In addition to the present Hubei and Hunan provinces, it also includes the whole of Guangdong Province, as well as parts of Guangxi and Guizhou. Huguang Province was the largest provincial administrative region in Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the name of Huguang Province was inherited, and Huguang Government Council was established. However, the jurisdiction area has shrunk a lot, only today's Hubei Province and Hunan Province.
However, in the third year of Kangxi, A.D. 1664, the court issued a decree to split Huguang Province into two parts. The northern part was renamed Hubei Province, with Wuchang as its capital. The south was renamed Hunan Province, with Changsha as its capital.
Since Huguang Province has a history of several hundred years, why did it split into two provinces in the Qing Dynasty and the early years of Kangxi?
If you want to know the truth, you must go back to the history at that time. In the early days of Kangxi, the Qing Dynasty basically occupied the world. During the Shunzhi period, although he entered Beijing, he spent more time on the war and the establishment of the imperial etiquette system.
I didn't spend too much energy on setting up the adjustment of local provincial system. After all, this kind of thing is extremely complicated. It was not until the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty that the functions and powers of local provinces, local governors and governors were roughly adjusted.
However, it is not sudden that Huguang Province splits into two. During the Shunzhi period, there have been some clues. After the Qing dynasty entered the customs, it still inherited the Ming dynasty system and established Huguang Province.
At that time, after years of war, many people were forced to give up their land and leave their homes. As a result, a lot of land is barren. This makes it difficult for the Qing army to raise its salary. To this end, during the Shunzhi period, the court ordered all localities to implement the policy of reclaiming farmland.
When Huguang Province reclaimed land, Hunan and Hubei set up tundao respectively to reclaim land in different regions. The reason for choosing this method is mainly because Huguang Province has a vast territory. If we compare the administrative regions of various provinces in China, Huguang Province is in the forefront. It is more convenient to open up a separate field to handle affairs.
Huguang province has a vast territory, which laid the foundation for the division of the two provinces later. In addition to its vast territory, the strength of Huguang Province is also a major factor. Huguang province is an important grain-producing area with a large population. During the Kangxi period, some people in Huguang area were moved to Sichuan.
Besides, there are too many talents in this place. If these people can't be used by the court, it only means danger to the emperor. Of course, the reopening of the imperial examination in the Qing Dynasty really helped win the hearts of the people.
In fact, it was not only Huguang Province that split at that time. Jiangnan province in the early Qing Dynasty was also divided into Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province. Because within the jurisdiction of jiangnan province, Jiangnan is rich and talented.
Therefore, in order to better rule, and the court is not at ease, it has become an important factor in the division of Hubei, Guangdong and Hunan provinces. But Kangxi was divided for three years, because only then did Huguang Province come under the jurisdiction.
In contrast, jiangnan province split earlier. During the Shunzhi period, Jiangnan provinces were divided into Jiangnan Left and Jiangnan Right. Because the Qing dynasty occupied here earlier and hoarded and stationed a large number of heavy troops. This place is completely under control.
However, it took a lot of effort for the Qing Dynasty to win Huguang Province. On the one hand, when the Qing dynasty pacified the world, the main attack route was the seat of the Nanming court.
All the way along Nanjing, Fujian and Guangzhou, finally approaching Yunnan and Guizhou, forcing the small court of Nanming into Myanmar. And Huguang area, relatively speaking, is in a secondary position. Moreover, it is not easy to occupy it completely.
More importantly, in the Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River, there is an army that has long resisted the Qing Dynasty. They are called the "Thirteen Que Dong School". They used to be the army led by Li Zicheng. After the fall of Li Zicheng, Dashun Army joined hands with Nanming court to fight against Qing Dynasty.
Compared with the general army, this army is an old hand in the battlefield. They have more combat experience and are more tenacious. After the fall of the Nanming court, the "Quidditch Thirteen Schools" still persisted. In order to resist the Qing dynasty, they chose to farm while fighting the Qing army. Although the Qing dynasty made many encirclement and suppression campaigns, they failed.
After many twists and turns, the "thirteen Kuidong families" were finally stationed in the Three Gorges area of the Yangtze River at the junction of Sichuan and Hubei. The steep terrain here is more suitable for long-term defense. And from the overall terrain, if stationed in this place, you can send troops to southern Shaanxi, Jiangxi and Huguang. Retreat can be resisted by relying on terrain advantages.
Because of the existence of the "Thirteen Kuidong School", it was difficult for the Qing Dynasty to divide provinces in Huguang Province. However, it is impossible for the Qing Dynasty to sit idly by and watch the "Thirteen Kuidong School" resist all the time. Their existence poses the most direct threat to the security of the southwest hinterland.
Therefore, when the Qing Dynasty completely defeated Nanming and basically occupied the whole world, it began to mobilize heavy troops and besieged thirteen Quidditch families. Prepare to pacify Huguang area in one fell swoop. In the end, thirteen Quidditch families were outnumbered and all were defeated and killed. In the same year, the Qing Dynasty abolished Huguang Province and established Hunan Province and Hubei Province.