Hancho - Hancho

A military commander who made a great contribution to the control of the Western Regions in the early Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He was from Youfufeng Pingling (Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province). His courtesy name was Zhongsheng. He was the son of Ban Biao, and Ban Gu, the author of the Book of Han, was his older brother, and Ban Zhao was his younger sister. He went to Luoyang to study, and struggled to support his mother, but had great ambitions to achieve success as a warrior. In 73, he participated in Dou Gu's expedition to the Northern Xiongnu, and achieved military success. He was also sent as an envoy to Shanshan (Chalklik), where he encouraged his small number of soldiers in a disadvantageous situation by saying, "You can't get the tiger's cub unless you enter the tiger's den," and eventually subjugated them. He was active in the Western Regions for over 30 years, subjugating over 50 oasis states east of the Caspian Sea, including Shanshan, Yutian (Khotan), and Kucha, and was made the Protector of the Western Regions and the Marquis of Dingyuan. He also sent his subordinate Gan Ying to the west to try to establish diplomatic relations with the state of Daqin. In 102, due to his old age, he made a request and his sister Zhao wrote a moving letter to allow him to return to China, but he died of illness one month later. His son Ban Yong took over the management of the Western Regions, but there was a lack of talented people and the countries of the Western Regions began to defect one after another.

[Hideyuki Iio]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、後漢(ごかん)初期の西域(せいいき)支配に功績のあった武将。右扶風(うふふう)平陵（陝西(せんせい)省咸陽(かんよう)市）の人。字(あざな)は仲升。班彪(ひょう)の子で、『漢書(かんじょ)』の著者班固は兄、班昭は妹である。洛陽(らくよう)に出て学問を志し、苦労して母を養うが、武人として功をあげようと大望を抱いた。73年、竇固(とうこ)の北匈奴(きょうど)遠征に従軍し軍功をあげ、さらに鄯善(ぜんぜん)（チャルクリク）に使いし、不利な状況で「虎穴(こけつ)に入らずんば虎子を得ず」と少数の兵を励まし、ついにこれを服属させた。以後30余年、西域で活躍し、カスピ海以東の鄯善、于闐(うてん)（ホータン）、亀茲(きじ)（クチャ）など50余国のオアシス諸国家を服属させ、西域都護となり、定遠侯に封ぜられた。さらに部下の甘英を西方に遣わし大秦(たいしん)国との国交を試みた。102年、老齢による彼の上願と、妹昭の感動的な上書により帰国が実現するが、1か月後に病没。彼の尽力した西域経営は子、班勇に受け継がれたが、その後は人材なく、西域諸国の離反が相次いだ。

［飯尾秀幸］

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