The Historical Map of the Capital of the Western Region in the Eastern Han Dynasty

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The Historical Map of the Capital of the Western Region in the Eastern Han Dynasty

发布时间：2016-10-24 11:29:00 UTC

类别：Qin and Han Dynasties Historical Maps

Map Introduction

The Western Regions during the Han Dynasty Period

Since the Han Dynasty, the Western Regions in the narrow sense referred to the area west of the Yumen Pass and Yang Pass, east of the Congling (Pamir) Mountains, and encompassing the vast regions east and south of Lake Balkhash, including present-day Xinjiang. In the broad sense, the Western Regions referred to all areas accessible via the narrow definition, including parts of central and western Asia.

Later, the term evolved to mean China's western regions, thus Qinghai and Tibet were also considered part of the Western Regions. During the Qing Dynasty, the scope of the "Western Regions" extended from east of Dunhuang westwards to Lake Balkhash and the Congling Mountains, south to the borders of Lhasa, north to the borders of Russia and the Left and Right Kazakh Hordes, with much of southwestern Qinghai and northern Tibet also included.

The historical evolution of the Protectorate of the Western Regions during the Eastern Han Dynasty is marked by a change in its institutional name, while its core functions continued to effectively administer the Western Regions.

Institutional Continuity and Functional Adjustments During the Eastern Han period (25–220 CE), the Protectorate of the Western Regions was renamed the Chief Official of the Western Regions, but its administrative functions were largely continued. The Chief Official of the Western Regions still undertook responsibilities such as military garrisoning, administrative jurisdiction, and managing agricultural garrisons for border defense, ensuring the safety and smooth operation of the Silk Road.

Jurisdiction and Governance Effectiveness The Eastern Han's administrative scope over the Western Regions covered areas north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, the Pamir Plateau, and the regions east and south of Lake Balkhash. Through the appointment of officials, implementation of agricultural garrisons, and establishment of a beacon fire system, the central government consolidated its jurisdiction over the Western Regions.

Historical Significance The establishment of the Protectorate of the Western Regions (including its successor institution) ended the prolonged period of fragmentation in the Western Regions, promoted economic and cultural exchange between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, and safeguarded the prosperity of the Silk Road. This system laid the foundation for the administration of the Western Regions by subsequent central governments.

After the Eastern Han re-established the Protectorate of the Western Regions and intervened, the previously annexed small states regained their independence. During the Eastern Han period, Khotan's population grew from 3,300 households and 19,300 people in the Western Han to 32,000 households and 83,000 people; Yanqi increased from 4,000 households and 32,100 people to 15,000 households and 52,000 people; and Shule also grew from 1,510 households to 21,000 households. At that time, Khotan, Yanqi, and Shule were the three major powers in the Western Regions.

Map Source

The Historical Map of the Capital of the Western Region in the Eastern Han Dynasty is sourced from The Historical Atlas of China, Volume 2(3)—Maps of the Eastern Han Dynasty, published by SinoMaps Press on October 1, 1982, with Tan Qixiang as its author.

The Historical Atlas of China is an atlas focusing primarily on the historical administrative divisions and territories of China throughout its dynasties, compiled under the chief editorship of Tan Qixiang. The entire work spans from the primitive society to the end of the Qing dynasty, organized into 8 volumes and 20 sections according to historical periods, containing a total of 304 maps (not including illustrations). All maps juxtapose historical and modern geography. The compilation of this atlas began in the 1950s, it was seriously disturbed during the cultural revolution. The internal edition was published in 1975 but contained numerous errors. Publication of Volumes 1-8 occurred successively starting in 1982. The Historical Atlas of China is a rare and valuable resource for studying the historical administrative divisions of China.

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