Mínzhōu

Minzhou lies in the uplands of southern Gansu, on the Tao River amid the western Qinling ranges. The prefecture took its name from Mount Min, south of its seat at Yile; the same country had been known as Lintao under the Qin and Han. The high ridges separating the Tao from the Wei and Yellow River watersheds enclose a region long linked to the Tibetan plateau as well as the Chinese northwest.

After Tibetan rule, the Song recovered Minzhou during the Xihe campaign of 1073. The Ming established the Minzhou guard in 1378, with the Xigu garrison on the Bailong River among its dependencies. Its military organisation incorporated Tibetan communities alongside Chinese soldiers and settlers. In the Jiajing reign, debate over civil government led to the appointment of a prefectural official for civilian affairs, leaving military and civil authorities to govern side by side.