The Itqian City where Ban Chao governed his commandery

The Itqian City where Ban Chao governed his commandery

The Itqian City where Ban Chao governed his commandery

Newhe County was once a southwestern stronghold of the ancient Kingdom of Kucha. Among the over 40 ancient sites distributed across the county, more than ten have been identified by experts as related to military activities or garrison farming—Itqian City being one of the most significant historical ruins.

In 1928, Mr. Huang Wenbi, a renowned scholar and professor at Peking University, accompanied

the “Northwest Scientific Expedition” to Xinjiang. After days of trekking on foot, Huang and his team discovered the ruins of an ancient city in the desert area of Youlegongxie Village, Yuqikate Township, Newhe County. Upon asking local villagers, they learned that this area was also called “Dawangkumu,” meaning “the difficult high sand dunes.”

While clearing and excavating the stratified relics, Mr. Huang unearthed a large number of Wu Zhu coins from the Western and Eastern Han dynasties, as well as ancient artifacts used by the Han people such as jade ornaments, jade axes, jade knives, iron arrowheads, and Han bricks. By cross-referencing historical texts and applying archaeological typology, he concluded that this site was the Kucha Itqian City mentioned in the “Biographies of Ban Chao” and “Biography of Liang Jin” in the Book of the Later Han. In recent years, further excavations by Xinjiang’s archaeological authorities at this ancient site and nearby ruins such as Yuqikate have further confirmed that the old city of Dawangkumu was indeed the location of Kucha’s Itqian City.

The history of Itqian City is inseparable from that of an ancient hero and his remarkable achievements—so who was this great hero? He was Ban Chao.

In 73 AD, in order to combat the harassment of the Xiongnu, restore the Western Han Dynasty’s governance over the Western Regions, and protect the lives and property of the various ethnic peoples there, the Eastern Han government dispatched General Dou Xian to march out from the Hexi Corridor to attack the Xiongnu. At that time, Ban Chao, who had famously “thrown down his writing brush to join the military,” served as a probationary military officer and joined the campaign. With extraordinary courage and wisdom, Ban Chao led just 36 men, departed from Pulei (modern-day Barkol), pacified Shanshan (modern-day Pishan), united the forces of various states south of the Tianshan Mountains in the Western Regions, defeated the Yuezhi, subdued Wensu (modern-day Aksu), and reclaimed Kucha. In the 17th year of the Yongping era of the Eastern Han, or 74 AD, the Eastern Han established the Protectorate of the Western Regions in Turpan. Initially, General Chen Mu was appointed as the first Protector, but he was killed while suppressing a rebellion in Yanqi. The Eastern Han government then relocated the Protectorate of the Western Regions to Itqian City in Kucha, appointing Ban Chao as Protector. Later, Ren Shang and Duan Xi were also appointed as Protectors, with Zhao Bo serving as Cavalry Commandant—all stationed in Itqian City, Kucha. Thus, Itqian City became the military and administrative center of the entire Western Regions during the Eastern Han period, with Ban Chao serving the longest term as Protector.

In the 12th year of the Yongyuan era of the Eastern Han

(100 AD), Ban Chao, already in his seventies with white hair and beard and unable to walk without a cane, petitioned the Protectorate headquarters in Itqian City—the Eastern Han imperial court—for permission to retire due to old age. His request was granted, and he returned to the Central Plains. Later, the Eastern Han successively appointed other officials such as Ren Shang and Duan Xi as Protectors, but military conflicts in the Western Regions continued to erupt.

In 107 AD, the Eastern Han government sent General Wang Hong to lead Qiang cavalry from the Hexi region to reinforce the Western Regions. However, due to discrimination and rampant abuse by the military officers against ethnic minorities, a large-scale Qiang rebellion broke out. The Qiang people “cut off the Long Road,” prompting the Eastern Han government to order the withdrawal of the Western Regions Protectorate and related institutions. Taking advantage of this, the Northern Xiongnu reoccupied the Western Regions, ruling even more brutally than before. The states of the Western Regions “all harbored resentment,” and ties between the Western Regions and the Central Plains were severed by the Xiongnu.

In 119 AD, seeing the Northern Xiongnu rampaging through the Western Regions, the Governor of Dunhuang, Cao Zong, sent his Chief Clerk, Suo Ban, with troops to garrison and farm in Yiwu. Suo Ban’s return to the Western Regions quickly won the support of the Kings of Shanshan and the Front Qushi. However, within a few months, he was attacked and killed by the Northern Xiongnu Chanyu in collusion with the King of the Rear Qushi. The King of Shanshan sought help from Cao Zong, who then petitioned the Eastern Han government to send troops. At this time, the Eastern Han government was divided over how to handle the Western Regions issue. Empress Dowager Deng, who held power, opposed sending troops but advocated for re-establishing the Deputy Colonel of the Western Regions. In 123 AD, the Governor of Dunhuang, Zhang Ding, petitioned the court, arguing that the Northern Xiongnu

“Chanyu Huyan often moved between Pulei and Qin Sea, raiding the Western Regions together,” and proposed that Huyan Chanyu should be targeted as the priority. The Han government adopted this suggestion and appointed Ban Chao’s son, Ban Yong, as Colonel of the Western Regions, leading troops out of the frontier.

In 127 AD, Ban Yong defeated and pacified Yanqi, using Itqian City as his command center. He brought the seventeen states of the Tianshan South Road—including Kucha, Shule, Yutian, and Shache—under control, reopening the Western Regions. From 91 AD when the Eastern Han government established the Protectorate of the Western Regions in Itqian City to Ban Yong’s suppression of the unrest, the Western Regions experienced “three disruptions and three restorations,” continuing until 152 AD when Wang Jing served as Colonel of the Western Regions. Itqian City endured nearly a century of turmoil.