Kuaiji Commandery ( Chinese: t , s , p ''Kuàijī Jùn''), formerly romanized as K'uai-chi Commandery, was a former commandery of China in the area of

Hangzhou Bay Hangzhou Bay, or the Bay of Hangzhou (), is a funnel-shaped inlet of the East China Sea, bordered by the province of Zhejiang and the municipality of Shanghai, which lies north of the Bay. The Bay extends from the East China Sea to its head ...

. When first established, its capital was at Wu (present-day Suzhou), which became known as "Kuaiji" from this role. The initial territory ran from the south bank of the

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...

through most of modern

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...

to an indeterminate border among the free people of Minyue. Wu and Wuxing commanderies were later formed between the Yangtze and the north shore of Hangzhou Bay; the administration of the remainder of Kuaiji Commandery was then removed to the site of the former Yue capital in modern

Shaoxing Shaoxing (; ) is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. It was formerly known as Kuaiji and Shanyin and abbreviated in Chinese as (''Yuè'') from the area's former inhabitant ...

Yuecheng District Yuecheng District , is a county-level district which forms the core of the municipality of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, in the People's Republic of China. It encompasses all of downtown Shaoxing and the immediately surrounding areas, including the form ...

, which also became known as Kuaiji from this role. By the Tang,

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...

was also separated and Kuaiji ran from a little north of the Zhe River in the west to Ningbo in the east.Liu Taotao & al. ''Unity and Diversity: Local Cultures and Identities in China'', pp. 16–17. Hong Kong University Press (Hong Kong), 1996.

Name

The commandery was named for

Mount Kuaiji Mount Xianglu () is a mountain near Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China. Its summit has an elevation of . History Its historic name was Mount Kuaiji (), formerly romanized as Mount K'uai-chi It was an important site for ancient China's Yue civilization a ...

. It was a site long important to the area's native Yue people and connected in

Chinese legend Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

with Yu the Great, whose putative gravesite was visited by

Shi Huangdi Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...

in his tours of the

Qin Empire The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), the ...

. There are various

folk etymologies Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...

of the Chinese characters, but they probably represent a transcription of a native proto-Wu placename.

History

The commandery was first formed by

of the Qin to consolidate control over the lands of miscellaneous

Baiyue The Baiyue (, ), Hundred Yue, or simply Yue (; ), were various ethnic groups who inhabited the regions of East China, South China and Northern Vietnam during the 1st millennium BC and 1st millennium AD. They were known for their short hair, b ...

peoples southeast of Chu captured in 222 BC. The initial capital was at Wu (present-day Suzhou) through the Qin and Han

dynasties A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...

and it was also known as "Kuaiji" from this role. In 209 BC, its governor Yin Tong initiated a plot to rebel against the collapsing Qin but was assassinated and replaced by his conspirators

Xiang Liang Xiang Liang (died 208 BC) was a military leader who led a rebellion against the Qin dynasty. Early life Xiang Liang was from Xiaxiang (下相; present-day Suqian, Jiangsu) and was a descendant of a family who served the Chu state in the Warring ...

and

Xiang Yu Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dyna ...

. They employed Kuaiji as a base for their own rebellion, which restored a puppet king to Chu before Xiang Yu's defeat by Han. During the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

, an army from Kuaiji Commandery under Han Anguo ( t s ''Hán Ānguó'') moved against the Min (

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...

ese) in . In , a major plague outbreak assaulted the area. Amid various local cults and practices, the governor Diwu Lun suppressed unauthorized sacrifices, particularly the sacrifice of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

, as injurious to the area's economic strength. By the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period, the capital was restored to its pre-imperial position in present-day

. The commandery was conquered by Sun Ce of Wu in 196 and he made its capital his base, assuming the title of governor himself. The area was later troubled by the bandits Lü He () and

Qin Lang Qin Lang ( 227–238), courtesy name Yuanming, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Family background Qin Lang was born in the late Eastern Han dynasty and his ancestral home was in Xinxing ...

(), who were put down by Jiang Qin; bandits under Pan Lin (潘臨) were put down by

Lu Xun Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun (or Lu Sun; ; Wade–Giles: Lu Hsün), was a Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic. He was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. ...

. During the period,

Yuyao Yuyao () is a county-level city in the northeast of Zhejiang province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the sub-provincial city of Ningbo. It is located west of central Ningbo, east of Hangzhou, bordering Hangzhou Bay in the north. Yuyao ...

suffered a plague outbreak but its administrator

Zhu Huan Zhu Huan (177–238), courtesy name Xiumu, was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Although he started his career early under the warlord Sun Quan, he did not receive any important responsibil ...

's deft handling of the situation was credited with an influx of immigrants. The era of Sun Quan saw migrations from the north and the opening of the Shanyue area and the Zhedong and Jiangnan canals. Textile production expanded, using imported

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

from Shu.

Celadon ''Celadon'' () is a term for pottery denoting both wares glazed in the jade green celadon color, also known as greenware or "green ware" (the term specialists now tend to use), and a type of transparent glaze, often with small cracks, that wa ...

pottery, later developed under the Jin, became more common. The primary centers of industrial production (specifically,

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

) were at Kuaiji (

(within Ningbo), and

Shangyu Shangyu District () is a district of the prefecture-level city of Shaoxing in the northeast of Zhejiang province, China. At the 2010 census, its population in the built-up (''or metro'') area was 779,412, up from 722,523 in the 2000 census. Shan ...

, with secondary centers at Yinxian, Ningbo proper, Fenghua, Linhai,

Xiaoshan Xiaoshan is one of ten urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, East China. Xiaoshan was formerly a city in its own right, separated by the Qiantang River from Hangzhou proper, but the municipal ...

, Yuhang (present-day

), and Huzhou. Kuaiji also had a

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

mine which produced

mirror A mirror or looking glass is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the im ...

s. Trade missions reached

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

, Fun'an ( south Vietnam), and

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...

. The removal of the Jin dynasty to

Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

in 317 sparked economic growth in the region known at the time as San Wu ("The Three Wus") from the commanderies of Wu, Wuxing, and Kuaiji (which had formerly been located in Wu).Dien, p. 120
During the

Southern Dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...

period, Kuaiji Commandery was the scene of an abortive rebellion by the retired general Wang Jingze () against Emperor Ming of Qi in 498. The emperor was able to forestall the involvement of Emperor Gao's grandson Xiao Zike (), marquess of Nankang, by threatening a mass poisoning of his family and General Wang was killed in battle. It was the capital commandery of Eastern Yangzhou and the richest commandery in the empire during the 6th century. During the Sui, the Grand Canal reached

in Kuaiji Commandery, which accordingly grew in importance. By the Tang, a separate commandery was established for

out of Kuaiji's territory north of the Zhe River. Emperor Yang of the Sui ordered a palace to be constructed in Kuaiji in 616.

Counties

Shanyin County Shanyin County () is a county in the northwest of Shanxi province, China. It is under the administration of Shuozhou City. The Guangwu section of the Great Wall runs along the county. Near the section of the Great Wall are the historic villages ...

(山陰縣), within present-day

* Wushang County (烏傷縣), around present-day

Yiwu Yiwu () is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jinhua in Central Zhejiang Province, East China. As of the 2020 census, the city had 1,859,390 inhabitants and its built-up (or metro) area, joined with that of the neighboring Dongy ...

* Yuyao County (餘姚縣), within present-day Ningbo * Juzhang County (句章縣), within present-day Ningbo * Xuancheng County (宣城縣)

Officials

Control of the territory was held by officials known in Chinese as ''taishou'' ''tàishǒu''), "

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

" or "grand administrator". Under the Kingdom of Wu and during the Jin dynasty, a number of royals bore the title "

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

of Kuaiji" notionally elevating the territory to the status of a minor kingdom. In the case of the Jin dynasty, it was a status beneath that of the Prince of Langya but the 6-year-old

Sima Yu Sima or SIMA may refer to: People * Sima (Chinese surname) * Sima (given name), a Persian feminine name in use in Iran and Turkey * Sima (surname) Places * Sima, Comoros, on the island of Anjouan, near Madagascar * Sima de los Huesos, a caver ...

requested a demotion to it when the greater title precluded him from mourning for his mother. The title was granted on an ''ad hoc'' basis and, as it implied no actual administrative control, ran concurrently with the governors. In a similar fashion, some nobles were created "

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

of Kuaiji"

Governors

* . . . * Yin Tong, –209 BC *

, 209–208 BC * . . . * Diwu Lun (), c. AD 53–62 * . . . * Wang Lang, –AD 196 * Sun Ce, 196–200 * Sun Quan,

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

of Wu, 200– * . . . * Chunyu Shi () * . . . *

Wu Can Wu Can (died 245), courtesy name Kongxiu, was an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Early life and service under Sun Ce Wu Can was from Wucheng County (烏程縣), Wu Commandery (吳郡), which is part ...

, 222– * . . . * Yu Chen (), 3rd century, father of Empress Mingmu and General Yu of the Jin * . . . *

Xie Xuan Xie Xuan (謝玄) (343–388), courtesy name Youdu (幼度), formally Duke Xianwu of Kangle (康樂獻武公), was a Jin Dynasty (266–420) general who is best known for repelling the Former Qin army at the Battle of Fei River, preventing the ...

, –388 * . . . * Liu Dan (), Prince of Sui, c. 452, brother of Emperor Xiaowu of

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...

* . . . * Liu Zifang (), Prince of Xunyang, –466, son of Emperor Xiaowu * . . . * Xiao Dalian (蕭大連), Duke of Lincheng, c. 549 * . . .

Princes

Sun Xiu Sun Xiu (235 – 3 September 264), courtesy name Zilie, formally known as Emperor Jing of Wu, was the third emperor of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Early life Sun Xiu was born in 235 to Wu's founding emper ...

, c. 252 – c. 258 *

Sun Liang Sun Liang (245–260), courtesy name Ziming, was the second emperor of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the youngest son and heir of Sun Quan, the founding emperor of Wu. He is also known as the Prince of ...

, 258–260 * . . . *

, 326–371 * Sima Daozi, the Wenxiao Prince of Kuaiji, 392–403 * . . . * Chen Zhuang (陳莊), 586–

Dukes

, c. 270– * Sima Chi, 311–313 * Helian Chang, 428–430

Notes

References

External links

* James M. Hargett's
: Guaiji? Guiji? Huiji? Kuaiji? Some Remarks on an Ancient Chinese Place-Name
(''Sino-Platonic Papers'' № 234) {{Han dynasty provinces Former commanderies of China Commanderies of the Sui dynasty Commanderies of the Han dynasty Commanderies of the Qin dynasty Commanderies of the Southern dynasties Commanderies of the Jin dynasty (266–420)