Wuyuan Commandery ( zh, 五原郡) was a historical commandery of China, located in the eastern Hetao region. The commandery sat near the modern city of Baotou,

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...

. During the late

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

and

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ) was the first Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China. It is named for its progenitor state of Qin, a fief of the confederal Zhou dynasty (256 BC). Beginning in 230 BC, the Qin under King Ying Zheng enga ...

, the region was part of Jiuyuan Commandery (九原郡), which was possibly established during King Wuling of Zhao's reign after a successful campaign against the Linhu (林胡) and Loufan (樓煩) peoples. The

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...

controlled the region after the fall of Qin dynasty. In 127 BC, general

Wei Qing Wei Qing (died Jun 106 BC?In Emperor Wu's biography in ''Book of Han'' and volume 21 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'', the record of Wei Qing's death appeared after the 4th month of the 5th year of the ''Yuan'feng'' era. Thus, it is likely (but not certai ...

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

attacked the Xiongnu and conquered Hetao. The Wuyuan Commandery was subsequently established on part of the newly gained land. In late Western Han dynasty, the commandery administered 16 counties, including Jiuyuan (九原), Guling (固陵), Wuyuan (五原), Linwo (臨沃), Wenguo (文國), Heyin (河陰), Puze (蒱澤), Nanxing (南興), Wudu (武都), Yiliang (宜梁), Manbai (曼柏), Chengyi (成宜), Guyang (稒陽), Mopang (莫庞), Xi'anyang (西安陽) and Hemu (河目). The population was 231,328, or 39,322 households in 2 AD. During the

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, the counties Guling, Puze, Nanxing, Guyang, Mopang and Hemu were abolished. The population in 140 AD was 22,957, or 4,667 households. Toward the end of the Han dynasty, the area's population decreased sharply as residents fled from invading northern nomadic peoples, and the commandery was dissolved.''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...

'', Chapter 14.

References

{{Han dynasty provinces Commanderies of the Han dynasty