The Historical Map of Northern Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces during the Yuan Dynasty
Map Introduction
I. Geographic Scope and Administrative Divisions
The Jiangzhe Branch Secretariat (full name: Branch Secretariat for Jiangzhe and Other Areas) was a key administrative division of the Yuan Dynasty. Its northern boundary was clearly defined: it bordered the Yangzhou Route of the Henan Branch Secretariat along the Yangtze River to the north, encompassing the regions of modern southern Jiangsu, southern Anhui, Shanghai, and northern Zhejiang. Evolving from the former Jianghuai Branch Secretariat, the Jiangzhe Branch Secretariat achieved a stable jurisdiction in 1289 after its territories north of the Yangtze were assigned to the Henan Branch Secretariat. Its northern core areas, including Pingjiang Route (Suzhou), Jiaxing Route, and Huzhou Route, served crucial fiscal functions for the Yuan, with Pingjiang Route alone contributing a quarter of the grain output from the Jiangnan region.
II. Political and Military Events
- The Dingwei Famine (1306–1308): In the final years of the Dade era, a severe famine struck northern Jiangzhe. Natural disasters in areas like Songjiang, Pingjiang, and Jiaxing caused crop failures, skyrocketing rice prices, and widespread refugee crises. Although the Yuan court provided relief, the disaster exposed deep-seated issues of unequal fiscal distribution and local corruption, foreshadowing the dynasty's governance crisis.
- Late Yuan Warlordism and the Battle of Huzhou: In the late Yuan, Zhang Shicheng controlled western Zhejiang and contested the Huzhou Route (modern Huzhou) with Zhu Yuanzhang. In 1358, Zhu's generals failed to capture Huzhou, and a senior commander was captured, highlighting the region's strategic importance in the conflict between northern and southern regimes. Furthermore, frequent fortification by warlords like Fang Guozhen placed heavy burdens on the local populace.
III. Economic Development and Fiscal Contribution
The Jiangzhe Branch Secretariat was the fiscal cornerstone of the Yuan Empire, contributing half of its total tax revenue. Key economic features of its northern part included:
- Agriculture: Implementation of the "fish-scale registers" for land surveying made Pingjiang Route the primary granary of Jiangnan.
- Commerce: Cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou thrived commercially and engaged in overseas trade, while Songjiang Superior Prefecture (modern Shanghai) became a significant port due to maritime transport.
- Salt Tax: The Liangzhe salt fields produced one-third of the national output, with salt tax revenue forming a pillar of the imperial finances.
IV. Cultural and Social Changes
- Cultural Shift Southward: Following the southward movement of the economic center, northern Jiangzhe became a cultural hub. Yuan-era arts like painting and literature flourished in Suzhou and Hangzhou, attracting artists such as Gao Kegong.
- Social Contradictions: Heavy taxation in Jiangnan led to widespread impoverishment and fueled late Yuan popular uprisings. Conflicts between the Mongol nobility and Han Chinese landlord class were particularly acute in the north.
V. Important Historical Figures
- Fang Guozhen: A former salt smuggler from Taizhou who controlled eastern Zhejiang in the late Yuan. After accepting a Yuan appeasement offer, he served as Left Chancellor of the Jiangzhe Branch Secretariat before ultimately surrendering to the Ming.
- Zhang Chang: A Yuan Minister of Revenue sent in 1362 to negotiate with southern rebel forces, reflecting the court's waning control over Jiangzhe.
Summary
The northern part of the Jiangzhe Branch Secretariat exhibited a dual character during the Yuan Dynasty:
- Economic and Cultural Prosperity: As a crucial revenue base, it accelerated the southward shift of the national economic center and spurred cultural development.
- Political Instability: From the Dingwei Famine to the turmoil of the late Yuan, it became a focal point for social contradictions.
Its historical role not only shaped the Yuan's model of local governance but also laid the foundation for the economic rise of Jiangnan during the Ming and Qing dynasties.