Four Garrisons of Anxi
Encyclopedia
The Four Garrisons of Anxi were Chinese military garrison
s installed by Tang Dynasty
between 648
and 658
that stationed at the city and capital of the Indo-European
statelet Kucha
, Khotan
, Kashgar
and Karashahr, the capital of Kucha was also the seat of Protectorate General to Pacify the West
. The troops were sent and stationed here from within the Tang proper.
The fortress of Four Garrisons were first built in 648, when the main opponent statelets in the Tarim Basin
were subdued by force. Shortly in 651, the garrisons were broke away under the Turkic
prince Ashina Helu until the conquest of Su Dingfang
after 657
.
The main challenger for the Chinese establishing their hegemony over the region was the Tibet
ans, who since 662
had constantly set their aggression over the region and briefly seized it between 670
and 692
, during this period the Chinese re-captured them in 675, 679, 682 and again in 686. Meanwhile in 679, another fortress was built in Suyab
, situated at around the Chui River, this would later replaced Karashahr as one of the Four Garrisons until 719
when the Turgesh
took over it.
In 692, with the last defeat of Tibetans, and a brief seizure of Kucha by Turgesh for 8 months in 709, the Four Garrisons were permanently controlled by the Chinese thereafter. Even though by the 760s and 780s, most of the regular prefectures at Hexi Corridor
, such as Liangzhou (764), Ganzhou
, Suzhou
(766), Guazhou
(776), Yizhou
(781) and Shazhou
(787) were occupied by the Tibetans, and the contacts between the capital was limited. The Chinese continued to maintain the order of these garrisons until 791, when these along with the seat of Protectorate General to Pacify the West would eventually fallen to the Tibetan hands.
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
s installed by Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
between 648
648
Year 648 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 648 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Literature :* The Book of Jin is compiled in China...
and 658
658
Year 658 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 658 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The Union of Slavic Tribes falls apart after...
that stationed at the city and capital of the Indo-European
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
statelet Kucha
Kucha
Kuchaor Kuche Uyghur , Chinese Simplified: 库车; Traditional: 庫車; pinyin Kùchē; also romanized as Qiuzi, Qiuci, Chiu-tzu, Kiu-che, Kuei-tzu from the traditional Chinese forms 屈支 屈茨; 龜玆; 龟兹, 丘玆, also Po ; Sanskrit: Kueina, Standard Tibetan: Kutsahiyui was an ancient Buddhist kingdom...
, Khotan
Khotan
Hotan , or Hetian , also spelled Khotan, is the seat of the Hotan Prefecture in Xinjiang, China. It was previously known in Chinese as 于窴/於窴 and to 19th-century European explorers as Ilchi....
, Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
and Karashahr, the capital of Kucha was also the seat of Protectorate General to Pacify the West
Protectorate General to Pacify the West
The Protectorate General to Pacify the West, Grand Protectorate General to Pacify the West, or Anxi Protectorate was a Chinese outpost established by Tang Dynasty in 640 to control the regions of Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains...
. The troops were sent and stationed here from within the Tang proper.
The fortress of Four Garrisons were first built in 648, when the main opponent statelets in the Tarim Basin
Tarim Basin
The Tarim Basin is a large endorheic basin occupying an area of about . It is located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China's far west. Its northern boundary is the Tian Shan mountain range and its southern is the Kunlun Mountains on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The...
were subdued by force. Shortly in 651, the garrisons were broke away under the Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
prince Ashina Helu until the conquest of Su Dingfang
Su Dingfang
Su Dingfang , formal name Su Lie but went by the courtesy name of Dingfang, formally Duke Zhuang of Xing , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who succeeded in destroying the Western Tujue in 657. He was born in Wuyi...
after 657
657
Year 657 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 657 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Chinese Tang Dynasty under Emperor Gaozong...
.
The main challenger for the Chinese establishing their hegemony over the region was the Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
ans, who since 662
662
Year 662 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of...
had constantly set their aggression over the region and briefly seized it between 670
670
Year 670 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 670 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* On the death of his brother Clotaire,...
and 692
692
Year 692 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 692 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Leontios leading a substantial Byzantine army,...
, during this period the Chinese re-captured them in 675, 679, 682 and again in 686. Meanwhile in 679, another fortress was built in Suyab
Suyab
Suyab was an ancient Silk Road city located some 50 km east from Bishkek, and 8 km west southwest from Tokmok, in the Chui River valley, present-day Kyrgyzstan.- History :...
, situated at around the Chui River, this would later replaced Karashahr as one of the Four Garrisons until 719
719
Year 719 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 719 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Charles Martel defeats king Radbod of the...
when the Turgesh
Turgesh
The Türgesh, Turgish or Türgish were a Turkic tribal confederation who emerged from the ruins of the Western Turkic Kaganate...
took over it.
In 692, with the last defeat of Tibetans, and a brief seizure of Kucha by Turgesh for 8 months in 709, the Four Garrisons were permanently controlled by the Chinese thereafter. Even though by the 760s and 780s, most of the regular prefectures at Hexi Corridor
Hexi Corridor
Hexi Corridor or Gansu Corridor refers to the historical route in Gansu province of China. As part of the Northern Silk Road running northwest from the bank of the Yellow River, it was the most important route from North China to the Tarim Basin and Central Asia for traders and the military. The...
, such as Liangzhou (764), Ganzhou
Zhangye
-Administration:Zhangye has 1 urban district, 4 counties, 1 autonomous county, 97 towns, and 977 villages.-Demographics:Zhangye has a total population of 1,260,000, only 260,000 being urban residents...
, Suzhou
Jiuquan
- Suzhou town :The administrative center of the "prefecture-level city" of Jiuquan is the "District" of Suzhou , which occupies 3,386 square km in the eastern part of Jiuquan "prefecture-level city", and had a population of 340,000 as of 2002....
(766), Guazhou
Jiuquan
- Suzhou town :The administrative center of the "prefecture-level city" of Jiuquan is the "District" of Suzhou , which occupies 3,386 square km in the eastern part of Jiuquan "prefecture-level city", and had a population of 340,000 as of 2002....
(776), Yizhou
Hami Prefecture
Kumul Prefecture, also known as Hami Prefecture is located in eastern Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 140,749 km² and 492,096 inhabitants .- History :...
(781) and Shazhou
Dunhuang
Dunhuang is a city in northwestern Gansu province, Western China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. It was also known at times as Shāzhōu , or 'City of Sands', a name still used today...
(787) were occupied by the Tibetans, and the contacts between the capital was limited. The Chinese continued to maintain the order of these garrisons until 791, when these along with the seat of Protectorate General to Pacify the West would eventually fallen to the Tibetan hands.