Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras. Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the

Nine Provinces The term Nine Provinces or Nine Regions (), is used in ancient Chinese histories to refer to territorial divisions or islands during the Xia and Shang dynasties and has now come to symbolically represent China. "Province" is the word used to t ...

which modern Xuzhou inherited.

History

Pre-Qin era

Xuzhou or Xu Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China mentioned in Chinese historical texts such as the ''

Tribute of Yu The ''Yu Gong'' () or ''Tribute of Yu'' is a chapter of the ''Book of Xia'' (夏書/夏书) section of the ''Book of Documents'', one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. The chapter describes the legendary Yu the Great and the ...

'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. The ''

Yu Gong The ''Yu Gong'' () or ''Tribute of Yu'' is a chapter of the ''Book of Xia'' (夏書/夏书) section of the ''Book of Documents'', one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. The chapter describes the legendary Yu the Great and the ...

'' 'Tribute of Yu''records: "The Sea, Mount Dai (ancient name of

Mount Tai Mount Tai () is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an. It is the highest point in Shandong province, China. The tallest peak is the '' Jade Emperor Peak'' (), which is commonly reported as being t ...

), and the

Huai River The Huai River (), Postal Map Romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in China. It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze, the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins ...

served as the boundaries of Xuzhou." While the definition of Xuzhou is more brief in '' Erya'': "Where is located in the east of

Ji River The Ji River was a former river in north-eastern China which gave its name to the towns of Jiyuan and Jinan. It disappeared during one of the massive Yellow River floods of 1852, as the Yellow River shifted its course from below the Shandong Peni ...

". Based on these descriptions, the ancient Xuzhou covered an area that roughly corresponds to the regions in modern southeastern Shandong (south of Mount Tai) and northern Jiangsu (north of the Huai River).

Han dynasty

In 106 BCE, during the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 141–87 BCE) in the

Western Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a war ...

(206 BCE – 9 CE), China was divided into 13 administrative divisions or provinces (excluding the capital

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...

and seven commanderies in its vicinity), each governed by a ''cishi'' (; Inspector). 11 of them were named after the

mentioned in the historical texts '' Classic of History'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Xuzhou was one of the 11, and it covered parts of

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

(north of the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

) and southeastern

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

. In the

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

(25–220 CE), Xuzhou's capital was set up at Tan (; present-day

Tancheng County Tancheng County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Linyi, in Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. Tancheng is the southernmost county-level division of Shandong Province and borders Jiangsu. It is ab ...

Linyi Linyi () is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, China. As of 2011, Linyi is the largest prefecture-level city in Shandong, both by area and population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the east, Weifang to the northeast, Zibo t ...

, Shandong).

Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty

During the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

period (220–280), Xuzhou was a territory of the state of

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

(220–265), and its capital was moved to Pengcheng (; present-day

Xuzhou Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...

). The area of Xuzhou shrunk slightly as its southern border with Sun Wu. After the fall of the Western Jin (265–316) due to the

Wu Hu uprising The Upheaval of the Five Barbarians also translated as the Rebellion, the Revolt, or the Invasion of the Five Barbarians () is a Chinese expression which refers to a series of rebellions and invasions between 304 and 316 by non- Han peoples, comm ...

, the Jin remnants fled to southern China and established the Eastern Jin (317–420). To govern the people from northern who relocated in the south of the Huai River, While its area shrunk again. Its capital was variable, it moved to Xiapi (; present-day

Suining Suining (; Sichuanese Pinyin: Xu4nin2; Sichuanese pronunciation: ; ) is a prefecture-level city of eastern Sichuan province in Southwest China. In 2002, Suining had a population of 658,798. Geography and climate Suining is located in the cen ...

, Jiangsu), Shanyang (; present-day

Huai'an District Huai'an District () is one of four districts of the prefecture-level city of Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, China. The southeast district was formerly named Shanyang County (), Huai'an County () and Chuzhou District (). The district is the home tow ...

, Jiangsu), Guangling (; present-day

Yangzhou Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yan ...

, Jiangsu) and Jingkou (; present-day

Zhenjiang Zhenjiang, alternately romanized as Chinkiang, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. It lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near its intersection with the Grand Canal. It is opposite Yangzhou (to its north) and ...

, Jiangsu) at different stages. Since its capital moved to the south of the Yangtze River, where had never been a part of its area, Xuzhou became a migrated province.

Sixteen Kingdoms and Southern and Northern Dynasties period

In the

Sixteen Kingdoms The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded by ...

period, Xuzhou was divided between, or came under the administration of, various kingdoms: * The

Later Yan Yan, known in historiography as the Later Yan (; 384 – 407 or 409) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xianbei people, located in modern-day northeast China, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. All rulers of the Later Yan declared them ...

kingdom (384–409) set up Xuzhou's capital at Huangjin'gu (; present-day

Zhangqiu Zhangqiu () is one of 10 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, East China. The district has an area of 1721.29 square kilometers, 20 towns, 908 villages and the permanent resident populati ...

), and moved it to Liyang (; east of present-day

Xun County Xun County or Xunxian () is a county in the north of Henan province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hebi and located on the transition of the East China Plain and the Taihang Mountains. Xun County has a his ...

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

), and later to Juancheng (; north of present-day

Juancheng County Juancheng County falls under the jurisdiction of Heze, in the southwest of Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic ...

, Shandong). * The Southern Yan kingdom (398–410) set up Xuzhou's capital at Jucheng (; present-day

Ju County Ju County or Juxian () is a county of Rizhao City, in the south of Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. As of the end of 2021, the total registered population of Ju County was 1.167 million. It covers an area of . The Fulaishan Scenic A ...

, Shandong), which administered parts of southeastern Shandong. * The

Later Qin The Later Qin (; 384–417), also known as Yao Qin (), was a state ruled by the Qiang ethnicity of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin dynasty (266–420) in China. The Later Qin is entirely distinct from the Qin dynasty, the Former Qin and the W ...

kingdom (384–417) set up Xuzhou's capital at Xiang (; south of present-day

Shenqiu County Shenqiu County () is a county in the east of Henan province, China, bordering Anhui province to the south and east. It is under the administration of Zhoukou City. The county seat is the town of Shenqiu, which is situated on the Ying River, a trib ...

, Henan), which administered the regions east of present-day

Shangqiu Shangqiu (), alternately romanized as Shangkiu, is a city in eastern Henan province, Central China. It borders Kaifeng to the northwest, Zhoukou to the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Anhui to the northeast and southeast respectivel ...

Taikang County Taikang County (), formerly known as Yangjia County or Yangxia County, is a county in the north of Zhoukou prefecture-level city, in the east of Henan province, China. It is divided into 23 townships and 766 villages. The county is home to 1.43 mil ...

Shangshui County Shangshui County () is a county in the east of Henan province, China. It is under the administration of Zhoukou Zhoukou (; Postal romanization, postal: Chowkow) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Henan province of China, province, China. It b ...

in Henan province, as well as

Bozhou Bozhou () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Anhui province, China. It borders Huaibei to the northeast, Bengbu to the southeast, Huainan to the south, Fuyang to the southwest, and Henan to the north. Its population was 4,996,844 at th ...

, Woyang County and

Mengcheng County Mengcheng County () is a county in the northwest of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Bozhou city, bordering Lixin County Lixin () is a county located in north-eastern Anhui province, China, under the jurisdiction of Bozh ...

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...

province. In 408, the Emperor An (r. 397–419) of the

Liu Song dynasty Song, known as Liu Song (), Former Song (前宋) or Song of (the) Southern Dynasty (南朝宋) in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the first of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. ...

(420–479) recaptured the former territory in the north of the Huai River, Xuzhou was renamed as North Xuzhou, whose south border next to the Huai River while capital was Pengcheng, in 411. Meanwhile, the migrated Xuzhou remained. In 421, during the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 420–422), North Xuzhou was restored as Xuzhou, while South Xuzhou instead of the former migrated Xuzhou comparatively. In 433, during the reign of Emperor Taiwu (r. 424–452) of the Northern Wei (386–535), Xuzhou's capital was established at Jiyang County (; northeast of present-day

Lankao Lankao County () is a county of Kaifeng, Henan, China. It has an area of and a population of 760,000. It was the site of the Battle of Lanfeng during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Administrative divisions As 2012, this county is divided to 5 to ...

, Henan). It was disbanded in 467 during the reign of Emperor Xianwen (r. 465–471). In 473, as the original area was captured by Northern Wei, Liu Song set up the new Xuzhou whose capital was located in Yan County (; present-day

Feng Yang Feng may refer to: *Feng (surname), one of several Chinese surnames in Mandarin: **Féng (surname) ( wikt:冯 féng 2nd tone "gallop"), very common Chinese surname **Fèng (surname) ( wikt:鳳 fèng 4th tone "phoenix"), relatively common Chinese fa ...

, Anhui).

Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties

During the reign of Emperor Huizong (r. 1333–1370) in the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

(1279–1368), Xuzhou became an administrative division known as "Xuzhou Circuit" () after 1348, with its capital in Pengcheng. During the reign of the

Hongwu Emperor The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang (), courtesy name Guorui (), was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1368 to 1398. As famine, plagues and peasant revolts in ...

(r. 1368–1398) in the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

(1368–1644), the name "Xuzhou" was restored, and the administrative division governed

Pei County Pei County, or Peixian (), is under the administration of Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China, bordering the Shandong prefecture-level cities of Jining to the northwest and Zaozhuang to the northeast and sitting on the western shore of Nansi Lake. It ...

and Feng County in Jiangsu, and

Dangshan County Dangshan County () is a county in the far north of Anhui, Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Suzhou, Anhui, Suzhou city. It is famous for fruits (pear, peach, plum and watermelon). Administrative divisions Dangshan County a ...

and

Xiao County Xiao County or Xiaoxian () is a county in the north of Anhui Province, China, bordering the provinces of Jiangsu to the north and northeast and Henan to the west. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Suzhou. It was former ...

. Xuzhou became "Xuzhou Prefecture" () in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

(1644–1912) during the reign of the

Yongzheng Emperor , regnal name = , posthumous name = Emperor Jingtian Changyun Jianzhong Biaozhen Wenwu Yingming Kuanren Xinyi Ruisheng Daxiao Zhicheng Xian()Manchu: Temgetulehe hūwangdi () , temple name = Shizong()Manchu: Šidzung () , house = Aisin Gioro ...

(r. 1722–1735) and it administered the modern city of

and Suqian in Jiangsu, and

Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trade ...

, Xiao County and Dangshan County in Anhui.

As other alternative toponym

Pre-Qin era

* An area in the east of

Lu state Lu (, c. 1042–249 BC) was a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China located around modern Shandong province. Founded in the 11th century BC, its rulers were from a cadet branch of the House of Ji (姬) that ruled the Zhou d ...

: Zhu (; in the southeast of present-day Shandong). "Xu" () was "Zhu", the Chinese character's variant sometimes in ancient China. * An area of Qi state: Xue (; south of present-day

Tengzhou Tengzhou () is a county-level city of Zaozhuang, Shandong province of the People's Republic of China, and is the site of the feudal vassal Teng (state), State of Teng during the Spring and Autumn period. Tengzhou was likely the birthplace of the ...

, Shandong). In 340 BCE, Xiapi () was moved to Xue, then the latter renamed Xuzhou. * An area of Qi state originally, captured by Yan and Zhao later: Shuzhou (; present-day Dacheng, Hebei).

Jurchen Jin dynasty

During the reign of Emperor Taizong (r. 1123–1135) of the Jurchen-led

Jin dynasty (1115–1234) The Jin dynasty (, ; ) or Jin State (; Jurchen: Anchun Gurun), officially known as the Great Jin (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 1115 and 1234. Its name is sometimes written as Kin, Jurchen Jin, Jinn, or Chin in ...

, "Ansu Military Division" () whose capital at Ansu County (; present-day

Xushui County Xushui District () is a district of the city of Baoding, Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital ...

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

) was renamed Xuzhou. It administered the area in present-day eastern Xushui County. It was renamed "Ansuzhou" () in 1151 during the reign of

Wanyan Liang Digunai (24 February 1122 – 15 December 1161), also known by his sinicised name Wanyan Liang (完顏亮) and his formal title Prince of Hailing (海陵王, ''Hǎilíng Wáng''), was the fourth emperor of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty of China. H ...

(r. 1150–1161).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xuzhou Provinces of Ancient China Provinces of the Han dynasty