Baota District
Baota District is a district in Yan'an, Shaanxi, China. The district has an area of, and a permanent population of 497,085 as of 2019. Baota District serves as Yan'an's administrative center, hosting the city's government offices. The district is Yan'an's urban core, as it is highly urbanized, with over 80% of its population living in urban areas. The majority of Baota District's economy is derived from its tertiary sector, though the district is home to other economic activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, and petroleum extraction.
Etymology
The district's name literally translates to pagoda.History
Government sources believe that the Guifang established an independent state in the area circa the 16th century BCE. A few dozen ancient jade artifacts uncovered within the district indicate that the territory once belonged to the Shang dynasty.During the Zhou dynasty, the area was inhabited by the Xianyun and Xirong tribes.
Later, the area was inhabited by the Baidi clan of the Beidi groups. These people were predominantly nomads and hunters. In 627 CE, the Jin state defeated the local Baidi, captured their leader, and incorporated the territory into their lands. When the Jin state collapsed in 376 BCE, the area of present-day Baota District was incorporated into the Wei state.
In 328 BCE, the Qin took the land over from the Wei state. Under the rule of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the area was organized as Gaonu County within the Shang Commandery beginning in 221 BCE.
Han dynasty
Following the collapse of the Qin in 206 BCE, as part of Xiang Yu's attempted rebellion, Gaonu County briefly was held by rebel forces. However, this proved to be short lived, and forces loyal Emperor Gaozu of the newly created Han dynasty retook Gaonu County.Xiongnu forces number approximately 30,000 invaded and looted Gaonu County in 158 BCE. News of this reached Chang'an, and Han troops were sent to reclaim Gaonu County, which they did after a month. In 117 BCE, as part of the Han–Xiongnu War, Han dynasty forces retook areas of Gaonu County which were previously occupied by Xiongnu forces.
An imperial edict from Emperor Wu in 120 BCE forced approximately 700,000 poor peasants to migrate to the Shaanbei region, resulting in a period of significant agricultural development. The Commentary on the Water Classic, written by Li Daoyuan, highlights observations made during this period that Gaonu County had certain flammable water, which would turn out to be petroleum.
A major earthquake afflicted the Shang Commandery in 32 BCE.
In 9 CE, Gaonu County was renamed to Pingli County. Shortly afterwards, it was renamed Gaonu County.
Towards the end of the Eastern Han period, the Xiongnu retook control of the area.
Five Barbarians rule
During its incorporation into the Xiongnu confederacy, the Xiongnu people, the Qiang people, and a number of smaller ethnic groups inhabited the area. However, the Western Jin would then retake the land, until Liu Yuan, a Xiongnu noble, rose up and established the Han Zhao state in 304 CE.After Liu Bobo established the Great Xia dynasty in 407 CE, he built the ancient city of Fenglin, which was located in present-day Zhoujiawan Village in the town of Liqu.
In 451 CE, the Northern Wei organized the area under the jurisdiction of Guangluo County, located in present-day Ansai District. Guangluo County was ruled by the Jinming Commandery.
In 559 CE, local Jihu leaders and fought against the Northern Zhou on behalf of the Northern Qi, but were defeated by Northern Zhou leader.
Sui dynasty
In 582 CE, a number of prominent Göktürk leaders, including Tardu Khagan, Apa Khaghan, and, led an army of approximately 400,000 Göktürks to invade the Sui dynasty. Sui forces in contemporary Baota District successfully repelled them., the zhou which governed the area during the early Sui dynasty, was abolished in 607 CE, and replaced with. Under both Yanzhou and Yan'an Commandery, the area of contemporary Baota District was governed as Fushi County.
In 614 CE, general Liu Jia attempted an uprising in the area, centered on nearby Fu County. The uprising quickly failed, and was crushed.
In February of 617 CE, rebel leader Liang Shidu captured the northern portions of Yan'an Commandery during his march southward.
Tang dynasty
In September of 619 CE, Liang Shidu and his army was expelled from the region by Tang dynasty general, who was appointed as the head of the Tang's Yanzhou armed forces.In 633 CE, under Tang rule, the Yanhua Canal was dug out in Yanzhou to better conserve water in the region, and to help irrigate crops. However, the region's agriculture remains highly susceptible to episodes of severe frost, which killed local crops in 651 CE, 679 CE, and 704 CE.
The area of present-day Baota District was greatly affected by the An Lushan Rebellion, which reduced Yanzhou's population from 16,345 households down to just 938 households. In 765 CE, while travelling through the region to migrate to an area less afflicted by the conflict, famous poet Du Fu spent a night in Qilipu, in what is now the southern portion of Baota District.
From 766 to 779 CE, the pagoda on Jialing Mountain, now known as, was constructed.
In 895 CE, Yanzhou experienced rain for a span of 60 consecutive days.
Subsequent period of conflict
Following the collapse of the Tang dynasty, Yanzhou was thrown into decades of unrest, with reported military conflicts in the region happening in 936, 947, and 953 CE. In 962 CE, the Tangut and Qiang peoples, who lived around Yanzhou, became tributaries of the newly emergent Song dynasty. Local Tangut leader, who ruled over a population of over 50,000 households, visited the Song capital of Bianjing in 982 CE.In 977 CE, the region was afflicted by a severe drought.
When the Western Xia declared independence in 1038, Yanzhou became an important border location. Emperor Renzong of the Song dynasty organized a number of circuits in the region to consolidate Song rule in the region, including and. However, the Western Xia invaded the region in early 1040, led by Emperor Jingzong. Song forces, led by, mobilized to defend 36 villages in the area. Emperor Jingzong captured Jinming, and then moved on to Yanzhou's center, located in what is now Baota District. After three days of fighting, Western Xia forces captured the area. However, heavy snowfalls later led to food shortages among Western Xia soldiers in Yanzhou, and they were forced to withdraw from the region shortly after. Song general was put in charge of guarding the Song's border with the Western Xia, but was dismissed from this role in June 1040 following a Western Xia raid which killed two major generals. Zhao Zhen commanded 8,000 soldiers, but only sent 100 to fend off the attack, resulting in accusations that he refused to help.
In 1041, Fan Zhongyan was put in charge of Qing Prefecture, and Pang Ji was put in charge of Yanzhou.
While serving as a military officer in Yanzhou, Song dynasty scientist Shen Kuo conducted a number of experiments with petroleum in the region, which he believed would have many uses.
Following the collapse of the Song dynasty, the Jin dynasty was established, and began making quick advances into the region. In November 1128, the Jin conquered nearby Danzhou, and then moved to conquer the eastern portion of, the fu which governed the region at the time. Following their success in the eastern portion, the Jin conquered the western portions of Yan'an Fu. Jin rule in the region lasted less than a century, with Mongol Empire soldiers capturing the eastern portion of Yan'an Fu in 1221. When the Western Xia was completely conquered by the Mongol Empire in 1227, Jin forces withdrew from Yan'an Fu, allowing the Mongol Empire to occupy it.
An earthquake struck the region during one night in September 1303. In May 1314, a hailstorm with strong winds impacted much of the regions crops, farm animals, and humans. Flooding in the summer of June 1326 uprooted 90 households in Fushi County.
Ming dynasty
In May 1369, Ming dynasty forces led by Xu Da conquered Yan'an Fu.Yan'an Fu suffered another natural disaster in July 1373, when a drought caused a local famine.
Remnants of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, led by, attacked the region in 1376. However, they were repelled by Ming generals Tang He and Fu Youde, the latter of whom went on to capture Boyan Timur. This marked the final military conflict in Yan'an Fu for many decades.
The region went on to suffer two major natural disasters in 1439. First, a drought happened in the summer, then, the region was flooded in the autumn. These two disasters resulted in a nearly non-existent harvest that year. Another major disaster struck on September 30, 1448, when an earthquake hit the region. Heavy rainfalls in 1456 resulted in major structural damage to many buildings in the region. Serious droughts again afflicted the region in the summer of 1481, and the autumn of 1484.
Yanli Canal was built in the south of Yan'an Fu in 1496, creating Liu Lake.
An insect plague destroyed much of the region's crops in October 1497.
The Yongji Bridge was built outside of the eastern gate of the central city in Yan'an Fu in 1503. Yongji Bridge reached a height of, and spanned across a distance of.
On October 17, 1505, Yan'an Fu was hit by two separate earthquakes on the same day.
Chinese poet Li Panlong, one of the Latter Seven Masters, wrote a poem about the city in 1570 titled "Yanzhou City".
Severe famine afflicted the region in 1629, and again in 1632.
Chinese peasant rebel leader Li Zicheng occupied Yan'an Fu in November 1643, as part of his short-lived Shun dynasty. Li renamed Yan'an Fu to Tianbao Fu.
Qing dynasty
Shun forces continued to control Tianbao Fu in the face of ascendant Qing dynasty forces in 1645. Led by and, Shun forces retreated from Wayaobu to Tianbao Fu's urban center. They held it for 20 days before being abandoning it due to lack of food supplies.In March 1649, Qing general led a rebellion, killing local governor.
From 1753 to 1773, the region was afflicting by droughts during 10 of its 20 springs, culminating in a failed harvest in 1773.
The White Lotus Rebellion afflicted the region in 1796. Rich families were robbed, and tax collections were resisted.
The Dungan Revolt afflicted the region in 1868, with a major riot breaking out in Sanshilipu, in what is now the town of Liulin.
In 1877, a drought afflicted the region so badly that people resorted to cannibalism. This episode was part of the wider Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879, which afflicted the Shaanbei region that year, and led to numerous documented instances of cannibalism in and around present-day Yan'an.
In August 1889, a severe flood afflicted the region, resulting in crops getting washed away.
Frost afflicted the region's crops beginning in the summer of 1899, freezing and killing crops. This continued every summer throughout the next five years.
In 1904 and 1910, the prominent imperial academy in the area, Heming Academy was spun off into two modern-styled schools.