A Study on Epitaphs Recording the Registered Native Place ‘Naklang in Yingzhou’(5th-6th Centuries) and the Nakliang Commandery

This study introduces two epitaphs that have not previously been examined in relation to the designation of “Naklang in Yingzhou” as the registered native place. The Epitaph of Lady Wang, Wife of Gongsun Jingbi(公孫⽒妻王敬妃墓誌) and the Epitaph of Lady Ni, Wife of Zhangsun Xia(⾧孫遐妻王尼墓誌) contain references to the native place “Naklang in Yingzhou,” along with information concerning the Naklang Wang lineage, which is assumed to have been based in Yingzhou. The article first presents the decipherment and annotated translation of these two epitaphs, followed by a brief introduction to their contents. Particular attention is given to the fact that both epitaphs consistently record “Yingzhou” in the native place designation. The meaning of this notation and the reasons for its use are examined through comparison with more than ten previously published epitaphs and inscribed objects associated with Naklang lineages. In addition, based on the fact that the deceased’s family—or the husband of the deceased—served as zhongzheng(中正) of Yingzhou, the study also explores the contemporary situation of Yingzhou under the Northern Wei dynasty and the background to the establishment of the Nakliang Commandery in this region.