A Study on Policies toward Hami during theEarly Ming Dynasty: Focused on the Boqtaq Bestowal

In the late period of the Yuan Dynasty, the region of Hami (哈密) was dominated by the descendants of Chagatai, the son of Chinggis Khan. Although the Ming Dynasty could not directly rule over Hami and its surrounding areas, they were able to expand their influence there following the military attack. Hami was a major thoroughfare connecting the Central Plains (中原) and the Western Regions (西域). After the Ming Dynasty successfully attacked Hami, they were overjoyed that merchants and travelers could now move freely. The descendants of Chagatai continued to govern this region. The Ming Dynasty established a guard post in Hami, changing the royal titles of the Mongol princes in the area from Su Wang(肅王) to Zhongshun Wang(忠順王) and Zhongyi Wang(忠義王). Noteworthy is the fact that the Ming Dynasty granted Mongolian women's headgear, known as 'boqtaq,' to Prince Zhongshun and Prince Zhongyi. This demonstrates, first and foremost, that the Ming Dynasty valued the former Yuan Dynasty's royal descendants who ruled Hami (哈密), a strategic gateway to the Western Regions (西域). Furthermore, the fact that the Ming did not only bestow ceremonial items upon the men of Hami but also gave special items to the women indicates the remarkably high status of women in Hami. Therefore, we can discern that the Ming Dynasty sought to replicate the practices of the Mongol rulers by bestowing similar honors upon the remaining Mongol imperial members who adhered to their established norms.