Anding Commandery

Anding Commandery (Chinese: 安定郡; lit. 'Peaceful and Stable') was a historical commandery of China, located in what is now eastern Gansu and southern Ningxia.

History

Anding commandery was carved out of Beidi in 114 BC. Its capital was Gaoping (高平, modern Guyuan, Ningxia).^[1] In late Western Han period, the commandery administered 21 counties: Gaoping (高平), Fulei (復累), Anbi (安俾), Fuyi (撫夷), Chaona (朝那), Jingyang (涇陽), Linjing (臨涇), Lu (鹵), Wushi (烏氏), Yinmi (陰密), Anding (安定), Candu (參讀), Sanshui (三水), Yinpan (陰槃), Anwu (安武), Zuli (祖厲), Yuande (爰得), Xuanjuan (眴卷), Pengyang (彭陽), Chunyin (鶉陰) and Yuezhidao (月支道). The total population in 2 AD was 143,294 (42,725 households).^[2] The Eastern Han census in 140 AD, however, documented a population of only 29,060 (6,094 households), and the number of counties had reduced to 8.^[3]

Due to attacks by the Qiang people, the commandery's administration was relocated to Youfufeng from 111 to 129. Anding was moved permanently to Youfufeng in 141 after another wave of Qiang attacks, and the original territories were eventually abandoned.^[4] In 280 AD, the commandery had 7 counties, with a total population of 5,500 households.^[5]

References

^ "彭阳县境内古城址概述". Guyuan Museum. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
^ Book of Han, Chapter 28.
^ Book of Later Han, Chapter 113.
^ Beck, B. J. Mansvelt (1990). The Treatises of Later Han: Their Author, Sources, Contents and Place in Chinese Historiography. Brill. p. 194. ISBN 9789004482845. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
^ Book of Jin, Chapter 14.