The Ethnic Structure And Social Vicissitude In The Period Of Wei And Jin Dynasty To The Northern Dynasty

Traditionally, Hexi Corridor has always been inhabited by many ethnic groups living together. Before the Western Han Dynasty, there were Saka, Wusun, Yuezhi, Xiongnu and other ethnic minorities. After defeating Xiongnu, Emperor Wu established the four prefectures, Jiuquan, Wuwei, Dunhuang, and Zhanye, and called for vaster immigration to the borderland, making Hexi Corridor the region inhabited mainly by Han, together with variety of ethnic groups. From Wei and Jin Dynasty to the Northern Dynasty, the ethnic structure of the North China changed rapidly. Hexi Corridor was no exception. In the Wei Dynasty, Because of the weak government, the local Han clans thrived and developed numerous separating forces for their own independence. Lushuihu and Qiang were also turbulent. During the Wei Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, a large-scale migration began, Di, Lushuihu, Qiang and Xiutuhu moving eastward to Guanzhong or southward to Xishu; Xianbei from the northeast to the northwest, waging a long struggle against the authority. Some Hu people from the western regions, especially the Sogdian, went to Hexi for commercial trade. All above tallies with overwhelming situation called "Five Minorities into China". At the end of the West Jin Dynasty, Yongjin Turmoil happened, forcing thousands of the Han people to migrate to Hexi, so that the Chinese culture maintained its position and continued thriving in Hexi Dorridor. In the period of Sixteen States, on one hand, the Han people grew up. The coming of seventeen thousand Han people in the period of Early Qin Dynasty had changed the western part of the Hexi Corridor, establishing the Former Liang and Western Liang as their local authorities. On the other hand, those ethnic minorities, including the Di came from the Guanlong, the Hexixianbei, and the local Lushuihu, also built up their own authorities, Later Liang, South Liang, and North Liang. The characteristic of this period was that the population moved frequently. After Former Liang, Later Liang, and North Liang had been destroyed by the Central China, thousands of people were moved out of the Liangzhou. The collapse of the North Dynasty brought thirty thousand people eastwards to Daibei, ten thousand people to the Western region. These made the population decreased sharply and had a profound impact on the Hexi society. Under the rule of Xianbei in Hexi Corridor, in the North Dynasty, many ethnic minorities, such as Xiongnu, Jihu, Gaoche, moved southward to Hexi. As the result of the policy to solicit business of North Wei dynasty, numerous Hu in the West regions went to the Central China for commercial trade. Some of them even settled for agriculture. Thus, in Hexi, the new ethnic structure was formed at last. It was at that time that the forces of Han Chinese declined and started to depend on the rule of Xianbei.