What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
Ansidō Gofu
The Anxi Capital Protectorate was an important stronghold of the Tang Dynasty in the western regions, which began after the 14th year of Zhenguan (640 AD) after the pacification of Gaochang, and in the first year of xianqing (658), the Tang Dynasty moved the Anxi Capital Protectorate to Guizi, and set up Guizi, Yanqi, Khotan, and Shule as the four towns of Anxi. Later, with the change of the form of the Western Regions, it was abolished several times, and the territory under its jurisdiction was constantly changing, until the Wu Zetian period was basically determined. In the first year of Wu Zetian's longevity (692), Wang Xiaojie, the commander-in-chief of the Wuwei Dao march, defeated Tubo and recaptured the four towns of Anxi, after which the Tang Dynasty officially garrisoned the anxi capital. As an outpost of the Tang Dynasty's westward development, the Anxi Capital Protectorate played an important role in the Tang Dynasty's operation of the Silk Road, control of the west of the Onion Ridge and containment of Tibet. During the Tang Tianbao period, there were more than 40,000 troops in the four towns of Anxi. Although the number of troops is small, it is a strong force. The Anxi Protectorate fought with forces such as Tubo and Dashi in Central Asia, often in a situation where less won more. Although there was a later defeat of TheRos, if the Central Plains did not change, the reorganization was unknown.
All the changes began with the Anshi Rebellion in the fourteenth year (755) of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's Tianbao. After the Anshi Rebellion, a large number of elite troops from Anxi were transferred to the east with the heavy troops in Hexi to quell the rebellion, resulting in an extreme emptiness of the western Tang Dynasty's troops. At a time when the Tang Dynasty suffered unprecedented disasters, Tubo was developing towards its peak. After the Anshi Rebellion, Tubo gradually conquered the Tang Dynasty's Longyou region, and by the first year of Guangde (763), Tubo basically controlled the Longyou region, cutting off Hexi and Anxi from the Central Plains. Tubo then invaded the west, and the capital of Hexi fell one after another.
The Anxi, Beiting and Hexi remnants, which were isolated by Tibet, did not disappear into the stage of history, and they still wept blood for decades. After the Tang Dynasty lost longyou, due to the alliance with the Hui, the connection with the Western Regions was changed to the HuiYi Road, that is, by going north through the Hui territory to reach the Beiting Capital Protectorate in the Western Regions. However, the cost of this line is very large, the Tang Dynasty is weak, and although hui hui nominally claims to be a vassal of Tang, it is actually less respectful, and the experience of the Tang dynasty people who passed through this road can be imagined. Since they could only communicate with the Tang Dynasty through Hui, the military and civilians of Anxi and Beiting capitals needed to submit to Hui to a greater or lesser extent. Under such circumstances, it is even more difficult to hold the western region. Tubo once sent emissaries to negotiate with the Tang Dynasty in an attempt to force the Tang Dynasty to cede Anxi and Beiting. However, Emperor Tang resolutely refused, and in the seventh year of the Gregorian calendar (772), he sent people to Anxi and Beiting to announce condolences to show his determination not to give up the Western Regions. The morale of the soldiers and civilians in the Anxi Capital Protectorate was boosted, and they continued to fight as the Tibetan forces had fully penetrated the western region. According to the reflections of the officials of Anxi and Beiting, the Tang Dynasty successively posthumously sealed Yuan Guangting, Yang Xiuming, Zhou Ding, Li Xiuzhang, Zhang Yi and others who died in the anti-Tubo battle, which shows the fierceness of the war situation at that time.
The Protectorate of Ansai in 780 AD
Emperor Dezong of Tang did not have a good relationship with Hui at one time, and Emperor Dezong was anxious to make an armistice with Tubo. In the fourth year of Jianzhong (783), Tang and Tubo made an alliance with The Qingshui Alliance, the Zhu Zhu Rebellion broke out, Chang'an fell, and Emperor Dezong preferred to cede the lands of Anxi and Beiting in exchange for Tubo's troops, rather than borrowing troops from Hui. The chancellor Li Bi once vigorously objected, saying: "The people of the two towns, who are lonely and far away, do their best to be loyal, and hold firm for the country for nearly twenty years, sincerely pitiful, once they abandon it to rong di, their hearts will be deeply resentful of China, and they will be buried in the Kou, as if they are revenge for personal vengeance." Although the Subsequent Pingliang Raiding Incident launched by Tubo shattered Dezong's illusions, This move of Dezong also hit the military hearts of The anxi and Beiting generals to some extent.
The Protectorate of Ansi in 791 AD
Tubo failed to make progress in the east, so he turned to the west with all his might. The final battle in the Western Regions also began, and in the sixth year of zhenyuan (790), the Beiting Capital Protectorate fell, and since then the Tang Dynasty has been completely unable to obtain news of the Anxi Capital Protectorate. But there are indications that the AnsiDu Protectorate is still fighting. In the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793), the king of Nanzhao, YiMuxun, sent an envoy to Tang Jiannanjiedu to make Wei Gao a letter, which said: "Yimu xun is willing to be sincere and renewed, and return to the Son of Heaven." Please add Jiannan, Xishan, Jingyuan and other prefectures, Anxi town to defend, raise troops around, entrust the Uighur kingdoms, where the invasion, so that the Tubo momentum is scattered, can not be strong, this southwest corner does not bother the heavenly soldiers, can make meritorious clouds. "Before this, Nanzhao had always submitted to Tubo, and Tubo often had to recruit Nanzhao's troops to participate in foreign wars, and they should have a certain understanding of Tubo's military intelligence. It can be seen that the Anxi Capital Protectorate still exists at this time. From the beginning of the Anshi Rebellion, the Anxi Capital Protectorate had been holding the Western Regions for nearly 40 years without central assistance, and they continued to work hard to maintain the authority of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions during the days of isolation from the Central Plains. Exactly when the Anxi Capital Protectorate disappeared is uncertain , but some speculate that it may have lasted until the yuan and three years (808). However, in the face of the strong attack of Tubo and the infiltration of the "ally" Uighurs (Hui hui), the AnxiDu Protectorate could not survive for too long, leaving only endless regrets.