Hang Prefecture Explained

Hang Prefecture
Altnamemodule:
Child:yes
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P:Háng Zhōu
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P:Yúháng Jùn
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P:Xī Fǔ
L:Western Prefecture
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P:Qiántáng Fǔ
Map:260px
Preceded By:Qiantang Commandery (錢唐郡)
End:1129 (Song dynasty)
Replace:Lin'an Prefecture
Populationfirst:585,963
Populationfirstyear:740s or 750s
Populationsecond:~0.9 million[1]
Populationsecondyear:980
Populationthird:~1 million
Populationthirdyear:1085
Populationlast:~1 million
Populationlastyear:1102
Membership Title1:Circuit (Tang dynasty)
Membership Title2:Kingdom
Membership2:Wuyue (907–978)
Membership Title3:Circuit (Song dynasty)
Membership3:Liangzhe Circuit
Hq:Qiantang (錢唐 or 錢塘)

Hangzhou or Hang Prefecture (589–1129) was a zhou (prefecture) in imperial China located in modern northern Zhejiang, China, around modern Hangzhou. The prefecture was called Yuhang Commandery from 607 to 621 and from 742 to 758. Hang Prefecture was the capital of the Wuyue kingdom (907–978), inside which it was known as Xi Prefecture (Western Prefecture), and during its last years of the kingdom, as Qiantang Prefecture.

Hang Prefecture sat at the head of the Hangzhou Bay, which opens to the East China Sea. It was also the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the eastern terminus of the Qiantang River. During the Northern Song (960–1127) it was the capital of Liangzhe Circuit. In 1129 it became Lin'an Prefecture, which would become the capital of the Southern Song (1127–1279) in 1138.

Counties

For most of its history, Hang Prefecture administered the following 7–9 counties (縣), some of whose names changed frequently:

Sui dynastyTang dynastyWuyueSong dynastyModern location
1Qiantang (錢唐)Qiantang (錢塘)Qiantang (錢塘)Hangzhou (City Proper)
2Qianjiang (錢江)Renhe (仁和)
3Yuhang (餘杭)Yuhang District, Hangzhou
4Fuyang (富陽)Fuchun (富春)FuyangFuyang District, Hangzhou
5Xincheng (新城)Xindeng (新登)Xincheng
6Lin'an (臨安)Anguo (安國)Lin'anLin'an City
7Yuqian (於潜)Yuqian
8Changhua (昌化)
9Yanguan (鹽官)Haining City

History

During Sui and the Sui–Tang transition (589–622)

In 587, the southern Chen dynasty (557–589) created Qiantang Commandery (錢唐郡), which administered four counties. When the northern Sui dynasty (581–618) conquered the Chen dynasty in 589, Qiantang Commandery was renamed to Hang Prefecture.

In 606, the City Walls were built.

In 607, Emperor Yang of Sui renamed hundreds of prefectures. Hang Prefecture was renamed to Yuhang Commandery.

In 609, the Grand Canal was completed.

During the transition from Sui to Tang, the warlord Shen Faxing first held Yuhang Commandery in the confusion following the assassination of Emperor Yang in 618. In 620, he was defeated by the warlord Li Zitong, who took over his territory.

During Tang and Wuyue (622–978)

The Tang dynasty (618–907) did not occupy the prefecture until December 611, when the Tang army under Li Fuwei destroyed Li Zitong's defense in Yuhang. The Tang renamed Yuhang Commandery to Hang Prefecture.

In 653, the woman rebel leader Chen Shuozhen attacked Hang Prefecture and took Yuqian.

In the late Tang dynasty, the rebel Huang Chao briefly occupied Hang Prefecture twice, first in 878 and later in 880. In the late 870s, local militias were formed to resist the rebel Wang Ying, and among the soldiers were Hang Prefecture natives Dong Chang and Qian Liu.

In 882, warlord Liu Hanhong, who was based in neighboring Yue Prefecture, wanted to take over Hang Prefecture from Dong Chang. He was soundly defeated by Dong Chang's force led by Qian Liu. In 886, Dong Chang promised Hang Prefecture to Qian Liu if he could destroy Liu Hanhong; Qian Liu did just that, capturing Liu Hanhong and taking over his territory. In 887, Qian Liu took over Hang Prefecture while Dong Chang went to Liu Hanhong's former base in Yue Prefecture. (Qian Liu later attacked and killed Dong Chang in 896.)

Qian Liu began a series of massive construction projects in Hang Prefecture in 890. These include the fortification of city walls and the construction of a dam to control the Qiantang River. After the Tang dynasty collapsed in 907, Qian Liu remained independent throughout the ensuing Five Dynasties period, even though like before he continued to pay tributes to the imperial courts in Kaifeng Prefecture (or Henan Prefecture during Later Tang).

During the Wuyue kingdom, many Buddhist pagodas were built in Hang Prefecture. These include Baochu Pagoda (963), Liuhe Pagoda (970), and Leifeng Pagoda (975).

During the Song dynasty (978–1129)

The inventor Bi Sheng was active in Hang Prefecture, as was Shen Kuo.

In December 1120, rebel Fang La took Hang Prefecture and held it until March 1121.[2]

In March 1129, Zhao Gou fled the north and arrived with his followers in Hang Prefecture.

Prefects

Source:[3]

Tang dynasty

Note: From 742 to 758 Hang Prefecture was known as Yuhang (Commandery).

Wuyue

Song dynasty

References

Notes and References

  1. This estimate is based on the assumption that household figures is more reliable than population figures from Song dynasty censuses. For conflicting views on Song dynasty census figures, see Thoughts on the Historical Development of the Population of China. Pritchard. Earl H.. Earl H. Pritchard. The Journal of Asian Studies. 1963. 3–20. 23. 1. 2050630. and zh:宋代人口统计问题研究. A Study on the Song Dynasty Census Problem. Li Baozhu (李宝柱). 1982. zh. http://www.oaj.pku.edu.cn/skb/CN/Y1982/V19/I4/67#1. Journal of Peking University (Philosophy and Social Sciences). 19. 4. 67–77. 2018-07-20. 2018-07-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20180720225249/http://www.oaj.pku.edu.cn/skb/CN/Y1982/V19/I4/67#1. dead.
  2. Kao. Yu-kung. Source Materials on the Fang La Rebellion. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 26. 1966. 211–240. 2718466.
  3. Web site: http://www.hangzhou.gov.cn/art/2003/2/24/art_806150_80123.html. zh:《杭州市志》第二节　唐至清代行政首官. Hangzhou City Government. zh. History of Hangzhou City Chapter 2: Chief Administrators from Tang to Qing.

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