Wuwei Commandery
| Wuwei Commandery 武威郡 | |
|---|---|
| Former subdivision of Western Han → Eastern Han → Cao Wei → Western Jin → Northern dynasties | |
| 111 BCE–589 CE | |
| Capital | Wuwei 武威 (near modern Liangzhou District, Wuwei City) |
| Historical era | Imperial China |
• Created during Emperor Wu's Hexi Corridor campaign | 111 BCE |
• Abolished during the Sui dynasty prefectural reform | 589 CE |
| Today part of | Western Gansu (centered on modern Wuwei, Gansu) |
Wuwei Commandery (武威郡) was an imperial Chinese commandery located in the eastern Hexi Corridor of western Gansu. Established in 111 BCE following Emperor Wu of Han’s conquest of the region, it served as the primary Han military and political center in the Hexi corridor and functioned as a vital Silk Road node. The commandery remained active through the Han, Three Kingdoms, and Jin periods until it was abolished during the Sui dynasty administrative reform in 589 CE.
Geography and counties
[edit]According to the Book of Han, Wuwei Commandery administered fifteen counties. By 2 CE, it registered 70,734 households and 279,732 individuals, making it one of the most populous frontier commanderies in the empire.[1]
| County | Chinese | Modern location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wuwei (seat) | 武威 | Liangzhou District, Wuwei | commandery capital and granary |
| Chang | 昌 | Minqin County | oasis farming zone |
| Gaotai | 高台 | later part of Zhangye Commandery | initially subordinate |
| Luohu | 羅湖 | near Gulang | Di tribal region |
| Longle | 龍勒 | south of Wuwei | tuntian military farms |
| Fuhan | 復漢 | Tianzhu County | Han-Qiang frontier |
| Juyan | 居延 | Jinta/Ejina | frontier beacon stations |
| Liangguan | 良官 | east of Yongchang | garrison post |
Han dynasty
[edit]Wuwei was established in 111 BCE to control the eastern Hexi corridor. The name "Wuwei" (lit. "Martial Prestige") commemorated Han victories over the Xiongnu. The commandery became a key supply base and political seat for managing the Western Regions, especially after 60 BCE when the post of Colonel Protector of the Western Regions (都護西域) was attached to Wuwei.[2]
The region supported widespread settlement through irrigation and the tuntian system. Grain reserves and remount horses raised here supported Han military expeditions as far as Ferghana and Kashgar.
In the 1st century CE, Wuwei faced Qiang uprisings. General Duan Gong reinforced border walls and restored canals. Buddhist communities also began to appear during this period as part of cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.
Three Kingdoms period
[edit]Ma Teng and Ma Chao
[edit]Wuwei was the home base of the Liang warlord Ma Teng, who served as Governor (牧) of Liang Province during the late Eastern Han. His family estate and militia forces were based in Wuwei and neighboring commanderies. Ma Teng’s son, Ma Chao, succeeded him and mobilized Wuwei’s cavalry and grain levies during the Battle of Tong Pass (211), in alliance with Han Sui and other Liang warlords against Cao Cao.[3]
Following their defeat at Tong Pass, Ma Teng was executed and Ma Chao fled west to Zhangye Commandery and then south to join Liu Bei. Wuwei was placed under tighter control by Cao Cao, who dispatched generals including Xiahou Yuan and Guo Huai to pacify the region.
Later Three Kingdoms era
[edit]During the remainder of the Three Kingdoms period, Wuwei served as a critical supply base and staging point for Cao Wei operations in the west. Trade and military traffic along the Hexi corridor was administered through Wuwei’s customs offices and postal stations. The commandery did not fall to Shu Han during Zhuge Liang’s campaigns but remained under Wei control.
Jin and Northern dynasties
[edit]Under the Western Jin (280), Wuwei governed about ten counties and was the provincial capital of Liangzhou. During the uprisings following the fall of Luoyang, the commandery passed into the hands of the Former Liang regime, founded by the Zhang family, who used Wuwei as their capital until its fall to Former Qin in 376.[4]
The commandery was retained in some form under the Northern Liang, Northern Wei, and Western Wei dynasties until the Sui dynasty abolished commanderies in 589 and converted Wuwei into Liang Prefecture (涼州).
Economy
[edit]Wuwei's wealth came from its oasis agriculture, horse pastures, and Silk Road traffic. Its military colonies produced grain, flax, and fodder. Caravan taxes and state monopolies on tea and salt generated revenue. Workshops in Liangzhou produced bronze fittings, textiles, and horse tack.
Archaeology
[edit]- Han bricks stamped 武威太守 unearthed in Wuwei’s southern suburbs confirm a Han administration complex.
- Burial goods from Eastern Han tombs include Di-style bronze belt hooks, Han mirrors, and Central Asian beads.
- Han–Wei postal relay tablets from the Juyan beacon sites bear orders signed by Wuwei inspectors.