Map Introduction

I. Liao Dynasty Foundations and Early Jin Reorganization

The predecessor of the Jin Dynasty's Beijing Route was the Liao Dynasty's Middle Capital, Dading Prefecture, located northwest of modern Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia. Initially constructed in the 25th year of the Tonghe era (1007 AD) as one of the Liao's five capitals, it served as a political center for Khitan rule over North China. After the Jin conquered the Liao, they retained the Dading Prefecture administrative structure based on the Liao system. However, in the early Jin period, it remained a militarily significant northern frontier stronghold and had not yet been elevated to a Route-level administrative district.

II. Elevation and Functions during the Zhenyuan Era

In the 1st year of the Zhenyuan era (1153 AD) under Prince of Hailing, to strengthen control over northern nomadic peoples, Dading Prefecture was elevated to the Beijing Route, becoming one of the five capitals of the Jin Dynasty. Its jurisdiction covered parts of modern Chengde (Hebei), Chifeng (Inner Mongolia), and Chaoyang (Liaoning). It housed institutions such as the Resident Administration and the General Transportation Commission, governing 11 counties and 2 towns. The establishment of the Beijing Route signified the Jin Dynasty's shift to direct administration over the northeastern tribal areas. While its senior officials were predominantly Jurchen, the proportion of Khitan officials was significantly higher here than in the Shangjing or Dongjing Routes, reflecting the region's characteristic multi-ethnic co-governance.

III. Construction of the Military Defense System

Bordering the Mongolian steppe to the north, the Beijing Route was the Jin frontier for defending against Mongol forces. During the reign of Emperor Zhangzong (1190–1208 AD), a roughly 2,500-kilometer-long boundary trench network (the Jin长城, or Jin Frontier Fortifications) was constructed along the border, equipped with beacon towers, passes, and forts. The project conscripted some 750,000 soldiers and civilians for its construction. This massive undertaking placed a severe strain on local resources, leading to records that "the people suffered from the corvée duties of raising horses, conscription, and digging trenches, causing great financial hardship," but it temporarily consolidated the northern defenses.

IV. Mongol Invasion and Demise

After the Mongol invasion of the Jin began in 1211 AD, Muqali captured the Beijing Route in 1215 AD, leading to the collapse of the Jin's northern territory. In the early Yuan Dynasty, it was reorganized as the Beijing Route General Administration. Its name was changed to Daning Route in the 7th year of the Zhiyuan era (1270 AD) and was later abolished, becoming Daning Guard in the Ming Dynasty. The extant remains of triple city walls and brick pagodas attest to its historical status as a northern political center during the Liao and Jin periods.

V. Comparison with Southern Song Administrative Regions

The Jin Dynasty's Beijing Route stood in stark contrast to the Southern Song's Lin'an Prefecture (Hangzhou): the former focused primarily on military defense and tribal management, while the latter emphasized economic and cultural development. The Jin used the Beijing Route to control the steppe-agricultural transition zone, whereas the Southern Song relied on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to maintain its half of the empire.