Editing Gansu (section)

== History ==
[[File:Summer Vacation 2007, 263, Watchtower In The Morning Light, Dunhuang, Gansu Province.jpg|thumb|250px|The ruins of a [[Han dynasty]] (202 BC – 220 AD) Chinese [[watchtower]] made of [[rammed earth]] at [[Dunhuang]], Gansu province, the eastern edge of the [[Silk Road]]]]

Gansu's name is a [[Compound (linguistics)|compound name]] first used during the [[Song dynasty]]. It is a combination of the names of two prefectures ({{lang|zh|州}}) in the [[Sui dynasty|Sui]] and [[Tang dynasty]]: Gan (around [[Zhangye]]) and Su (around [[Jiuquan]]). Its eastern part forms part of one of the cradles of ancient Chinese civilisation.

=== Ancient Gansu ===
In prehistoric times, Gansu was host to [[Neolithic]] cultures. The [[Dadiwan culture]], from where archaeologically significant [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifact]]s have been excavated, flourished in the eastern end of Gansu from about 6000{{nbsp}}BC to about 3000{{nbsp}}BC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/Nov/48266.htm|url-status=live|title=Dadiwan Relics Break Archeological Records|author=Chen Lin|date=2002-11-08|publisher=中国网|archive-date=2003-07-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030719182734/http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/Nov/48266.htm}}</ref> The [[Majiayao culture]] and part of the [[Qijia culture]] took root in Gansu from 3100 BC to 2700 BC and 2400 BC to 1900 BC respectively.

The [[Yuezhi]] originally lived in the very western part of Gansu until they were forced to emigrate by the [[Xiongnu]] around 177 BC.

The [[Qin (state)|State of Qin]], known in China as the [[Qin dynasty|founding state]] of the [[Early Imperial China|Chinese empire]], grew out from the southeastern part of Gansu, specifically the [[Tianshui]] area. The Qin name is believed to have originated, in part, from the area.<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-11/19/content_5349258.htm Xinhua – English] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305230318/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-11/19/content_5349258.htm |date=5 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://en.people.cn/200602/20/eng20060220_244270.html |title=People's Daily Online – Chinese surname history: Qin |access-date=22 February 2016 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192740/http://en.people.cn/200602/20/eng20060220_244270.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Qin tombs and artifacts have been excavated from [[Fangmatan]] near Tianshui, including one 2200-year-old map of [[Guixian County]].<ref>[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-04/30/content_378835.htm Over 2,200-Year-old Map Discovered in NW China] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312011236/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-04/30/content_378835.htm |date=12 March 2007 }}</ref>

===Imperial era===
[[File:Chinese jar, Neolithic period, painted earthenware, HAA.JPG|thumb|left|[[Xindian culture]] era jar with two lug handles uncovered in Gansu, dating to around 1,000 BC]] [[File:Yumenguan.jpg|left|250px|thumb|The ruins of a gate at [[Yumen Pass]], built during the [[Jin dynasty (266–420)]]]]
In imperial times, Gansu was an important strategic outpost and communications link for the Chinese empire, as the [[Hexi Corridor]] runs along the "neck" of the province. The [[Han dynasty]] extended the [[History of the Great Wall of China|Great Wall]] across this corridor, building the strategic [[Yumenguan]] (Jade Gate Pass, near [[Dunhuang]]) and [[Yangguan]] fort towns along it. Remains of the wall and the towns can be found there. The [[Ming dynasty]] built the [[Jiayuguan (pass)|Jiayuguan]] outpost in Gansu. To the west of Yumenguan and the [[Qilian Mountains]], at the northwestern end of the province, the [[Yuezhi]], [[Wusun]], and other [[nomad]]ic tribes dwelt ([[Shiji]] 123), occasionally figuring in regional imperial Chinese [[geopolitics]].

By the Qingshui treaty, concluded in 823 between the [[Tibetan Empire]] and the Tang dynasty, China lost much of western Gansu province for a significant period.<ref>Turghun Almas, "Uygurlar", Kashgar, 1989.</ref>

After the fall of the [[Uyghur Khaganate]], a Buddhist [[Yugur people|Yugur]] (Uyghur) state called the [[Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom]] was established by migrating Uyghurs from the khaganate in part of Gansu that lasted from 848 to 1036{{nbsp}}AD.

Along the [[Silk Road]], Gansu was an economically important province, as well as a cultural transmission path. Temples and [[Buddhist]] [[grotto]]es<ref>[http://en.people.cn/200201/03/eng20020103_87985.shtml English.people.com.cn]</ref> such as those at [[Mogao Caves]] ('Caves of the Thousand Buddhas') and [[Maijishan Caves]] contain artistically and historically revealing [[mural]]s.<ref>"Artistic treasures of Maiji Mountain caves" by Alok Shrotriya and Zhou Xue-ying. [http://www.asianart.com/articles/alok/index.html Asianart.com]</ref> An early form of paper inscribed with [[Chinese writing|Chinese characters]] and dating to about 8{{nbsp}}BC was discovered at the site of a Western Han [[garrison]] near the Yumen pass in August 2006.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080328142706/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-08/08/content_4937457.htm Xinhuanet.com ]</ref>

The Xixia or [[Western Xia]] dynasty controlled much of Gansu as well as [[Ningxia]].

The province was also the origin of the [[Dungan Revolt (1862–77)|Dungan Revolt]] of 1862–77. Among the [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] forces were Muslim generals, including [[Ma Zhan'ao]] and [[Ma Anliang]], who helped the Qing crush the rebel Muslims. The revolt had spread into Gansu from neighbouring Qinghai.

There was another [[Dungan revolt (1895–1896)|Dungan revolt from 1895 to 1896]].

[[File:JiayuguanFort.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Jiayuguan Pass|Jiayuguan]] Fort]]

===Republican China===
As a result of frequent earthquakes, droughts and famines, the economic progress of Gansu was significantly slower than that of other provinces of China until recently. Based on the area's abundant mineral resources it has begun developing into a vital industrial center. An [[1920 Haiyuan earthquake|earthquake in Gansu]] at 8.6 on the [[Richter magnitude scale|Richter scale]] killed around 180,000 people mostly in the present-day area of [[Ningxia]] in 1920, and [[1932 Changma earthquake|another with a magnitude of 7.6]] killed 275 in 1932.<ref name="NGDC">{{cite web|url=https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/3507|title=Significant Earthquake Information|last=National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information|year=1972 |publisher=NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information|doi=10.7289/V5TD9V7K}}</ref>

The [[Muslim Conflict in Gansu (1927–1930)]] was a conflict against the [[Guominjun]].

While the Muslim General [[Ma Hongbin]] was acting chairman of the province, Muslim General [[Ma Buqing]] was in virtual control of Gansu in 1940. Liangzhou District in [[Wuwei, Gansu|Wuwei]] was previously his headquarters in Gansu, where he controlled 15&nbsp;million Muslims.<ref>{{cite news |title=Moslem War Lord Isolated by China; Ma Pu-ching Sent to Swamps of Tibet With the Title of Reclamation Commissioner Member of a Noted Clan Vital Route to Russia Passes Through Area With 15,000,000 Believers in the Koran|author=Harrison Forman|newspaper=The New York Times|date=19 July 1942|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E05E5DF1E3EE531A1575AC1A9619C946393D6CF}}</ref> [[Xinjiang]] came under [[Kuomintang]] (Nationalist) control after their soldiers entered via Gansu.<ref name="Lin2010">{{cite book|author=Hsiao-ting Lin|title=Modern China's Ethnic Frontiers: A Journey to the West|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N8YtCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA76|date=13 September 2010|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=978-1-136-92393-7|pages=76–}}</ref> Gansu's [[Tianshui|Tienshui]] was the site of a Japanese-Chinese warplane fight.<ref name="Armstrong2006">{{cite book|author=Alan Armstrong|title=Preemptive Strike: The Secret Plan that Would Have Prevented the Attack on Pearl Harbor|url=https://archive.org/details/preemptivestrike00alan|url-access=registration|quote=airfield kansu.|year=2006|publisher=Lyons Press|isbn=978-1-59228-913-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/preemptivestrike00alan/page/122 122]–}}</ref>

Gansu was vulnerable to Soviet penetration via Xinjiang.<ref name="Fleming2014">{{cite book|author=Peter Fleming|title=News from Tartary: An Epic Journey Across Central Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dg-9BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA264|date=19 August 2014|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-0-85773-495-2|pages=264–}}</ref> Gansu was a passageway for [[Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact|Soviet war supplies for the Republic of China]] during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]].<ref name="Forbes1986">{{cite book|author=Andrew D. W. Forbes|title=Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: A Political History of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IAs9AAAAIAAJ&q=airfield+kansu&pg=PA146|date=9 October 1986|publisher=CUP Archive|isbn=978-0-521-25514-1|pages=146–}}</ref> Lanzhou was a destination point via a road coming from [[Dihua]] (Ürümqi).<ref name="Kataoka1974">{{cite book|author=Tetsuya Kataoka|title=Resistance and Revolution in China: The Communists and the Second United Front|url=https://archive.org/details/resistancerevolu00kata|url-access=registration|quote=airfield kansu.|year=1974|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-02553-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/resistancerevolu00kata/page/170 170]–}}</ref> The [[Gongxingdun Airport|Gonxingdun Aerodrome]] was one of several air bases where the [[Development of Chinese Nationalist air force (1937–1945)|Chinese Air Force]] operated in defense of Gansu. Gansu provided wartime China with most of the locally [[Petroleum industry|sourced petrol]] from the [[Yumen City#Economy|Yumen Laojunmiao oil wells]] beginning in the summer of 1939, producing 250,000 tons of [[Petroleum|crude oil]] in those war years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=地球知识局 |first1=行业观察 |title=新中国第一座石油工业城市已落幕?|url=http://www.oilsns.com/article/303845|website=OILSNS|access-date=2021-02-13|location=China|date=2018-04-09 |quote=With the exploration efforts of Sun Jianchu, Yan Shuang and other patriotic scholars, on August 11, 1939, the Laojunmiao oil well blew out the first oil. This moment has also become the starting point of China's petroleum industry. During the Anti-Fascist War against the Imperial Japanese forces, the Yumen oil wells produced a total of 250,000 tons of crude oil, accounting for more than 90% of the country's crude oil output during the same period, making an important contribution to the victory toward the Anti-Fascist War.}}</ref> Lanzhou and [[Lhasa]] were designated to be recipients of a new railway.{{when|date=July 2017}}<ref name="Ginsburgs2013">{{cite book|author=Ginsburgs|title=Communist China and Tibet: The First Dozen Years|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F-yjBwAAQBAJ&q=airfield+kansu&pg=PA100|date=11 November 2013|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-94-017-5057-8|pages=100–}}</ref>

The [[Kuomintang Islamic insurgency in China (1950–1958)]] was a prolongation of the [[Chinese Civil War]] in several provinces including Gansu.