Yanzhou (ancient China)

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Yanzhou Area: between the Ji and Yellow River. Nine rivers returned to their proper way. Leixia is an area of lake once again and functioning properly. Yong and Ju rivers flows into it. Mulberry bushes grow here now – people have settled here from the hills to cultivate the fields. Soil: rich and dark. Grass – good; woodlands healthy. Tax: middling. Fields: upper middling. Note – over the past thirteen years productivity has risen. Tribute: dyes, silks – in special coloured containers. Route: via the Ji and Ta rivers into the Yellow River.

— Confucius, translated by Martin Palmer, Shang Shu

History

During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), Yanzhou covered roughly present-day southwestern Shandong, eastern Henan, and the northwestern corner of Jiangsu. The name is reflected in the modern city of Yanzhou, Jining, Shandong. [ citation needed ]

In 1265, during the Song dynasty, Yanzhou was upgraded to Jiande Fu, overseeing six counties: Jiande County, Chun'an County, Sui’an County, Shouchang County, Fenshui County and Tonglu County. [2]

During the Qing dynasty, Yanzhou influence started to decline. [2]

In 1912, Yanzhou was revoked and in 1914 it was integrated into the Dao (道) prefecture. [2]

Government

The Yanzhou government seat was located at the northern end of the central axis, halfway up the mountains, to avoid floods caused by the nearby rivers and to create "a sense of oppression" in the inner city. [2]

In 1578, the government inner walls were dismantled, with its citizens gaining access to their headquarters. The government also moved to the northern end of the city. [2]

Yanzhou
Chinese 兗州 ／ 兖州
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Yǎnzhōu
Chinese provinces before the Qin dynasty
Nine Provinces mentioned in
"Tribute of Yu", Classic of History
Nine Provinces mentioned in
"Explaining Earth", Erya
Nine Provinces mentioned in
"Clan Responsibilities", Rituals of Zhou
Nine Provinces mentioned in
"Initial Survey", Lüshi Chunqiu
Twelve Provinces in
Yao and Shun's time

References

  1. ↑ Confucius (2014-07-31). The Most Venerable Book (Shang Shu). Translated by Palmer, Martin. Penguin UK. ISBN   978-0-14-197040-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Sun, Yuan; Wu, Yiqun; Yu, Huifang; Li, Yonghua (2024). "County-level urban forms and their correlation with local governance in Jiande, China: evidence from historical records". Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering . Taylor & Francis: 1–14. doi:10.1080/13467581.2024.2322000.


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