The formation process and characteristics of the Jingshi京師 during the Qin Dynasty

Territorial rule in China began during the Warring States Period, when each country transitioned into a territorial state. In the process, governance was divided between the direct territory of the monarch and the military stronghold of the Jun郡. In addition, the monarch’s direct territory expanded to the area around the capital city. The capital of Qin, centered around Xianyang咸陽, emerged in this context, reflecting the extension of direct royal control as Qin’s territory expanded.<br/> This paper examines the establishment process and institutional characteristics of the Jingshi京師 of the Qin Dynasty. Traditionally, the Jingshi of the Qin Dynasty has been understood as the Neishi內史 centered on Xianyang. However, analysis of recently discovered Qin bamboo slips shows that the jurisdictional scope of the Neishi and the Zhongxian中縣 and Zhongdao中道 were different. In other words, the jurisdictional area of the Neishi was limited to the Zhongxian, while the Zhongdao was managed by a separate central organization. This indicates that the Neishi alone did not govern the Jingshi; rather, it functioned as a special administrative district jointly managed by the Neishi and other central officials.<br/> As a special administrative district, the Jingshi of the Qin Dynasty was generally called Gwanzhong關中. Although the Gwanzhong was not an “internal border” (內境) that strictly controlled the private movement of civilians like the frontier, it had separate regulations on entry and exit. In conclusion, the Jingshi of the Qin Dynasty had defined boundaries as an administrative region. The Jingshi, formed as the monarch’s power base during the unification process of the Qin Dynasty, developed into the region known as Gwanzhong, and its internal administrative structure—Zhongxian and Zhongdao—was divided into various tasks overseen by central government officials at court. The Jingshi of the Qin Dynasty was inherited by the Han Dynasty; however, because the nature of the capital cities of the Qin and Han dynasties was not identical, a clear distinction is necessary.