Since ancient times, there has been a saying of "Kyushu", and this concept is deeply rooted in the hearts of Chinese.
Do you know what the so-called Kyushu refers to?
As China's territory continues to change, how have these Kyushu evolved?
The origin of Kyushu
Chinese civilization has a long history, and the concept of "Kyushu" has existed since thousands of years ago.
Legend has it that during the Yu period, the great monarch who had meritorious service in controlling the water divided the land of China into nine states at that time, and cast nine copper tripods to show that the world was one. This mythical story of "Kyushu Jiuding" undoubtedly reflects the ancient Chinese people's yearning for national unity and territorial integrity.
But this is just a beautiful legend, and if you want to say when the real Kyushu began, I am afraid it can be traced back to the third dynasty of the Xia Shang dynasty. During these three dynasties, the concept of Kyushu was gradually established and evolved into its own unique meaning and status.
During the Xia Dynasty, in the process of controlling the floods, Dayu established the basic framework of China's territory and divided the world into nine large states, namely Hebei, Yan, Qing, Xu, Yang, Jing, Henan, Liang and Yong.
These nine prefectures, centered on the Yellow River, were distributed from east to west, north and south, outlining the general outline of China's territory at that time. The casting of Jiuding has become a symbol of the unification of the world.
In the Shang Dynasty, this Jiuding was regarded as a symbol of supreme power of the ruler, and whoever owned Jiuding meant that he owned the world.
After Shang Tang destroyed the summer, he moved Jiuding to his own capital, and stipulated the right to use Jiuding, and only the Son of Heaven could use Jiuding. In this way, the connection between Kyushu Jiuding is even stronger.
In the Zhou Dynasty, Jiuding became a weapon for the princes to compete for the world. After King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang, he publicly displayed Jiuding, which aroused the coveting of princes from all walks of life.
Later, during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou, Jiuding was moved to Luoyi and became the treasure of the Zhou royal family. This has also become the origin of the famous "Winning the Central Plains" in history. Since then, many princes have coveted Jiuding and want to use this to command the world. It can be said that Kyushu Jiuding reached its peak in the Zhou Dynasty and became an important symbol representing the ruling power.
The wheel of history has been rolling forward, and the story of Kyushu Jiuding has also changed. From the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Qin and Han dynasties, China's territory continued to expand, and the division of Kyushu became increasingly complex.
But in any case, the concept of Kyushu has continued and has become an important carrier of the inheritance of Chinese civilization.
The geographical location and characteristics of each state in Kyushu
When it comes to Kyushu, it is not only a grand historical concept, but also a regional division with regional characteristics. Each Kyushu has its own unique geographical location and characteristics, which constituted the backbone of China's territory at that time.
The first thing to say is Jizhou. Jizhou can be described as the "head of Kyushu", not only the largest area, but also the starting point of Dayu's water control, known as "Zhongzhou".
It encompassed present-day Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, northern Hebei, Liaoning, and parts of Inner Mongolia. It can be said that Jizhou is the core of China's territory and has always been the place where the Son of Heaven resides. This land is fertile and vast, nourishing the cradle of Chinese civilization.
And in the east of Jizhou, it is Yanzhou. This area roughly covers the eastern part of Henan, the western part of Shandong, and the southern part of Hebei. Because of its location in Tianjin, Yanzhou has always been a battleground for soldiers, and is known as the "throat of Qilu". It is strategically located and has played an important role in China's military history.
Further north, you will reach Qingzhou. This state is roughly located north of the Bohai Sea and south of Mount Tai, including the Hebei and Shandong Peninsulas. Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Qingzhou has been the seat of administrative centers such as prefectures, prefectures, and counties, which shows its status in the Chinese territory.
Further south, we came to Xuzhou and Yangzhou.
Xuzhou is roughly located in the present-day Huaihai region, which includes northern Jiangsu and southern Shandong, and is part of the hinterland of the Central Plains. Yangzhou, on the other hand, is further south, roughly south of Huaishui, and is the most extensive coastal area in ancient Kyushu.
Its scope once covered what is now Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and even Hainan. It can be said that Yangzhou and Xuzhou together form an important hinterland in southern China.
Further west, there are Jingzhou and Liangzhou. Jingzhou is roughly located between Jingshan and Hengshan, including Hunan and Hubei, and is also a military powerhouse.
Liangzhou, on the other hand, was further west, roughly from Huashan to Heishui, and included present-day southern Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. Later, Liangzhou also evolved into Yizhou. These two states, located in the southwestern hinterland of China's territory, also played an important role in the development of history.
Finally, the westernmost part of Kyushu is Yongshu. Yongzhou roughly covers the entire territory of Shaanxi and Ningxia, as well as some parts of Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang. It can be said that it is located in the westernmost part of ancient China's territory, and it is the border area in Kyushu.
In general, the geographical distribution of Kyushu is basically centered on the Yellow River, with its own characteristics in the east, west, north and south.
Jizhou was the center, Yanzhou and Qingzhou controlled the eastern strongholds, Xuzhou and Yangzhou dominated the southern hinterland, Jingzhou and Liangzhou dominated the southwest, and Yongzhou was the westernmost point. Such geographical distribution constituted the basic framework of the ancient Chinese territory.
The evolution of Kyushu has witnessed the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization
The evolution of the concept of Kyushu is actually a microcosm of the development of Chinese civilization. From the Jiuding of Kyushu during the reign of Dayu, to the Jiuding competition in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and then to the continuous adjustment of the territory of Kyushu by various dynasties, these changes have recorded the grand process of the continuous growth of an ancient civilization.
It is not difficult to see that as China's territory continues to expand, so does the scope of Kyushu.
From the original Kyushu, to the later 13 states, 15 states, and then to only 6 states in the Song Dynasty, this evolution reflects the expansion of China's territory.
For example, in the Tang Dynasty, the territory of Kyushu has been greatly expanded from the scope of the Yu period, covering the entire Central Plains. In the Southern Song Dynasty, with the development of southern China, the pattern of Kyushu has undergone great changes, and the original territory of Kyushu has basically been scattered, leaving only traces of a few states.
It can be said that the geographical changes of Kyushu are a microcosm of China's growing up.
But at the same time, as a historical and cultural symbol, the spiritual core of Kyushu has not been abandoned because of the change of territory. On the contrary, it has been passed down and developed at different times.
For example, in the Qin and Han dynasties, the concept of Kyushu was endowed with more political significance and became an important symbol of the unification of the world. In the Tang and Song dynasties, Kyushu was endowed with more cultural connotations and became the carrier of Chinese civilization. No matter how the territory changes, the term Kyushu has always been regarded as the root of Chinese culture.
The reason why the concept of Kyushu can continue to this day is precisely because it represents the spiritual temperament of the Chinese nation that has always stood firm after the vicissitudes of life.
Whether it is Dayu, Zhuan, or Qin Shihuang, Li Shimin, they all regard Kyushu as the key to the unification of the world. This reverence for the status of Kyushu reflects the deep-seated desire of the Chinese for the integrity of the motherland's territory and the prosperity of the nation's great cause.
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