Map Introduction

Historical Evolution of Xiangzhou (Weizhou)

The establishment of Xiangzhou (Weizhou) began in the second year of the Daxiang era of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (580 AD). Initially a province-level administrative district, it governed two commanderies—Changle and Wuyang—comprising six counties, with its seat located in present-day Daming County. In the third year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (583 AD), the commandery level was abolished, and it was downgraded to a prefecture-level province, with its subordinate counties increasing to 14 (such as Guixiang, Yuancheng, etc.). During the Tang Dynasty, it underwent multiple name changes: in the second year of the Longshuo era (662 AD), it was renamed Jizhou; in the third year of the Xianheng era (672 AD), it was restored as Weizhou; in the first year of the Tianbao era (742 AD), it was elevated to Weijun Commandery; and in the first year of the Qianyuan era (758 AD), it was again restored as Weizhou. In the first year of the Tongguang era of the Later Tang Dynasty (923 AD), it was promoted to the Eastern Capital Xingtang Prefecture, becoming the secondary capital of Yedu.

During the Northern Wei period, Xiangzhou was under the jurisdiction of Jizhou, and Yecheng served as the capital of the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties, highlighting its significant political status.

Historical Evolution of Jizhou

During the Northern Wei period, Jizhou was a core economic region. However, in the late Han and Wei periods, due to conflicts between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, as well as Cao Cao’s campaigns, the population plummeted from nearly 8 million in the Western Han to just 300,000 households by the ninth year of the Jian’an era (204 AD), dealing a severe blow to the economy. After Emperor Xiaowen’s reforms in the Northern Wei, Jizhou remained a critical source of tax revenue, but bureaucratic corruption intensified. For instance, Prince Gao Yang Yuanyong’s extravagance and local officials’ oppressive taxation sparked the Dacheng Rebellion led by Faqing (515 AD). In the later Northern Dynasties, Jizhou became the center of the Hebei uprisings, accelerating the fragmentation of the Northern Wei.

Historical Evolution of Youzhou

During the Northern Wei period, Youzhou was a key military stronghold in the north, long facing threats from nomadic peoples such as the Rouran. In the early Northern Wei, to defend against the Rouran, six garrison towns (including Woye, Huaishuo, and Wuchuan) were established north of Pingcheng. Youzhou, as one of these frontier garrisons, bore the responsibility of military defense. After Emperor Xiaowen’s sinicization reforms, the Xianbei nobles of the six garrison towns, marginalized culturally and politically, grew increasingly at odds with the Luoyang regime. This tension ultimately triggered the Revolt of the Six Garrisons (523 AD), a turning point in the Northern Wei’s decline.

During the Han and Wei transition, the population of Youzhou drastically declined due to warfare, disasters, and epidemics. For example, the household registration in Zhuo Commandery plummeted from over 100,000 households in the Eastern Han, severely damaging social productivity. In the later Northern Wei period, Youzhou became a hotspot for multi-ethnic uprisings (such as the Hebei rebellions), accelerating the regime’s collapse.

Historical Evolution of Pingzhou

During the Northern Wei, Pingzhou was under the jurisdiction of the Youzhou Military Command and was located on the northeastern frontier, serving as a frontline defense against Goguryeo and the Khitan. During the reign of Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei, Tuoba Tao (424–452 AD), Pingzhou’s military significance grew, and garrison towns were established there. After Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang, Pingzhou, being far from the core ruling area, gradually became a settlement for displaced people and ethnic minorities. In the later period, affected by the Revolt of the Six Garrisons, its governing order collapsed.

Summary

Among these four provinces, Youzhou and Pingzhou focused on military defense, Xiangzhou (Weizhou) became a political center due to its status as the secondary capital Yedu, while Jizhou, with its strong economic foundation yet acute social contradictions, epitomized the turbulence of the Northern Dynasties.