Map Introduction

During the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Zhuo Commandery was established from a portion of Shanggu Commandery; additionally, the Yan Principality was created. Later, Emperor Wu of Han established the You Province Governor Department (幽州刺史部), which was responsible for inspecting the various commanderies and principalities in the Yan region. Expanding the frontier, Emperor Wu also established commanderies such as Xuantu and Lelang, which were likewise administered under You Province.

Establishment and Function In the fifth year of the Yuanfeng era (106 BC) of Emperor Wu of Han, the You Province Governor Department was established. Its duties involved inspecting the Yan Principality and the Liaodong region, with its administrative seat located in Ji County (near present-day Guang'anmen in southwestern Beijing). Initially, its role was limited to monitoring judicial cases and evaluating officials. It did not have a fixed administrative seat and would conduct annual inspections of its jurisdiction every August.

Jurisdictional Adjustments During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the jurisdiction of the You Province Governor Department was adjusted to encompass eleven commanderies and principalities, and ninety counties. This territory covered areas corresponding to modern-day Beijing, northern Hebei, southern Liaoning, and northwestern Korea. The administrative seat remained in Ji County, but its authority expanded to include both judicial and military affairs.

Organizational Evolution After the Wei and Jin periods, and with the strengthening of central authority, the jurisdiction of the You Province Governor Department gradually diminished. By the time of the Northern Wei Dynasty, it administered only three commanderies: Yan, Fanyang, and Yuyang.

Abolishment In the early years of the Daye era (around 605 AD) of Emperor Yang of Sui, the provincial system was abolished. You Province was converted into Zhuo Commandery, and the You Province Governor Department was subsequently dissolved.

Map Source

The Historical Map of Youzhou feudal provincial department in Western Han Dynasty 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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