Protectorate General to Pacify Beiting, Tang dynasty military government in Xinjiang, China
The Protectorate General to Pacify Beiting was a military government under the Tang dynasty in Xinjiang that controlled northern territories from Tingzhou as its center. It consisted of three prefectures spread across these regions to manage trade and security along the Silk Road.
The protectorate was established in 702 under the rule of Wu Zetian to control strategic trade routes. Tibetan forces took control of the region in 790 during a broader military expansion in Central Asia.
The administrative center brought together merchants from China, the Turkic regions, and Sogdia who traded goods and ideas. These different groups shaped how the place looked and functioned daily.
The territory was remote and required careful planning to traverse desert and mountain passages. Travel through the region meant relying on the established Silk Road routes with limited supply points along the way.
Excavations near the old administrative center have uncovered objects that blend Chinese and Central Asian styles together. These findings show how different cultural traditions mixed in everyday objects used by residents and traders.
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