Lu Commandery ( zh, 魯郡) was a Chinese
commandery
In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...
that existed from
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
to
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
. It was located in present-day southern
Shandong
Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
province.
The commandery's predecessor was the Xue Commandery (薛郡), an administrative division established during
Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang (, ; February 25912 July 210 BC), born Ying Zheng () or Zhao Zheng (), was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of China. He is widely regarded as the first ever supreme leader of a unitary state, unitary d ...
's reign on the former territories of
Lu state. In early Western Han, it was part of the
Kingdom of Chu, a vassal kingdom/principality of the Han dynasty. In 155 BC,
Emperor Jing created a separate Principality of Lu, and granted it to his son
Liu Yu. Yu's descendants held Lu until the
Xin dynasty
The Xin dynasty (; ), also known as Xin Mang () in Chinese historiography, was a short-lived Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty which lasted from 9 to 23 AD, established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped th ...
, when the prince was deposed and Lu became a commandery. In 2 AD, the principality consisted of 6 counties: Lu (魯), Bian (卞), Wenyang (汶陽), Fan (蕃), Zou (騶) and Xue (薛).
['']Book of Han
The ''Book of Han'' is a history of China finished in 111 CE, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. The work was composed by Ban Gu (32–92 CE), ...
'', Chapter 28.
In Eastern Han, Lu Commandery was initially granted to Liu Xing (劉興). However, Lu was later merged to the Principality of Donghai (東海) while Xing was relocated to
Beihai
Beihai (; Postal romanization: Pakhoi) is a prefecture-level city in the south of Guangxi, People's Republic of China. Its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin has granted it historical importance as a port of internati ...
. After the death of Liu Qiang (彊), Prince Gong (恭) of Donghai, the central government took over
Donghai Commandery
Donghai Commandery ( zh, 東海郡) was a historical commandery of China from Qin dynasty to Tang dynasty. It was located in present-day southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu.
Donghai Commandery was established in the Qin dynasty, possibly under ...
, and the principality's territory became equivalent to Lu Commandery.
['']Book of Later Han
The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period known as the Late ...
'', Chapter 42.
The commandery once again became the Principality of Lu in 232, when the
Cao Wei
Wei () was one of the major Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dy ...
dynasty granted it to Cao Wen (曹溫). The commandery was restored with the establishment of
Jin dynasty
Jin may refer to:
States Jìn 晉
* Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC
* Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin
* Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...
. In
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
, the commandery administered 6 counties, including Zou, Wenyang, Lu, Yangping (陽平), Xinyang (新陽), and Bian. It was eventually abolished during
Northern Qi
Qi, known as the Northern Qi (), Later Qi (後齊) or Gao Qi (高齊) in historiography, was a Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty and one of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties during the ...
.
['']Book of Sui
The ''Book of Sui'' () is the official history of the Sui dynasty, which ruled China in the years AD 581–618. It ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was written by Yan Shigu, Kong Yingda, and Zhangsun Wuji, ...
'', Chapter 30.
In
Sui and
Tang dynasties, Lu Commandery became the alternative name for
Yan Prefecture. It included 10 counties: Xiaqiu (瑕丘),
Qufu
Qufu ( ; zh, c=曲阜) is a county-level city in southwestern Shandong province, East China. It is located about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefectural seat at Jining. Qufu has an area of 815 square kilometers, ...
(曲阜), Qianfeng (乾封),
Sishui (泗水),
Zou (鄒),
Rencheng (任城), Gongqiu (龔丘),
Jinxiang (金鄉),
Yutai (魚台) and
Laiwu
Laiwu () was a prefecture-level city in central Shandong Province (China), Province, China. Bordered the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east and Tai'an to the southwest, it was the smallest prefecture-level city in the p ...
(萊蕪).
['']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 38.
Population
Princes of Lu and Donghai
*
Liu Yu (餘), Prince Gong (共) of Lu, 155–128 BC;
* Liu Guang (光), Prince An (安) of Lu, 128–88 BC;
* Liu Qingji (慶忌), Prince Xiao (孝) of Lu, 88–51 BC;
* Liu Feng (封), Prince Qing (頃) of Lu, 51–23 BC;
* Liu Suo (睃), Prince Wen (文) of Lu, 23 BC – 4 AD;
* Liu Min (閔), 4–9;
* Liu Xing (興), Prince Jing (靖) of Beihai, 26–42;
* Liu Qiang (彊), Prince Gong (恭) of Donghai, 42–58;
* Liu Zheng (政), Prince Jing (靖) of Donghai, 58–102;
* Liu Su (肅), Prince Qing (頃) of Donghai, 102–125;
* Liu Zhen (臻), Prince Xiao (孝) of Donghai, 125–156;
* Liu Zhi (祗), Prince Yi (懿) of Donghai, 156–200;
* Liu Xian (羨), 200–220;
* Cao Wen (溫), 232–265.
References
{{Han dynasty provinces
Commanderies of the Han dynasty
Commanderies of the Jin dynasty (266–420)
Commanderies of the Southern dynasties
Commanderies of the Northern dynasties
Commanderies of the Sui dynasty