| |
As early as in remote ages about 4000 years ago,
there was people called Sangmiao moved about in present-day
Dunhuang in this area, later on there were other ancient
nomadic nationalities of Qiang, Rong, Yuezhi and Wusun,
etc. moved around in this area .In the period of Emperor
Wen, 174 B.C. Xiongnu broke in and occupied the whole
area of the Hexi Corridor. They cruelly plundered the
local people, destroyed friendly intercourse between
nations, severed relations of the interior with the
Western Regions. It had been a threat to the Western
Han Dynasty. Since the political power was not consolidated
during its early period , the Han Dynasty felt weak
in resisting the invasion and harassment of Xiongnu
and had to attempt to cement relations with rulers of
Xiongnu by marrying daughters of the imperial family
to them and tried to achieve temporary peace . By the
time when Emperor Wudi ascended the throne, the imperial
court of the Han,after half of a century’s ehabilitation,
launched a war in a large scale against Xiongnu .In
year 127B.C. the army of Han Dynasty fought against
Xiongnu and won a series of victories, recovered vast
land south to the Great Bend of the Huanghe River and
thus got rid of immediate threat from Xionghu. In year
121B.C. the court dispatched troops to attack and wiped
out Xionghu who were entrenched in the Hexi Corridor
.Henceforth, a vast expanse of land of the Hexi Corridor
had been entirely incorporated into the Western Han’s
territory .Afterwards, Emperor Wudi pursued a series
of special policies on politics, economy and military
to consolidate the achievements. In 121 year B.C. the
Western Han Dynasty set up two prefectures of Juquan
and Zhangye. In 111 year B .C. the other two prefectures
were set up, namely Dunhuang and Wuwei , meanwhile the
pass of Yangguan and the pass of Yumenguan were built
.Thereupon the Western Han Dynasty completed the organizational
system of administration in the Hexi Corridor,and opened
the gateway to the Western Regions (a Han Dynasty term
for the area west of Yunmenguan Pass , including what
is now Xinjiang and parts of Central Aria. ) In the
year 60.B.C. the metropolis of the Western Regions was
set up governing the large area west of Yangguan Pass
and Yumenguan Pass to east of Baerkeshi Lake . The establishment
of the government of the metropolis marked that the
area of the Western Regions had been completely incorporated
in to China’s territory . Thereafter ，the communication
line between China and the West was open and unlocked
, Juanquan had thus been a vital passage on the Silk
Road.
In the early period of the Eastern Han, the Northern
Xiongnu, seizing the opportunity of chaos caused by
civil war in the court, again forcibly occupied great
part of the Western Regions and the Silk Road severed.
In year 73, the Eastern Han Dynasty dispatched troops
on a punitive expedition from Jiuquan, defeated the
Northern Xiongnu, and opened the gate again to the Western
Regions. The famous diplomat Banchao visited the Western
Region as an envoy of the court and resumed relations
of friendly exchange with nations in the Western Regions.
The sovereignty was recovered over this area .Thenceforth,
there were unimpeded trade contacts and frequent exchange
of friendly visits between China and the West, and the
Silk Road entered a new stage of great prosperity.
During the period of the Three Kingdoms (220\265) this
area of Hexi Corridor including Jiuquan was dominated
by the Wei. In the dynasties of the South and the North
and the Western Jing, there was “the Revolt of Eight
Kings ”, which caused frequent wars in Central China,
but the Hexi Corridor was relatively stable and peaceful
.Lots of scholars and rich merchants moved into this
area to avoid the chaos of war , which promoted economic
prosperity and cultural development of this place. In
here, people lead a well-off life, education was flourishing
and nationalities lived together in harmony. Jiuquan
and Dunhuang were once the political, economic and cultural
centres in the Hexi Corridor, and were made the capitals
of the Xiliang kingdom successively. Liyuanhao, the
king , was a famous statesman and writer. He was buried
in Jiuquan after his death.
In the Sui Dynasty, the area of Hexi Corridor was still
a main traffic line of trade between China and the West,
therefore, Emperor Suiyangdi sent a minister of monarchy
to garrison Jiuquan to operate administration and develop
trade in the whole area of the Hexi Corridor
In the Tang Dynasty during year 2 of Jian’an (781.A.D.),
Tufan, an ancient nationality in China, invaded the
Hexi Corridor by taking the opportunity of chaos of
war in the court and ruled Jiuquan for nearly 190 years.
In years of Dazhong, Zhangyichao, a folk of Shazhou
(present-day Dunhuang) , staged an uprising by seizing
the opportunity when there was chaos of war inside the
Tufan nation, and the Hexi Corridor was recovered and
returned to the Dang Dynasty.
In the Song Dynasty, Jiuquan and Dunhuang were once
occupied by the Western Xia Kingdom.During the period
of the Northern Song, the Dangxiang nationality rised
in the northwest China, his leader Liyuanhao established
the Western Xia regime and proclaimed himself the emperor.
The rulers of the Western Xia paid attention to economic
development and made politics economy, culture and art
no difference to the Central China.
When the Yuan Empire was first founded, the population
in the two prefectures of Suzhou and Shazhou had dropped
less than ten thousand. Afterwards Mongolians came in
a crowd, and the social productive forces increased,
and thus, Juiuquan and Dunhuang flourished again.
In year 5 of Hongwu, Zhuyuanzhang, the founder of the
Ming Dynasty , sent troops commanded by Fengshen tittled
punitive general to attack Yuan (Mongolian) army advancing
along three routes beyond the Great wall , and inflicked
a crushing defeat on the enemy . Soon afterwards, Jiayuguan
Pass was built. Guazhou (Anxi) and Shazhou (Dunhuang)
were left outside the Pass, Suzhou (Jiuquan) had thus
been the first town of strategic importance in northwest
border area and strategic gateway to the West.
In the Qing Dynasty, the organizational system of administration
was carried as the Ming Dynasty’s. The policy of having
garrison troops or peasants open up wasteland and grow
food grain was prevailing, a large number of people
migrated in, schools and academies were built. After
more than 30 years’ efforts of reestablishment and consolidation,
the society was stable, education and culture were thriving
in Jiuquan .
After the Revolution of 1911 (the Chinese bourgeois
democratic revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen which overthrew
the Qing Dynasty) the organizational system of autocratic
monarchy was abolished and republicanism was built in
Jiuquan. The whole region was divided into 7 counties
and cities namely Jiuquan ,Yumen ,Anxi ,Jingta ,Gaotai
and Dinxin .In 1949, Jiuquan was liberated peacefully
and entered a new stage of development in socialist
revolution and construction . |
