Pre-Qin era Xuzhou or
Xu Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China mentioned in Chinese historical texts such as the
Tribute of Yu,
Erya and
Rites of Zhou. The
Yu Gong [
Tribute of Yu] records: "The Sea, Mount Dai (ancient name of
Mount Tai), and the
Huai River served as the boundaries of Xuzhou." While the definition of Xuzhou is more brief in
Erya: "Where is located in the east of
Ji River". Based on these descriptions, the ancient Xuzhou covered an area that roughly corresponds to the regions in modern southeastern Shandong (south of Mount Tai) and northern Jiangsu (north of the Huai River).
Han dynasty , 189 CE. In 106 BCE, during the reign of
Emperor Wu (r. 141–87 BCE) in the
Western Han dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE), China was divided into 13 administrative divisions or provinces (excluding the capital
Chang'an and seven
commanderies in its vicinity), each governed by a
cishi (; Inspector). 11 of them were named after the
Nine Provinces mentioned in the historical texts
Classic of History and
Rites of Zhou. Xuzhou was one of the 11, and it covered parts of modern
Jiangsu (north of the
Yangtze River) and southeastern
Shandong. In the
Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE), Xuzhou's capital was set up at Tan (; present-day
Tancheng County,
Linyi, Shandong).
Sixteen Kingdoms and Southern and Northern Dynasties period In the
Sixteen Kingdoms period, Xuzhou was divided between, or came under the administration of, various kingdoms: In 433, during the reign of
Emperor Taiwu (r. 424–452) of the
Northern Wei (386–535), Xuzhou's capital was established at Jiyang County (; northeast of present-day
Lankao, Henan).
Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties During the reign of
Emperor Huizong (r. 1333–1370) in the
Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), Xuzhou became an administrative division known as "Xuzhou Circuit" () after 1348, with its capital in Pengcheng. During the reign of the
Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368–1398) in the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the name "Xuzhou" was restored, and the administrative division governed
Pei County and
Feng County in Jiangsu, and
Dangshan County and
Xiao County in
Anhui. Xuzhou became "Xuzhou Prefecture" () in the
Qing dynasty (1644–1912) during the reign of the
Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735) and it administered the modern city of
Xuzhou and
Suqian in Jiangsu, and
Suzhou, Xiao County and Dangshan County in Anhui. == As other alternative toponym ==