Sichuan

Sichuan ({{zh-cpw |c=四川 |p=Sìchuān |w=Ssu-ch`uan}}; obsolete romanizations include Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in central-western China with its capital at Chengdu.

History

The territory of the province and its vicinity were the cradle of unique local civilizations, which can be dated to at least 15th century BC (i.e. later years of Shang Dynasty). Beginning from the 9th century BC, Shu (today Chengdu) and Ba (today Chongqing City) emerged as cultural and administrative centers where two rival kingdoms were established.

Related Topics:
15th century BC - Shang Dynasty - 9th century BC - Shu - Chengdu - Ba - Chongqing City

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Shu's existence was unknown until a 1986 archaeological discovery at a small village named Sanxingdui (三星堆 Sān Xīng Duī) in Guanghan (廣漢 Guǎng Hàn) County. Believed to be an ancient city of the Shu Kingdom, the excavations yielded invaluable archaeological information.

Related Topics:
1986 - Sanxingdui - County

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Although the Qin Kingdom destroyed the civilizations of Shu and Ba, the Qin government accelerated the technological and agricultural advancements of Sichuan comparable to that of the Huang He (Yellow River) Valley. The Dujiangyan irrigation system, built in 3rd century BC under the inspection of Li Bing (李冰 Lǐ Bīng), was the symbol of modernization of that period. Composed of a series of dams, it redirected the flow of Min Jiang, a major tributary of Yangtze River, to fields and relieved the damage of seasonal floods. The construction and various other projects greatly increased the harvest of the area which thus became the main source of provision and men for Qin's unification of China.

Related Topics:
Qin Kingdom - Huang He - Dujiangyan - 3rd century BC - Li Bing - Dam - Min Jiang - Tributary - Yangtze River

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Various ores were abundant. Adding to its significance, the area was also on the trade route from Huang He Valley to foreign countries of the southwest, especially India.

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Military importance matches the commercial and agricultural values. As the area is actually a basin and is surrounded by the Himalayas to the west, the Qinling Range to the north, and mountainous areas of Yunnan to the south, its climate is often heavily foggy. Since the Yangtze flows through the basin and thus is upstream to areas of eastern China, navies could be easily sailed downstream. Therefore the area was bases of numerous ambitious militarians and refuges of Chinese governments throughout history. A few independent regimes were founded; the most famous was Shu Han of the Three Kingdoms. The Jin Dynasty first conquered Shu Han on its path of unification. During the Tang Dynasty, it was a battlefront against Tibet.

Related Topics:
Himalayas - Qinling - Yunnan - Shu Han - Three Kingdoms - Jin Dynasty - Tang Dynasty - Tibet

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The Southern Song Dynasty established coordinated defense against the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty in Sichuan and Xiangyang, which proved successful as Mongke Khan died of illness in Sichuan. The line of defence was finally broken through after the first use of firearms in history during the six-years siege of Xiangyang. Foggy climate hindered the accuracy of Japanese bombing of the basin and the Chongqing city where the capital of Republic of China had moved to during World War II.

Related Topics:
Southern Song Dynasty - Yuan Dynasty - Xiangyang - Mongke Khan - Firearm - Siege of Xiangyang - Japan - Chongqing - Republic of China - World War II

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Sichuan's borders have remained relatively constant for the past 500 years. This changed in 1997 when the city of Chongqing as well as the surrounding towns of Fuling and Wanxian were formed into the new Chongqing Municipality. The new municipality was formed to spearhead China's effort to develop its western regions as well as to coordinate the resettlement of refugees from the Three Gorges Dam project.

Related Topics:
1997 - Fuling - Wanxian - Chongqing Municipality - Three Gorges Dam

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