Map Introduction

Yan Province

During the Jin Dynasty, the Yan Province Governor Department was established. It administered eight commanderies and principalities—Puyang, Dongping, Jibei, Taishan, Chenliu, Jiyang, Rencheng, and Gaoping (whose seat was at Changyi and which administered counties like Xiaqiu, Jinxiang, and Juye)—comprising a total of 56 counties.

In the first year of the Taikang era (280 AD), Emperor Wu of Jin conquered the state of Wu and divided the entire country into 19 provincial departments. During the Yongjia era, this was increased to 21 provincial departments. Yan Province was one of them. Its initial seat was at Linbing, but was later moved to Yuncheng (northwest of modern Yuncheng, Shandong). By the end of Emperor Hui of Jin's reign, the entire territory of Yan Province had been lost and was annexed by the Later Zhao.

Amidst the warfare, a large number of the common people of Yan Province migrated south. By the time of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin, exile (Qiao) provinces, commanderies, counties, and townships were established in the south to resettle these migrants. Yan Province was one such exile province, with its seat located at Jingkou. During the Tai'ning era of Emperor Ming of Jin, Xi Jian was appointed as the Governor of Yan Province, based in Guangling (northeast of modern Jiangdu County, Jiangsu). In the early Jianyuan era of Emperor Kang, the seat was temporarily moved to Jincheng (north of modern Jiangning County, Jiangsu). During the Yonghe era of Emperor Mu, it was relocated to Xiapi (east of modern Pizhou, Jiangsu). In the Taihe era under the Duke of Huaixi, it was moved again to Shanyin (modern Huai'an, Jiangsu). Finally, during the Taiyuan era of Emperor Xiaowu, the seat returned to Guangling. The region between the Yangtze and Huai rivers was designated as the territory of this Yan Province, which administered 14 commanderies. This Yan Province based in Guangling became known historically as Southern Yan Province, while the contemporaneous Yan Province based in Yuncheng in the north was called Northern Yan Province. Northern Yan Province administered commanderies such as Dongping, Gaoping, Jiyang, Jibei, and Rencheng.

Yu Province

The Western Jin's Yu Province inherited its structure from the Eastern Han. Its core region included modern southeastern Henan (Xuchang, Zhoukou, Shangqiu), northern Anhui (Bozhou, Suzhou, Fuyang), and parts of southern Shandong. Its boundaries reached the Yellow River to the north, bordered Jing Province to the south, adjoined Xu Province to the east, and connected with the Sili Colonel Department (around Luoyang) to the west. It was a crucial administrative district in the Central Plains. Its initial seat was at Qiao County (modern Bozhou, Anhui). Due to frequent warfare, the seat was moved multiple times; towards the end of Western Jin, it was briefly relocated to Ruyin (modern Fuyang, Anhui).

Military and Political Status of Yu Province

Strategically located along the key north-south communication routes, Yu Province became a focal point of contention during the Western Jin. After the Yongjia Disturbances (307-313 AD), most of Yu Province was captured by Shi Le of the Later Zhao, with only the region south of the Huai River remaining (under Jin influence). Following the establishment of Eastern Jin, Yu Province became a frontline in the North-South confrontation. Eastern Jin launched several Northern Expeditions attempting to recover the lost territory, but its actual control long remained limited to the area south of the Huai River. An exile (Qiao) Yu Province was established in Wuhu (modern Wuhu, Anhui) to resettle refugees.

Exile Administration and Demographic Shifts in Yu Province

After the fall of Western Jin, many gentry families from Yu Province migrated south. The Eastern Jin court established a "Southern Yu Province" south of the Yangtze as an exile province. It governed 22 exile commanderies, including Yingchuan and Runan, aiming to pacify the refugees and maintain the influence of local powerful families. This policy reflected both the importance aristocratic families placed on their ancestral origins and the symbolic claim of the Eastern Jin regime to recover the lost territories. It wasn't until the Northern Expeditions of Liu Yu (410-420 AD) that the former lands of Yu Province gradually returned to actual Jin control.

Economic and Cultural Characteristics of Yu Province

Yu Province was agriculturally developed and served as an important grain-producing region for the Western Jin, with centers like Xuchang and Chenliu being economically vital. Culturally, as part of the old Han and Wei heartland, Yu Province had a profound Confucian tradition. Influential gentry clans such as the Xun family of Yingchuan and the Xie family of Chen Commandery had a significant impact on Western Jin politics. After the Yongjia Disturbances, the culture of the Central Plains, carried south by the migrating population, profoundly influenced the cultural landscape of the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties.