Map Introduction

Ji Province during the Eastern Han Period

Ji Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China described in the Chinese classic Tribute of Yu. According to the Book of Documents · Tribute of Yu, when Yu the Great divided the world into nine provinces, Ji Province was among them, ranked first. It encompassed the areas of present-day Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shanxi provinces, northern Henan, and parts of Liaoning and Inner Mongolia.

In 25 CE (the 1st year of the Jianwu era of Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu), Xindu Commandery was changed to the Principality of Chang'an, with its seat at Xindu. In 72 CE (the 15th year of the Yongping era of Emperor Ming), his sixth son, Liu Dang, was enfeoffed as Prince of Lecheng, and the Principality of Chang'an was renamed the Principality of Lecheng. In 122 CE (the 1st year of the Yanguang era of Emperor An), Liu De, grandson of Emperor Zhang, was enfeoffed as Prince of Anping. The Principality of Lecheng was renamed the Principality of Anping, and the Ji Province administrative seat was established here, governing thirteen counties (Xindu, Fucheng, Fuliu, Nangong, Jing, Wuyi, Guanjin, Tangyang, Wusui, Xiabo, Raoyang, Anping, and Shenze). Within the city was a stele dedicated to Zhao Zheng of Anping, who served as an Officer in Ji Province during the Han. In 184 CE (the 1st year of the Zhongping era of Emperor Ling), the principality was abolished and replaced by Anping Commandery, with its seat at Xindu. At this time, the Yellow Turban rebel army led by Zhang Jiao from Julu captured the Ji Province city. In 190 CE (the 1st year of the Chuping era of Emperor Xian), Dong Zhuo recommended Han Fu to be the Governor of Ji Province. According to an "old record," citing the Book of the Later Han, when Yuan Shao took advantage of the Han turmoil, he raised an army, expelled Han Fu, and appointed himself Governor of Ji Province. This occurred in 191 CE. He came to control the four provinces of Qing, You, Bing, and Ji. Both he and his son Yuan Shang, across two generations, used Ye (in the area of present-day Ye Town, Linzhang County; the old city of Ye lies west of modern Linzhang, and Yuan Shao's tomb is located there) as their base.

The Ji Province Inspectorate governed nine commanderies – Anping, Changshan, Zhongshan, Hejian, Qinghe, the Principality of Zhao, Julu, Bohai, and Wei – comprising approximately over one hundred marquisates (counties). The provincial seat was at Hao (present-day Baixiang County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province). During the Eastern Han period, the Ji Province Inspectorate was larger than its Western Han predecessor, incorporating areas of modern Cangzhou, Langfang, and a small part of the Tianjin region.

Map Source

Historical map of the feudal provincial department of Jizhou in Eastern Han Dynasty is sourced from The Historical Atlas of China, Volume 2(3)—Maps of the Eastern 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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