Controlling Remote Regions in the Han Period-A Philological Investigation of the Administration of Border Regions as Seen through the Xuanquan Manuscripts.

This article presents a case study on the means of administration for controlling remote regions during the Han period (200 BCE-200 CE) as seen through the manuscripts found at Xuanquan postal and relay station in Dunhuang commandery. Managing regions which were remote from the centre of a domain was a major concern of the expanding Han empire. Especially the control of the northwestern border region, where strong defence measures were taken against foreign aggression from the north, was of great importance to the Han court. The measures used by the Han to control these remote northwestern areas of the empire are shown through an analysis of manuscripts regarding three aspects: flow of information, migration, and economic flow. A conclusive discussion aims to shed light on the larger picture of Han control in the remote northwestern border region and how the discussed measures of control may have effectively fostered the formation of a local society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]