The Historical Maps of Sichuan Province during the Yuan Dynasty
Map Introduction
I. Establishment Background and Initial Structure
In 1260, the Yuan Dynasty established the Shaanxi-Sichuan Branch Secretariat, governing parts of modern Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Gansu, forming the prototype of the provincial system in Sichuan. In 1286, Kublai Khan formally merged the Four Circuits of Chuanxia to establish the "Sichuan and Other Places Branch Secretariat," commonly called the "Sichuan Branch Secretariat," with its seat in Chengdu, marking Sichuan's official establishment as a province. This administrative transformation stemmed from the Yuan's military conquest of the Southern Song: Mongol forces first entered Sichuan in 1231, completed its occupation by 1241, and finalized the administrative integration in 1286.
II. Characteristics of Administrative Reforms
- Interlocking Principle: The Yuan abandoned the Song's "natural boundaries" tradition, assigning the Hanzhong Basin to the Shaanxi Branch Secretariat, thereby depriving Sichuan of its northern geographical barrier. This design, straddling the Qinling Mountains, aimed to prevent regional separatism.
- Pacification Commission System: Initially, four Pacification Commissions were established. Later, only the Southern Route Pacification Commission (seat: Chongqing) was retained, governing modern Chongqing and surrounding areas as the Branch Secretariat's regional office.
- Jurisdictional Reduction: Compared to the Song's Four Circuits of Chuanxia, the Yuan Sichuan Branch Secretariat's area shrank to approximately 320,000 square kilometers, with Guizhou assigned to the Huguang Branch Secretariat and Zhaotong (Yunnan) to the Yunnan Branch Secretariat.
III. Political System and Management Model
- Centralization Mechanism: Branch Secretariat leaders were centrally appointed, and major affairs required Central Secretariat approval. Finances followed a "transfer station" model: 70% of taxes were sent to the capital, localities retained only 30%, and expenditures exceeding 1,000 ding needed central authorization.
- Military Control: The authority to deploy troops resided with the Bureau of Military Affairs. The Branch Secretariat could only act upon imperial decree, and military crimes were adjudicated centrally, creating a balance where "military power rested with the center, while administrative power lay locally."
- Ethnic Rule Characteristics: Elements of Mongol tribal governance were retained while incorporating the Central Plains Branch Secretariat system, forming an integrated military-civil administration characterized by Mongol oversight.
IV. Economic and Demographic Devastation and Recovery
- Drastic Population Decline: The Song-Yuan wars caused Sichuan's population to plummet by approximately 97% from the Southern Song figure.
- Economic Collapse: Cities like Chengdu suffered severe war damage. The provincial seat was temporarily moved to Chongqing, only returning to Chengdu after appeals from local gentry.
- Immigration and Reconstruction: Ming Yuzhen's establishment of the Great Xia regime in 1362 attracted migrants from Huguang, laying the groundwork for the later Ming population migration policy.
V. Cultural Integration and Ethnic Relations
- Administrative Cultural Innovation: The name "Sichuan Branch Secretariat" was formally established, a legacy enduring to this day.
- Ethnic Conflict: Mongol rulers suppressed areas of fierce resistance but gradually implemented a dual chieftain-system official administration via the Pacification Commissions.
- Religious Spread: Tibetan Buddhism spread on the Western Sichuan plateau, and mosques appeared in cities like Chengdu, creating a multi-religious landscape.
VI. Late Yuan Evolution and Historical Impact
- Ming Yuzhen's Rule: His Great Xia regime implemented military colonies and attracted migrants, briefly restoring the economy.
- Ming Takeover: Zhu Yuanzhang annexed the Great Xia in 1371, incorporating Sichuan into the Ming empire, continuing the provincial system but adjusting its boundaries.
- Historical Evaluation:
- Pioneered the "interlocking" principle, influencing modern provincial divisions.
- Over-centralization stifled local vitality and slowed demographic recovery.
- Ethnic integration policies provided experience for later multi-ethnic governance.
Summary
The evolution of the Yuan Sichuan Branch Secretariat followed a trajectory of "Destruction - Reconstruction - Innovation":
- Military conquest caused demographic and economic collapse, but the Branch Secretariat system achieved effective central control over the southwest.
- Administrative innovations broke traditional geographical units, influencing the region for over 600 years.
- The successes and failures of ethnic policies provided lessons for subsequent frontier governance.
Its historical significance lies in: first integrating Sichuan into a nationwide provincial system and designing institutions to mitigate separatist risks, although the costs of war and specific统治方式 also delayed regional development.