Overview of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture — Historical Evolution and Social Change (Part 1)
Chapter 2: Historical Evolution and Social Change. Since ancient times, the territory of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture has been part of the great motherland. Historically, the administrative affiliations of the region were complex and administrative divisions changed frequently. After the founding of New China, through land reform, socialist transformation, reform and opening up, and other social changes, the region gradually opened up to the world from a closed and backward ethnic minority area...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Chapter Two: Historical Evolution and Social Change
Since ancient times, the territory of the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture has been part of the great motherland. Historically, the prefecture's administrative affiliations were complex, and administrative divisions evolved frequently. After the founding of New China, through social changes such as land reform, socialist transformation, and reform and opening up, it gradually opened up to the world from a closed and backward ethnic minority region and integrated into the great tide of China's economic construction.
Section One: Administrative Division Settings Through the Dynasties
I. Regional Evolution Before the Qing Dynasty
The prefecture has a long history of social development. Thirteen Paleolithic cultural sites have been discovered, indicating that as early as 100,000 years ago, primitive humans in the prefecture were engaged in gathering and fishing and hunting activities; more than 10 Neolithic cultural sites have been discovered, reflecting that six or seven thousand years ago, primitive agriculture, animal husbandry, and handicrafts had already appeared in the region.
Traces of Shang and Zhou culture can be found everywhere in the prefecture.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the power of the Chu State gradually became strong, and the prefecture belonged to the Chu's Qianzhong region.
After Qin unified the country, the prefecture belonged to Qianzhong Commandery. When Han was established, Qianzhong Commandery was divided, and Wuling Commandery was established. Within the territory were Youyang County (including present-day Yongshun and Guzhang), Yuanling County (including present-day Jishou and Luxi), Chenyang County (including present-day Fenghuang and southern Huayuan), and Qianling County (including present-day Baojing and northern Huayuan). During the Three Kingdoms period, it initially belonged to Shu, later to Wu. In the Western Jin, it belonged to Jingzhou's Wuling Commandery, and the same in the Eastern Jin. During the Southern Dynasties period, it successively belonged to the states of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen. After Sui unified China, the prefecture was divided among Jingzhou's Yuanling Commandery, which governed 5 counties; the present prefecture belonged to the territory of Yuanling, Daxiang, and Chenxi counties. After the Tang Dynasty, institutions and jurisdictions similar to prefecture-level (regional-level) administrative divisions that existed within the prefecture included:
(1) Jimi Prefectures and Xuanwei Offices
Including the Yongshun and Other Places Military and Civilian Xuanwei Shisi and the Baojing Prefecture Military and Civilian Xuanwei Shisi.
Yongshun and Other Places Military and Civilian Xuanwei Shisi In the second year of Tianshou of Empress Wu Zetian of Tang (691), Xizhou was established by splitting Chenzhou; in the first year of Tianbao (742), Xizhou was changed to Xizhou Lingxi Jun; in the sixth year of Qianyuan (758), the name Xizhou was restored, governing 2 counties, Daxiang and Santing, under Qianzhong Dao. During the Five Dynasties, it was split into 3 prefectures: Shixia Zhou, Shangxi Zhou, and Baojing Zhou, all belonging to the hereditary Xizhou territory of the Peng clan of Chu. In the Song Dynasty, it was divided into Shang, Zhong, and Xia Xizhou, and there were also 6 prefectures including Longci, Zhongshun, Ganhua, Baojing, and Yongshun, and a total of 20 prefectures including Yi, An, Yuan, Xin, Zhi, Fu, Lei, Ning, Nan, Shun, and Gao, all with appointed Cishi, with the Xiaxizhou Cishi concurrently serving as Dushizhu, and the remaining 19 prefectures all subordinate, called Shixia Zhou. The Peng clan hereditary ruled Xizhou, self-appointed Cishi, with brothers, sons, and nephews inheriting generation after generation. The seat of government was in present-day southeastern Yongshun County at Jiushi City, under Jinghu North Lu. During the Zhiyuan period of Yuan (1264-1294), Yongshun Lu was established, later changed to Yongshun Baojing Nanwei Anfu Si. In the third year of Zhida (1310), it was changed to Yongshun and Other Places Military and Civilian Anfu Si. In the eleventh year of Zhizheng (1351), it was changed to Yongshun and Other Places Military and Civilian Xuanfu Shisi, governing 58 banners, under Sichuan Xing Sheng. In the twelfth month of the third year of Hongwu of Ming (1370), Yongshun and Other Places Military and Civilian Anfu Si was established, with its seat in Yongshun. In the sixth year of Hongwu (1373), it was promoted to Yongshun and Other Places Military and Civilian Xuanwei Shisi, with its seat in Yongshun, under Huguang Buzheng Shisi. Later it was transferred to Huguang Duzhihui Shisi, governing 3 prefectures and 6 Zhangguan Si: namely Nanwei Zhou (part of present-day Yongshun), Shirong Zhou (parts of present-day Yongshun and Guzhang), Shangxi Zhou (present-day Longshan), Lüchidong (part of present-day Yongshun), Laradong (part of present-day Yongshun), Maizhuohuangdong (parts of present-day Yongshun and Guzhang), Shirongxi (part of present-day Yongshun), Tianjiadong (part of present-day Guzhang), and Baiyadong (part of present-day Longshan). In the seventh year of Yongzheng of Qing (1729), the Xuanwei Si was abolished and Yongshun Fu was established, with its seat in present-day Lingxi Town, Yongshun, governing 6 counties and ting: Yongshun, Baojing, Longshan, Sangzhi, Yongding, and Guzhang, under Chenyuan Yongjing Dao.
Baojing Zhou Military and Civilian Xuanwei Shisi During the Five Dynasties, in the first year of Kaiping of Later Liang (907), Baojing Zhou (present-day Baojing and Huayuan areas) was established by splitting Santing County, belonging to the Xizhou of the Peng clan of Chu. In the third year of Guangshun of Later Zhou (953), the Baojing Zhou Anfu Shi was established. In the first year of Jianlong of Song Taizu (960), it was changed to Jimi Baojing Zhou, under Jinghu North Lu. In the early Yuan, Baojing Zhou was changed to Baojing Zhou, under Huguang Xing Sheng Xintian Gemian Anfu Si. In the twenty-sixth year of Zhizheng of Yuan (1366), Baojing Zhou Military and Civilian Anfu Si was established. In the first year of Hongwu of Ming (1368), it was changed to Xuanwei Si. In the sixth year of Hongwu, it was promoted to Baojing Zhou Military and Civilian Xuanwei Shisi, under Huguang Buzheng Shisi, later transferred to Huguang Duzhihui Shisi. Its seat was in Baojing, governing Wuzhai Zhangguan Si (present-day Fenghuang area) and Ganziping Zhangguan Si (present-day Fenghuang area). In the fifth month of the seventh year of Yongzheng of Qing (1729), the Baojing Xuanwei Shisi was abolished and Baojing County was established. Its seat was in Baojing, under Yongshun Fu.
(II) Chenyuan Yongjing Dao
In the third year of Kangxi of Qing (1664), the Fenxun Chenyuan Jing Dao was established, with its seat in Yuanzhou (present-day Zhijiang), governing 2 fu and zhou and 11 counties and zhou. In the forty-third year of Kangxi (1704), the Dao seat was moved to Wuzhai Si City (present-day Fenghuang). In the seventh year of Yongzheng (1729), Yongshun Fu was placed under its jurisdiction. In the eighth year of Yongzheng, the Fenxun Chenyuan Jing Dao was changed to Fenxun Chenyong Jing Dao, with its seat in Fenghuang. In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng, the Dao concurrently held military preparedness, and the Chenyong Jing Dao was changed to Chenyong Jing Bingbei Dao. In the first year of Qianlong (1736), Yuanzhou was promoted to a fu, and the Chenyong Jing Bingbei Dao was changed to Chenyuan Yongjing Bingbei Dao, with its seat in Fenghuang. In the first year of Jiaqing (1796), Qianzhou Ting (present-day Jishou), Yongsui Ting (present-day Huayuan), and Fenghuang Ting were promoted to Zhili Ting and placed under its jurisdiction. By the end of the Qing, it governed 3 fu, 1 Zhili Zhou, 4 Zhili Ting, and 16 ting (san ting), zhou, and counties. Among them, Luxi County belonged to Chenzhou Fu, the 4 counties of Yongshun, Baojing, Longshan, and Sangzhi and Guzhangping Ting belonged to Yongshun Fu, and Qianzhou, Fenghuang, and Yongsui were Zhili Ting. In the third year of the Republic of China (1914), Hunan Province abolished 'fu', 'zhou', and 'ting', retained the dao, and changed zhou and ting to counties. The Chenyuan Yongjing Dao was changed to Chenyuan Dao, with its seat in Fenghuang, governing 20 counties. The 8 counties and cities in the present-day Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture were all under its jurisdiction.
(III) Yongshun Fu
In the seventh year of Yongzheng of Qing (1729), through 'gaitu guiliu', the 3 Xuanwei Si of Yongshun, Baojing, and Sangzhi were abolished, and Yongshun Fu was established. It belonged to Fenxun Chenyong Jing Dao, under Hunan Buzheng Shisi, governing 4 counties: Yongshun, Longshan, Baojing, and Sangzhi. In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng, the fu belonged to Fenxun Chenyong Jing Bingbei Dao. In the first year of Qianlong (1736), it belonged to Chenyuan Yongjing Bingbei Dao. In the second year of Daoguang (1822), the 4 bao territories of Luoyi, Xiying, Gongquan, and Chongzheng in Yongshun County were split off to establish Guzhangping Ting (san ting), directly under Yongshun Fu. In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), Guzhangping Ting was changed to Guzhang County, under Yongshun Fu. At that time, Yongshun Fu governed 5 counties: Yongshun, Baojing, Longshan, Sangzhi, and Guzhang, with its seat in Yongshun, under Chenyuan Yongjing Dao.
II. Administrative Divisions within the Prefecture during the Republic of China Period
In the early Republic of China, the counties within the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture belonged to Chenyuan Dao. In the second year of the Republic of China (1913), the 3 Zhili Ting of Qianzhou, Fenghuang, and Yongsui were respectively changed to Qiancheng, Fenghuang, and Yongsui Counties. In the eleventh year of the Republic of China, the dao was abolished, and the counties were directly under Hunan Province. In May of the twenty-fifth year of the Republic of China, Hunan established Administrative Inspectorate Commissioner Offices, with Luxi, Yongshun, and Longshan Counties belonging to the First District; Qiancheng, Fenghuang, Guzhang, Yongsui, and Baojing Counties belonging to the Third District. In December of the twenty-sixth year of the Republic of China, Hunan was divided into 9 administrative inspectorate districts. Yongshun and Luxi Counties belonged to the Third District; Fenghuang, Qiancheng, Yongsui, Baojing, Guzhang, and Longshan Counties belonged to the Fourth District. In April of the twenty-ninth year of the Republic of China, Hunan was divided into 10 administrative inspectorate districts, with Yongshun, Longshan, Baojing, and Guzhang Counties belonging to the Eighth District; Qiancheng, Fenghuang, Luxi, and Yongsui Counties belonging to the Ninth District.
From December 1934 to the summer and autumn of 1935, the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Revolutionary Base Area led by the Chinese Communist Party successively established 7 county revolutionary committees (Soviet governments), with district Soviet governments and township Soviet governments under them. Within the present-day prefecture, there were 3 county revolutionary committees: Yongbao, Guoliang, and Longshan. Among them, Yongbao County governed 12 districts and dozens of townships including Tawo, Menggang, Shiti, Fuzhi, Yanjing, Kesha, Shaoha, Daba, Duishan, Liexi, and Baiyang (including Puyong, Luoti, Longxi, Angdong, and other places in Baojing); Guoliang County governed over 10 townships in Longjiazhai, Daba, and Guanba Districts; Longshan County governed over 50 townships in Xinglong, Shipai, Ciyan, Shuitian, Nongche, Hongyan, Zhaoshi, Maoping, and other districts. On November 19, 1935, the Second and Sixth Army Groups of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army broke through and headed north, and the base area divisions ceased.