Research On Township Defense System In Hehuang Area In Tang Dynasty

Falling roughly within the administration of Shan and Kuo in Tang Dynasty, Hehuang Area was the crisscross land which had long been coveted and fought for by many clans of Tang Dynasty, Tuguhun Kingdom, Tufan Kingdom and Dangxiang Race.The frontier defense in the northwest of Jingji, the capital city of Tang was centered in Hehuang and Longyou Areas, and flanked with the Western Regions and Jiannan Area which stretched in the direction of northwest and southeast separately to form a huge cambered defense line. The northeast side of this cambered defense line neighbored with the country’s north borders, namely the states of Feng and Ling; they forged an interdependent defense pattern to safeguard Jingji. Since the Li Tang dynasty was founded, the local separatist forces of Sui Dynasty were eradicated step by step. Carrying out policies based on Guanzhong Area and making use of the advantages brought by the offensive strategies to the foreign forces, the government took regime of combining army system with Mansion Guarding System of Dudufu and maintained the military presence in Hehuang Area.Simultaneously, the government made utmost efforts to balance the relationship between Tuyuhun and Tufan kingdoms through political marriages to maintain the equilibrium of regional forces. In the third year of Longshuo Era (663), the kingdom of Tuyuhun perished, Hehuang area was exposed to the armies of Tufan Kingdom. The previous army system and border defense system of Dudufu could not satisfy the border defense needs. The Tang central government began to make adjustments of the border defense system according to the domestic and forign needs. As the external strategy switched from offensive to defensive, Tang government began to reinforce the founding of military army in Hehuang area, which had laid solid foundations for the later Jiedushi in frontier defense. During Kaiyuan era, in preparation of defense against Tufan, Tang had set Hexi Jiedushi and Longyou Jiedushi in Hehuang and Longyou areas to strengthen the northwest defense. The setting of two Jiedushi was like an open huge pincer, the opening and closing of which decided the war situation of northwest as well as the safety of Jingji. During the continuous fighting with Tufan, the Hexi Jiedu and Longyou Jiedu were gradually developed into a big war zone, forming the Northwest Army Group. During Tianbao era, the garrison and strategic posture in Hehuang area reached the period of great prosperity. After Anshi Rebellion, the two Jiedus of Hexi and Longyou deployed their own armies to counter the insurgences, during which the war in Lingbao almost eradicated the whole army. Tufan Kingdom took advantage of the weak defense of Hehuang and occupied the area, thus, began a hundred years’ domination over the area. During the Dazhong era, Zhang Yichao resumed the Hehuang Area. Tang Dynasty renewed the setting of Jiedushi system in Liang Region in attempts to rebuild its influence in Helong areas. But Tang Dynasty back then was beset with troubles internally and externally, declining with each passing day. In the late Tang Dynasty, Guiyi Army was in actual control of the Hehuang Area in name of respecting Tang as the emperor until the death of Tang Dynasty.The garrison system in Hehuang Area was closed related to the border defense system of Tang Dynasty as a whole. The construction, development, change and crush of this internal garrison system reflected the geopolitics pattern changes as well as the growth and decline of various forces in this region.