Which Han Chinese administration, established in 60 BCE, governed Silk Road territories west of the Yumen Pass?

The Han Chinese administration established in 60 BCE to govern Silk Road territories west of the Yumen Pass was the Protectorate of the Western Regions.

The Han dynasty created this office during the reign of Emperor Xuan after expanding contacts with oasis states in the Tarim Basin and Central Asia. Its headquarters was generally associated with Wulei, although the administrative center changed over time. The protectorate represented Han authority over a network of local kingdoms rather than direct rule over every settlement.

Its responsibilities included diplomacy, military security, supervision of allied rulers, and protection of routes linking China with Central Asia. The office helped stabilize the eastern sections of the overland Silk Road, especially around the strategic passes and oasis corridors.

The protectorate should not be confused with a modern province: Han influence varied considerably, and local kingdoms retained their own rulers. Han control also weakened and was later interrupted as political conditions changed across the region.