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Yumi 扜彌, Jingjue 精絕, Ronglu 戎盧 and Qule 渠勒

Oct 16, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald

Yumi 扜彌

The state of Yumi 扜彌 (Türkic name Keriya), also called Jumi 拘彌 or Ningmi 寧彌, was a city state on the southern route of the Silk Road, located in the region of the River Keriya 克里雅河 near modern Yutian 于田, Xinjiang. Some historians identify the ruins of Kaladun 喀喇墩 with the city of Yumi. During the Former Han period 前漢 (206 BCE-8 CE), the population of Yumi was 20,000 people. In 129 CE, King Xing 興 was killed by the ruler of Yutian 于闐. The Chinese governor (taishou 太守) of the commandery of Dunhuang 敦煌 therefore in 132 ordered the king of Shule 疏勒 to attack Yutian. Yet in 157 again, troops of Yutian invaded Yumi and killed countless persons, along with the new king. The Han government thereupon decided to intervene in Yumi with an own army. A new king was installed as the new ruler, but Yumi had lost its significance from then on and soon disappeared. During the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) Yumi was given the name Yutian 于田.

Jingjue 精絕

The state of Jingjue 精絕 was either located at the banks of River Andir 安遞爾河 in Fengxian 豐縣, Xinjiang, or might have been based in the ruins of Niya 尼雅 in the same region. The city was during the Former Han period populated by 3,300 persons. Jingjue was destroyed by the state of Shanshan 鄯善 during the Later Han period 後漢 (25-220 CE).

Ronglu 戎盧

The state of Ronglu 戎盧 was reigned from the capital Bipin 卑品 that had 1,600 inhabitants during the Former Han period. The exact location of Bipin is not known, but must have been somewhere in the mountainous area between modern Qiemo 且末 and Fengxian 豐縣, Xinjiang.

Qule 渠勒

The state of Qule 渠勒 was located on the banks of the upper course of Keriya River in Yutian, Xinjiang. During the Former Han period, the population of Qule amounted to 2,000 people. The capital city was called Jiandu 鞬都. Qule was subject to the Chinese Protectorate of the Western Territories (Xiyu duhufu 西域都護府). During the Later Han period, it was conquered by Yutian.

Sources:
Gao Wende 高文德 (ed. 1995). "Qule 渠勒", in Zhongguo shaoshu minzu shi da cidian 中國少數民族史大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin jiaoyu chubanshe), 2124.
Li Kai 李愷 (1994). "Jingjue 精絕", in Xue Li 雪犁, Li Kai 李愷, Qian Boquan 錢伯泉, ed. Zhongguo sichou zhi lu cidian 中國絲綢之路辭典 (Ürümqi: Xinjiang renmin chubanshe), 22.
Li Kai 李愷 (1994). "Ronglu 戎盧", in Xue Li 雪犁, Li Kai 李愷, Qian Boquan 錢伯泉, ed. Zhongguo sichou zhi lu cidian 中國絲綢之路辭典 (Ürümqi: Xinjiang renmin chubanshe), 22.
Li Kai 李愷 (1994). "Yumi 扜彌", in Xue Li 雪犁, Li Kai 李愷, Qian Boquan 錢伯泉, ed. Zhongguo sichou zhi lu cidian 中國絲綢之路辭典 (Ürümqi: Xinjiang renmin chubanshe), 22.