Xu Province

This article is about the ancient Chinese province. For the modern city in Jiangsu province, see Xuzhou.
Xuzhou
Traditional Chinese 徐州
Simplified Chinese 徐州

Xuzhou or Xu Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China mentioned in Chinese historical texts such as the Tribute of Yu, Erya and Rites of Zhou.

Geographical location

The Yu Gong (Tribute of Yu) records: "The Sea, Mount Dai (ancient name of Mount Tai), and the Huai River served as the boundaries of Xuzhou."[1][2] Based on this description, the ancient Xuzhou covered an area that roughly corresponds to the regions in modern southeastern Shandong (south of Mount Tai) and modern northern Jiangsu (north of the Huai River).

History

Han dynasty

In 106 BCE, during the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 141–87 BCE) in the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE), China was divided into 13 administrative divisions or provinces (excluding the capital Chang'an and seven commanderies in its vicinity), each governed by a cishi (刺史; Inspector). 11 of them were named after the Nine Provinces mentioned in the historical texts Classic of History and Rites of Zhou. Xuzhou was one of the 11, and it covered parts of Jiangsu (north of the Yangtze River) and southeastern Shandong. In the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), Xuzhou's capital was set up at Tan county (郯縣; present-day Tancheng County, Linyi, Shandong).

Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty

During the Three Kingdoms period (220–280), Xuzhou was a territory of the state of Cao Wei (220–265), and its capital was moved to Pengcheng (彭城; present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu).

After the fall of the Western Jin dynasty (265–316) due to the Wu Hu uprising, the Jin remnants fled to southern China and established the Eastern Jin dynasty (317–420) there with its capital in Jiankang (建康; near present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu). To govern the people from northern who relocated in the south of the Huai River, Jin set up some new administrative divisions named after their hometown. The historians often prefix a Chinese character "侨" means lodging to distinguish from the original ones. The capital of lodging Xuzhou perhaps located in the north of the Yangtze River at first, then removed to Jingkou (京口; present-day Zhenjiang, Jiangsu). [3]

Sixteen Kingdoms and Southern and Northern Dynasties period

In the Sixteen Kingdoms period, Xuzhou was divided between, or came under the administration of, various kingdoms:

In 408, the Emperor An (r. 397–419) of the Liu Song dynasty (420–479) recaptured the former territory in the north of the Huai River, Xuzhou was renamed as Northern Xuzhou in 411, and the lodging Xuzhou remained.

In 421, during the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 420–422) , however, Northern Xuzhou restored as Xuzhou, and Southern Xuzhou instead of the lodging Xuzhou comparatively.[3][4][5][6]

In 473, as Xuzhou was captured by Northern Wei, Liu Song set up the new Northern Xuzhou whose capital was in Yan County (燕縣; present-day Feng Yang, Anhui).[7]

Jurchen Jin dynasty

During the reign of Emperor Taizong (r. 1123–1135) of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Xuzhou became known as "Ansu Military Division" (安肅軍置), with its capital at Ansu County (安肅縣; present-day Xushui County, Hebei). It administered the area in present-day eastern Xushui County. It was renamed "Ansuzhou" (安肅州) in 1151 during the reign of Wanyan Liang (r. 1150–1161).

Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties

During the reign of Emperor Huizong (r. 1333–1370) in the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), Xuzhou became an administrative division known as "Xuzhou Circuit" (徐州路) after 1348, with its capital in Pengcheng (彭城; present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu).[4]

During the reign of the Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368–1398) in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the name "Xuzhou" was restored, and the administrative division governed Pei County and Feng County in Jiangsu, and Dangshan County and Xiao County in Anhui.

Xuzhou became "Xuzhou Prefecture" (徐州府) in the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735) and it administered the modern city of Xuzhou and Suqian in Jiangsu, and Suzhou, Xiao County and Dangshan County in Anhui.

Modern times

Xuzhou became an administrative division called "Xu-Hai Circuit" (徐海道) in the early Republican period (1912–1949).

During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), Xuzhou was administered by Wang Jingwei's pro-Japanese puppet regime (1940–1945).

References

  1. ↑ (海、岱及惟徐州：淮、沂其乂，蒙、羽其藝；大野既豬，東原厎平。厥土赤埴墳。草木漸包。厥田惟上中，厥賦中中。厥貢惟土五色，羽畎夏翟，嶧陽孤桐，泗濱浮磬，淮夷蠙珠暨魚；厥篚玄纖縞。浮於淮、泗，達於菏。) Yu Gong.
  2. ↑ English translation of the quoted Chinese text from the Yu Gong.
  3. 1 2 "宋书·志第二十五".
  4. 1 2 "江苏省志·地理志".
  5. ↑ "江苏省志·地名志".
  6. ↑ 六朝疆域与政区研究. Beijing:Academy Press. 2005.
  7. ↑ "南齐书·志第六".
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