Dingxiang Commandery ( zh, 定襄郡) was a historical commandery of China. It was located in the southern part of modern

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the Capital (political), capital of Inner Mongolia in the North China, north of the China, People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrativ ...

and Ulanqab prefectures in

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...

. The commandery was separated from Yunzhong during

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (2561 June 195 BC), also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one o ...

's reign. In late Western Han dynasty, it administered 12 counties, namely Chengle (成樂), Tongguo (桐過), Duwu (都武), Wujin (武進), Xiangyin (襄陰), Wugao (武皋), Luo (駱), Antao (安陶), Wucheng (武成), Wuyao (武要), Dingxiang (定襄) and Fulu (復陸). The population was 163,144 in 38,559 households in 2 AD. The commandery was briefly abandoned from 34 to 50 AD due to

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...

invasions. In 50 AD, the Southern Xiongnu submitted to Han control, and the commandery was partly restored to resettle former residents and the Xiongnu. 6 northern counties were abolished, and later 3 more were transferred to Yunzhong Commandery, while Shanwu (善無) and Zhongling (中陵) counties were added from Yanmen Commandery. In 140 AD, Dingxiang had 5 counties: Shanwu, Luo, Tongguo, Wucheng and Zhongling. The population was 3,571, in 3,153 households. Toward the end Han dynasty, the area's population decreased sharply as residents fled from invading northern nomadic peoples, and the commandery was dissolved. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the name Dingxiang Commandery was revived to refer to Yun (雲) and Xin (忻) prefectures, respectively. Yun Prefecture in Sui dynasty administered only 1 county, Dali (大利), and 374 households, while Xin Prefecture in Tang dynasty administered 2 counties, Xiurong (秀容) and Dingxiang (定襄, in a different location from the synonymous county of Han dynasty). The population was 14,806 households or 82,032 individuals in 741 AD.''

New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...

'', Chapter 39.

References

{{Han dynasty provinces Commanderies of the Han dynasty Commanderies of the Sui dynasty