A Study Of Defensive Organization Of Northwestern Border Shires Based On Data Of Dunhuang And Juyan's Wooden Tablets And Bamboo Slips In Han Dynasty

The study of the defensive organization in northwestern border shires has always been a suspicion since the discovery of data of West Han Dynasty抯 tablet-bamboo inscriptions in the northwestern areas in China. With batches of data of the Han Dynasty抯 tablet inscriptions being excavated one after another, the study of this subject gets a great development and some of its questions come close to light.Through the research on Han Dynasty抯 wooden tablet inscriptions of Dunhuang and Juyan areas, we can conclude that so many armed forces were stationed in the northwestern border shires for defending the frontier throughout the ruling periods of the Han Dynasty that a strict and perfect military organization based on the defensive purposes, had been evolved, in which the system of station troops and watching troops took a leading role, for the station troops were so flexible that they could run after and annihilate intruding enemies at any moments, while the watching troops were in charge of finding the intruding enemies and giving out a border alarm by beacon-fire and signals.This thesis consists of three sections. The first section probes into the defensive organization of army in the northwestern border shires, which mainly includes two parts: systems of station troops and watching troops. The former mainly states the station troops?formation, organization, position arrangement. Part two states the watching troops?organization and puts emphasis on duty, position arrangement of Houguan, Busui, Sui.The second section explores the defensive organization of Dunhuang area, which consists of three parts. Part I states the sites of Yumen -Duweifu, its two Houguan and Yumen Pass, especially researches on alteration of the sites of Yumen-Houguan, Dajiandu-Houguan and Yumen Pass. Part 11 states relation between Houguan and Yumen Pass. Part III states Fengsui organizations of Dajiandu-Houguan and Yumen-Houguan basing on the wooden tablets and bamboo slips of different periods in the Han Dynasty, which were found in the sites of Majuanwan and T.6.b.The third section studies the defensive organization of Zhangye shire, which is devided into two parts. Part I states Fengsui organizations of Jianshui Houguan, Tuota-Houguan, and Guangdi-Houguan as well as relation between Jianshui-Houguan and Jianshui-Jin Pass basing onHanDynasty抯 wooden tablets and bamboo slips of Jianshui area. Due to Mr. Chu Shibin wrote the thesis of Research on Position Arrangement of Busui of Jiaqusai in1991, which has comprehensive researches on Fengsui organization of Jiaqusai in Juyan area, part II is omitted.The author here thinks: on the guidance of views of linking and development, the method of researching on Fengsui organization and the sites of Houguan and Yumen Pass by ctassfying wooden tablet inscriptions according to different periods and then taking their unearthing sites into account, will be a good way.