The Governance Institution in Ordos Loop from Sui to Early Tang (581-649)
Date Issued
2016
Date
2016
Author(s)
Chang, Che-Yao
Abstract
This thesis analyze how China looked upon the concept of the frontier and how it designed regional administrative institution, and how it settled Northern Nomadic tribes in order to maintain stability on the frontier. My approach is about discussing the problems and reactions of institutional operation and the way China governed frontiers. The thesis uses Ordos Loop in Sui to early Tang as a case to study. In the chapter ‘Geographical environment and net,’ I discuss four regional administrative institutions, Xiazhou, Lingzhou, Shengzhou, and Fengzhou, and two traffic lines between them. Basing on this discussion, I portrait a picture that the political center transited from Shengzhou to Lingzhou in 581-649. The line ‘Xiazhou to Shengzhou’ could connect to Baidao, which was the major place that the battles between Sui and Turkish Nomadic Empire took place. The line and the other traffic line from Taiyuan to Baidao were the two main roads connecting China and Northern Nomadic tribes. After Sui Yang-Ti’s northern inspection tour in 607, Shengzhou became the political center in northern frontier. In 646, due to the demand from the Tiele tribes far in northern China, Tang built a new road to connect Tang and the Tiele tribes. After that, Lingzhou replaced Shengzhou and became the new political center in northern frontier, and the line from Lingzhou to Fengzhou also became more important. In the chapter ‘Change of Governance Institution and Frontier Concept,’ I analyze the discussion, which took place in 630, about that settlement of nomadic tribes. I generalize that Tang’s main concern was about three dimensions: the place of settlement, the structure of tribes and the succession of tribes’ leaders. According to this generalization, I proceed to investigate the variety of administrative district and tribes’ settlement in Ordos Loop, and then I conclude that Sui had two characteristics: tribal alliance and using of the title of ‘Khan.’ After 630, these characteristics gradually changed to the application of Chinese institution, such as the system of prefectures and counties and bureaucratic system. These Chinese institutions were built upon the tribe construction. Through the investigation of the settlement of tribes in 630 and 646, I point out that the ways in these two cases were different. In 646, Tang constructed the prefecture of Jimi and the Duhufu system. In the case, although the system of prefectures and counties and the bureaucratic system could be disseminated to northern frontier, even outside this frontier, there was no evidence that Tang had tax or popularity data from these Jimi areas. Therefore, the governance to Jimi areas in 646 is looser than that in 630. In the end of the thesis, I try to discuss these settlements with the concept of the frontier and point out that because of the claim of succession from Han, Tang used ‘TengriKhan’ system to justify the rule in non-Han’s frontier. However, according to tax and popularity data, from Sui to early Tang, China did not rule crossing Yinshan, and Sui and Tang only used different ways to govern frontier.
Subjects
Ordos Loop
Traffic Network
Governance Institution
Tribal Alliance
Jimi System
Frontier Policy
Frontier consciousness
Type
thesis
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