Friend: It’s not the Governor of the Western Regions, it should be the Protector of the Western Regions

The Protector of the Western Regions

The highest military and political officer of the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty. In the Western Han Dynasty, Duhu was a professional title added to other official titles. Most of them were held by Cavalry Captain, with a rank of two thousand stones. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was a single official position. Emperors Wu and Zhao often cultivated fields in Quli and Luntai, and appointed envoys and captains to take care of them to provide for the envoys coming and going. In the second year of Emperor Xuan's Dijie (68 BC), he sent his minister Zheng Ji to work on the plows in the fields and compete with the Xiongnu for charioteers. After his meritorious service, he moved to the Sima Guard to protect the "Southern Road" countries to the west of Shanshan. In the second year of Shenjue (60 BC), the Huns chased their king and surrendered to the Han Dynasty. They asked Zheng Ji to send troops to meet him. The "North Road" was also connected, so Zheng Ji was appointed as the cavalry captain and the chariot guard of the countries to the west of the "North Road". Because he was in charge of the northern and southern provinces, he was named Duhu. This is where the guardianship began. In the Western Han Dynasty, the Duhu governed Wulei City (now northeast of Luntai, Xinjiang), which was close to the Quli field officer, and the Tuntian Duwei belonged to the Duhu. Protector of the Kaifu. The subordinate officers include deputy captain, whose rank is as high as two thousand stones; one person is the chief minister; two are each the sima, marquis, and thousand people. The post of Protector was issued by the imperial court in command of Dayuan (today's Fergana Basin of the Soviet Union) and the kingdoms east of it, and to supervise Wusun (Ili River Basin), Kangju (today's middle reaches of the Syr Darya River) and other traveling states. Give an order: If there is chaos in any country, you must send troops to conquer it. Wusun was married to the Han Dynasty, so he relied on the governor to protect him. From the time of Zheng Ji to Wang Mang, there were many imperial guards. There were eighteen people before and after him, and ten of them are named in the history books. Under Emperor Xuan there were Zheng Ji, under Emperor Yuan there were Han Xuan and Gan Yanshou, under Emperor Cheng there were Duan Huizong, Han Li, Lian Bao and Guo Shun, under Emperor Ping there were Sun Jian and Dan Qin, and under Emperor Xinmang there was Li Chong. By the end of Xinmang (around 23 AD), the Western Regions were in chaos, and Li Chong was lost in Qiuci, so he dismissed the governor. On the 21st day of Emperor Guangwu's reign in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 45), the Eighteen Kingdoms of the Western Regions requested to be restored as governors, but Emperor Guangwu refused. In the 17th year of Emperor Yongping's reign (AD 74), Chen Mu was appointed as the Protector-General. The next year, Yanqi and Qiuci rebelled, and Mao Zedong attacked and killed Chen Mu, then dismissed the governor. In the third year of Emperor Yongyuan (AD 91), the commander of the army Shi Banchao pacified the Western Regions, and Banchao was appointed as the guardian and stationed in Tagancheng in Qiuci (near today's Kuqa, Xinjiang, its location is unknown). In the fourteenth year, Banchao returned to Luoyang, and his successors were Ren Shang and Duan Xi. In the first year of Emperor An's Yongchu reign (107), the Western Regions were in turmoil, and Zhengxi returned. From then on, there was no longer a military governor. In the second year of Yanguang (123), Ban Yong was appointed as the Chief Historian of the Western Regions, and the Western Regions were restored to peace, so he assumed the duties of Protector of the Western Regions.

The highest administrative and military officer in the Western Regions established by the Han Dynasty. In the second year of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty (68 BC), he sent his minister Zheng Ji to garrison Tianquli (today's Weili area in Xinjiang) to compete with the Xiongnu for the Eastern Division and to protect the safety of the "Southern Road" countries west of Shanshan. In the second year of Shenjue (60 BC), the Xiongnu returned to the Han Dynasty day by day. Zheng Ji sent troops to welcome them. Emperor Xuan also ordered Zheng Ji to monitor the safety of the countries in the northwest (North Road) of the Che Division. Since he was in charge of two camps, he was called the Protector. Since then, "Duhu" has become the official official name of the highest official stationed in the Western Regions in the Western Han Dynasty. The Protectorate of the Western Regions has a rank of 2,000 shi, which is equivalent to that of a county guard in the interior. Under him are deputy captains, prime ministers, Sima and other subordinate officials. The establishment of the Protectorate of the Western Regions ensured the smooth flow of the Silk Road, strengthened unity and economic and cultural exchanges among ethnic groups, and marked the formal return of the Western Regions to the central government. At the same time, the implementation of the farmland policy in the local area also promoted the development of agricultural production in the Western Regions to a certain extent. It was dismantled during Wang Mang's period, established or dismantled in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and dismantled in the first year of Emperor An's reign (107).