The Tibetan tribes of the eastern Qilian, between Wuwei (Liangzhou), Yongchang and the Huangshui, are the descendants of the Liugu Tibetan tribal state at Liangzhou (906 to 1016) that the Tanguts overran in 1032 (English Wikipedia, Xiliangfu).
They herd in the mountains south of the Hexi, trade at Liangzhou and the Wushaoling pass, and follow their own chiefs. The campaign board places the Mati Temple, a cave monastery 'in the Tibetan country of the corridor', in the hills to the west, and the Tiantishan caves lie on the edge of their country. Whether they answer to Xia only by tribute or are enrolled in the Zhuoluo and Liangzhou levies is not recorded; we draw them as a people of their own because the high valleys are the least governed ground of the Hexi.
Who holds it
- Title
- Tribal chiefs, not named; tributary to the Xia prefects of Liangzhou
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No chief or headman is named for 1200 in the sources we could read.
Overlord
The emperor of Xia through the Liangzhou prefect and the Zhuoluo district (tribute and levy, not pinned).
What it holds
- Mountain pastures of the eastern Qilian
- The Wushaoling and Tianzhu roads (shared with the Xia post)
How it was acquired
Liugu tribes of Liangzhou (906 to 1016); taken by the Tanguts in 1032.
Allies and rivals
The prefect of Liangzhou and the Zhuoluo district commander; the Tibetan tribes of Qinghai to the south (the Tibet sheet).
How things stand that morning
Self-governing tribes in the mountains south of Liangzhou, tributary to Xia (not pinned): they trade, give horses and men, and are watched from Tianzhu by the Zhuoluo district.
Wealth
Horses, yaks, wool; no figures.
Military
Tribal levy under the district commander; no numbers.
Threats
- Quarrels with the Zhuoluo post over pasture (none recorded).
Customs
Not recorded for 1200. Tibetan Buddhism among them is probable but not dated.
Where the sources disagree
- Board (mati-si, tiantishan): both sit in 'the Tibetan country of the corridor'. The English Wikipedia pages on the Mati Temple and the Tiantishan Grottoes could not be fetched (see the report), so the people around them are inferred.
Evidence: A continuity argument from the 10th and 11th centuries; no 12th-century evidence found.
On the map: The weakest classification on the sheet: set the realm to xia if the campaign prefers the tribes as subjects.
Sources and studies
- Xiliangfu (English Wikipedia)
- Hexi Corridor (English Wikipedia)
- Western Xia (English Wikipedia, article reached as Hsi_Hsia_Kingdom)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.