A basin ringed by the Kunlun, Altun and Qilian ranges with salt lakes and oases (Delingha, Dulan, Golmud, Da Qaidam).
Wikipedia's Qaidam page has geology only and no human history, so the people of 1200 are drawn from the Tuyuhun and Tibetan background (the Tuyuhun fell to the Tibetan Empire in 670; Wikipedia, Tuyuhun).
Who holds it
- Title
- Camp-lords of the Tibetan and Dangxiang herders of the basin
- Since
- not known
- Born
- not known
- Family
- not known
- Confidence
- low
No chief named (see Tsaidam herders).
Overlord
None; Xia's reach from Xining ends at the lake.
What it holds
- Oases and springs
- Salt from the lakes
- The caravan tracks to Khotan, Charklik and the lake
How it was acquired
By custom.
Allies and rivals
Xia at Xining; the Tsongkha tribes; the Yushu herders; the Tarim oases.
How things stand that morning
Self-governing; thin; no dated event.
Wealth
Salt, sheep, camels, caravan tolls.
Military
Mounted herdsmen; no numbers.
Customs
No assembly or custom is recorded for 1200 in the sources we could reach.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Geography only.
On the map: No source gives a boundary for 1200; the drawing follows the modern counties and valleys and the neighbouring sheets' anchors.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia, Qaidam Basin (read this session; no human history on the page)
- Wikipedia, Tuyuhun (read this session)
- Wikipedia, Amdo (read this session)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.