Map Description

The Yan, Yu, Qing, and Xu Province Inspectorates were important components of the thirteen provincial inspectorates of the Western Han Dynasty. Their historical evolution reflects the dynamic balance between centralized authority and local governance.

Yan Province Inspectorate * Western Han: Established in 106 BCE (the 5th year of the Yuanfeng era), its initial seat was located at Puyang (present-day Puyang, Henan). Its jurisdiction covered western Shandong, northeastern Henan, and southeastern Hebei, initially governing six commanderies and principalities. * Eastern Han: The seat was moved to Changyi (present-day Juye, Shandong), and its jurisdiction expanded to eight commanderies and principalities, covering western Shandong, eastern Henan, and other areas. It remained stable during the Cao Wei period of the Three Kingdoms. Later, during the Western Jin Dynasty, it was divided into Northern and Southern Yan Provinces, with the seat moved to Yuncheng (northwest of present-day Yuncheng County, Shandong).

Yu Province Inspectorate * Western Han: Established in 106 BCE, it governed eastern Henan and northern Anhui. Initially, it was only a supervisory district without a fixed administrative seat. * Eastern Han: It was elevated to a first-level administrative district, with its seat established at Qiao County (present-day Bozhou, Anhui). It administered two commanderies – Yingchuan and Runan – and four principalities, covering southern Henan, northern Anhui, and other regions.

Qing Province Inspectorate Existing historical records provide limited explicit details regarding the specific evolutionary process of the Qing Province Inspectorate. However, according to the Book of Han · Treatise on Geography, Qing Province had become a first-level administrative district during the Eastern Han period, with its seat located at Linzi (present-day Zibo, Shandong).

Xu Province Inspectorate Similarly, existing historical materials lack clear records of the specific evolutionary details of the Xu Province Inspectorate. Based on the Book of Han · Treatise on Geography, Xu Province had become a first-level administrative district during the Eastern Han period, with its seat located at Xiapi (present-day Suining, Jiangsu).

All four of these inspectorates evolved into formal administrative districts during the Eastern Han period, laying the foundation for the administrative system of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Map Source

The history map of Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Qingzhou and Xuzhou's Prefectural Governor Department in the Western Han Dynasty of China is sourced from The Historical Atlas of China, Volume 2(2)—Maps of the Western Han Dynasty, published by SinoMaps Press on October 1, 1982, with Tan Qixiang as its author.

The Historical Atlas of China is an atlas focusing primarily on the historical administrative divisions and territories of China throughout its dynasties, compiled under the chief editorship of Tan Qixiang. The entire work spans from the primitive society to the end of the Qing dynasty, organized into 8 volumes and 20 sections according to historical periods, containing a total of 304 maps (not including illustrations). All maps juxtapose historical and modern geography. The compilation of this atlas began in the 1950s, it was seriously disturbed during the cultural revolution. The internal edition was published in 1975 but contained numerous errors. Publication of Volumes 1-8 occurred successively starting in 1982. The Historical Atlas of China is a rare and valuable resource for studying the historical administrative divisions of China.

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