The name derives from the White Di kingdom of Dai, conquered by the Zhao family of Jin.

[7] During the interregnum following Qin's collapse, Dai was one of the Eighteen Kingdoms established by Xiang Yu.

Under the Han, Dai Prefecture formed part of the province of Bingzhou and oversaw 18 counties,[10] both within and beyond the Great Wall.

During China's Three Kingdoms period, Wei returned the commandery seat to Daixian (near present-day Yuzhou, Hebei).

During China's Sixteen Kingdoms period, both Later Yan and the Northern Wei had commanderies named Dai.

[4] It held some lands in northern Shanxi and Hebei but was mostly to their north in what is now Inner Mongolia, with their capital at Shengle (northwest of present-day Horinger).