The Two Methods Used by Qin to Rule the “Western Rong” and Their Historical Significance
In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Qin had long since conquered the north-western native “Xirong” 西戎 (Western Rong), and after the middle period of the Warring States, these areas became counties of Qin. Since the early Spring and Autumn period, Qin had adopted two different methods for ruling the “Xirong”. Firstly, they transformed the “initial county” 初縣 into a regular “county” 縣 for the “Rong” in Gui 邽and Ji冀. Secondly, they transformed the “ba” 霸(hegemonies) into regular counties and dao道 (circuits). The “initial county” and “ba” existed at different historical periods and exercised different types and degrees of control, which led to the different administrative modes of the Qin Dynasty in the north-western “Rong” area after the Shangyang 商鞅 Reforms during the Warring States period.
The two different modes of control and governance were the inevitable result of the Sinicization華夏化of the different branches of the “Xirong” ethnic groupings in the Western Zhou Dynasty and had important political, ethnic and cultural significance in the study of the history of local administrative system. Compared with the later “Qiang 羌 Disaster”, Qin’s governance of the “Xirong” groups was relatively successful.