Zhou (administrative division): Difference between revisions

{{RefimproveMore citations needed|date=January 2014}}

{{Infobox Chinese

|hiragana = {{linktext|しゅう}}

|hangul = {{linktext|주}}

|vieqn = châu

'''''Zhou''''' ({{zh|c=州|p=zhōu|l=land}}) were [[historyAdministration of theterritory administrativein divisions ofdynastic China#Provincial before 1912administration|historical administrative and political divisions]] of [[China]]. Formally established during the [[Han dynasty]], ''zhou'' existexisted continuously for over 2000 years {{cn-citation needed span|until the 1912 establishment of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]]|date=August 2018}} in 1912—a period of over 2000 years. ''Zhou'' were also previouslyonce used in [[Provinces of Korea#Provinces of Unified Silla|Korea]] ({{Koreanlang|{{linktextko|주}}}}, ''ju''), [[Historicalhistorical provinces of Vietnam|Vietnam]] ({{lang-vi|châu}}), and {{Nihongo|[[Provinces of Japan|Japan]]||shū|lead=yes}}.

''Zhou'' is typically rendered by several terms in the [[English language]]:

The [[Tang dynasty]] also established ''[[Fufu (countryadministrative subdivisiondivision)|fǔ]]'' ({{lang|zh|府}}, "prefectures"), ''zhou'' of special importance such as capitals and other major cities.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} By the Ming and Qing, {{langtransliteration|zh-Latn|fǔ}} became predominant divisions within Chinese provinces. In Ming and Qing, the word ''fǔ'' ({{lang|zh|府}}) was typically attached to the name of each prefecture's capital city, thus both Chinese and Western maps and geographical works would often call the respective cities [[Hangzhou]]-fu, [[Wenzhou]]-fu, [[Wuchang District|Wuchang]]-fu, etc.

FollowingAfter the [[Meiji Restoration]], ''fu'' was also used in [[Japanese language|Japanese]] for the urban [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]] of the most important cities; today, it is still used in the Japanese names for the [[Osaka Prefecture|Osaka]] and [[Kyoto Prefecture]]s.

In the [[China|People's Republic of China]], ''zhou'' today exists only in the designation "[[autonomous prefecture]]" ({{zh|c=自治州|p=zìzhìzhōu}}), administrative areas for China's [[List of Chinese nationalities|designated minorities]]. However, ''zhou'' have left a huge mark on Chinese [[toponym|place name]]s, including the province of [[Guizhou]] and the major cities of [[Guangzhou]], [[Fuzhou]], [[Hangzhou]], [[Lanzhou]], and [[Suzhou]], among many others. Likewise, although modern Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese provinces are no longer designated by ''zhou'' cognates, the older terms survive in various place names, notably the Japanese islands of [[Honshu]] and [[Kyushu]], the Korean province [[Jeju-do]], and [[Lai Châu]] in Vietnam.

{{SeeFurther|History of the administrative divisions of China}}

''Zhou'' were first mentioned in ancient Chinese texts, notably the ''[[Yu Gong]]'' or ''Tribute of Yu'', section of the ''[[Book of Documents]]''. All agreed on the division of China into [[Nine Provinces (China)|nine ''zhou'']], though they differed on their names and position. These ''zhou'' were geographical concepts, not administrative entities.<ref>{{Cite webjournal |url = http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/9.1/po.html |title=(Re)Conceptualizing the World in Eighteenth Century China |last1journal=Chung-yamWorld History Connected |volume=9 |issue=1 |last1=Po |first1=Ronald Chung-yam |publisher=World History Connected, [[University of Illinois]] |date=October 23, 2013 |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424005341/http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/9.1/po.html |archivedatearchive-date=April 24, 2012 |dead-url-status = nolive |accessdateaccess-date=January 10, 2014 }}</ref>

The [[Han dynasty]] was the first to formalize the ''zhou'' into actual administrative divisions by establishing [[List of provinces and commanderies of the Han dynasty|13 ''zhou'']] all across China. Because these ''zhou'' were the largest divisions of the China at the time, they are usually translated as "provinces". After the Han Dynastydynasty, however, the number of ''zhou'' began to increase. By the time of the [[Sui dynasty]], there were over a hundred ''zhou'' all across China.

The [[Sui dynasty|Sui]] and [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] dynasties merged ''zhou'' with the next level down, the [[commandery (China)|commanderies]] or {{langtransliteration|zh-Latn|jùn}} ({{langlinktext|lang=zh|{{linktext|郡}}}}). The Tang also added another level on top: the [[circuit (administrative division)|circuit]] or {{langtransliteration|zh-Latn|dào}} ({{linktext|lang|=zh|{{linktext|道}}}}). Henceforth, ''zhou'' were lowered to second-level status, and the word becomes translated into English as "prefecture".{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} Thereafter, ''zhou'' continued to survive as second- or third-level political divisions until the [[Qing dynasty]].

{{cn-citation needed span|The [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] abolished ''zhou'' altogether, leaving the word only in the names of cities such as [[Guangzhou]] and [[Hangzhou]].|date=August 2018}} The [[China|People's Republic of China]] recycled the name, using it to refer to the [[autonomous prefectures of China|autonomous prefecturesprefecture]]s granted to various ethnicities.

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[[Category:Administrative divisions of ancientImperial China]]

[[Category:Types of countryadministrative subdivisionsdivision]]