Map Introduction

I. Establishment Background and Initial Setup

The establishment of the Liaoyang Branch Secretariat originated from the Mongol military conquest and administrative integration of the Northeast region. After the Mongols captured Liaoyang in 1215, they successively set up temporary institutions like the Beijing Chief Commandery Military Governor Office and Pacification Commission, but a stable administrative system failed to materialize. In 1269 (the 6th year of the Zhiyuan era), Emperor Shizu of Yuan, Kublai Khan, aiming to control the political situation in Goryeo, first established the Eastern Capital (Dongjing) Branch Secretariat, with its seat in Liaoyang. It was jointly managed by the Central Secretariat Left Assistant Director Zhao Bi and the Prince Töregene, but it was abolished the following year once the situation in Goryeo stabilized. After the brief re-establishment of the Beijing Branch Secretariat in 1270, the Eastern Capital Branch Secretariat was set up for the second time in 1287 (the 24th year of Zhiyuan), intended to suppress the influence of the Eastern Princes. However, due to strong opposition from the Otchigin family, it lasted only six months before being revoked.

II. Administrative Finalization and Jurisdictional Scope

After suppressing Nayan's Rebellion in 1287, the Yuan dynasty formally established the Liaoyang Branch Secretariat. Its jurisdiction extended east to Sakhalin Island, north to the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River, west to Daning Route, and south to the border with Goryeo. The Branch Secretariat administered Routes such as Liaoyang, Daning, and Kaiyuan, and established the Zhengdong Pacification Commissioner Office to manage the northern frontier. It maintained communication to the remote northern areas through a "dog post" system. Its functions combined civil administration and military affairs, requiring the mediation of conflicts between the Eastern Princes and the central government. For instance, the Otchigin family still controlled some Jurchen households, creating a pattern of "dual rule."

III. Governance Measures and Economic Development

The Yuan dynasty implemented the postal station system in the Liaoyang Branch Secretariat, repairing over a hundred bridges along the Luan River to improve transportation between western Liaoning and the heartland. The bridge construction project overseen by Sun Gongliang in 1275 solved the problem of "difficult crossings in the Liao region." The Branch Secretariat also managed military agro-colonies through Pacification Commissions, such as the garrison colonies established by the Zhengdong Pacification Commissioner Office, which laid the foundation for the Ming dynasty's Nurgan Regional Military Commission. Economically, the region focused on horse trade, while also levying taxes like silk and silver.

IV. Power Struggles and Final Abolition

The Liaoyang Branch Secretariat was long constrained by the influence of the Eastern Princes. Although Nayan's Rebellion was crushed in 1287, the Otchigin family retained certain privileges. In 1334, Emperor Wenzong dispatched central government officials to inspect the Branch Secretariat, gradually eroding the power of the princes. Towards the end of the Yuan dynasty, due to fiscal constraints, the Branch Secretariat's functions gradually atrophied. After the establishment of the Ming dynasty in 1368, its administrative structure was replaced by the Liaodong Regional Military Commission.

Summary

The evolution of the Liaoyang Branch Secretariat reflects the Yuan dynasty's characteristic approach to frontier governance: integrating the results of military conquest through the Branch Secretariat system, while having to compromise with the traditional Mongol appanage system. Its transportation infrastructure and frontier management provided a model for the Ming and Qing dynasties' administration of the Northeast.