military general of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. He was named by Chinese historians as one of the four greatest generals of the late Wa ...
* Wang Ju (王據)
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{Han dynasty provinces
Former commanderies of China
Commanderies of the Qin dynasty
Commanderies of the Han dynasty
Commanderies of the Jin dynasty (266–420)
Commanderies of the Sui dynasty