Administrative Evolution of Jiyang County

From the reign of Emperor Shun of Yu to the Xia Dynasty, this area belonged to the tribal chieftain Jize Clan. In the early Shang Dynasty, it was part of the vassal state of Pangboling. Towards the end of the Shang Dynasty, it fell under the ancient state of Pugu. Many bronze wares unearthed from Western Zhou tombs at Liutai in Jiangji Township bear the character "Jiang", which serves as archaeological evidence that this territory belonged to Pangboling in the early Shang Dynasty.

In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, Lü Shang was enfeoffed as the ruler of the State of Qi and conquered Pugu. The territory of present-day Jiyang thus became part of the State of Qi.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, this area included the towns of Li, Zhuo and Cui under the State of Qi.

When the county system was implemented in the Qin Dynasty, the western part of the territory belonged to Luoyin County, and the rest to Zhuo County. Initially both counties came under Qi Commandery, and later under Jibei Commandery.

In the Western Han Dynasty, Chaoyang County and Jian County were established. The western part remained Luoyin County, the central part was Zhuo County, and the eastern part covered Chaoyang County and Jian County. Luoyin County was under Pingyuan Commandery, while the other three counties belonged to Jinan Commandery.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the territory still covered these four counties, all of which were administered by the Kingdom of Jinan.

During the Three Kingdoms Period, the county divisions and administrative jurisdiction remained the same as in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the area came under the rule of the State of Wei.

In the Western Jin Dynasty, Jian County was abolished. The territory then consisted of Luoyin, Zhuo and Chaoyang counties under Jinan Commandery.

In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the area successively came under the Later Zhao, Former Yan, Former Qin, Later Yan and Southern Yan among the Sixteen Kingdoms. The specific administrative divisions remain unclear.

In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the territory first contained the migrated Linyi County and migrated Gaotang County of the Liu Song Dynasty in the south, together with Zhuo County and Chaoyang County. The migrated Linyi County belonged to migrated Wei Commandery, migrated Gaotang County to migrated Pingyuan Commandery, and Zhuo and Chaoyang counties to Jinan Commandery. Later the area was ruled by the Northern Wei Dynasty, and then by the Northern Qi Dynasty, when it was divided into Linyi County and migrated Gaotang County (into which Chaoyang County was incorporated). Linyi County was under Ande Commandery, and migrated Gaotang County under East Pingyuan Commandery.

In the early Sui Dynasty, Chaoyang County was re-established. In 596 AD, Chaoyang County was renamed Linji County, and migrated Gaotang County was renamed Zhangqiu County. The territory of present-day Jiyang then spanned Linyi, Linji and Zhangqiu counties under Qi Commandery.

In the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, the county setup stayed the same as in the Sui Dynasty, with all three counties under Qi Prefecture.

In 1001, Linji County was merged into Zhangqiu County. Since then, Jiyang’s territory covered Linyi and Zhangqiu counties under Qi Prefecture of East Shandong Circuit. When Qi Prefecture was upgraded to Jinan Prefecture in 1116, Linyi and Zhangqiu came under Jinan Prefecture.

In 1129, Liu Yu, Prefect of Jinan under the Southern Song Dynasty, surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, and Jinan Prefecture was incorporated into Jin territory. On November 20 of the same year, parts of Zhangqiu and Linyi counties were separated to form a new county. Since it lay north of the Ji River, it was named Jiyang County, which belonged to Jinan Prefecture.

In the Yuan Dynasty, Jiyang County was under Jinan Circuit of the Secretariat. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was administered by Jinan Prefecture, Shandong Province.

In 1913, prefectures were abolished and circuits established. Jiyang came under Daibei Circuit of Shandong Province, which was renamed Jinan Circuit the next year. After 1927, Jiyang was directly under the provincial government of Shandong.

In July 1943, the anti-Japanese democratic government of the Ji-Lu Border Region merged Jiyang County into Qi-Ji County. In January 1944, Qi-Ji County was revoked and Jiyang County restored, which was placed under the Second Prefecture of Bohai Administrative Region. On July 25, 1949, the Second Prefecture was dissolved and Luobei Prefecture founded, and Jiyang belonged to Luobei Prefecture.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, starting from May 9, 1950, Jiyang was affiliated with Dezhou Prefecture. On February 24, 1956, it was transferred to Huimin Prefecture. On December 29, 1958, Jiyang County was incorporated into Linyi County under Liaocheng Prefecture, and in the autumn of 1960 it was reassigned to Zibo Prefecture.

On October 5, 1961, Jiyang County was re-established under Dezhou Prefecture (renamed Dezhou Prefectural Administrative Region on July 1, 1978). On January 1, 1990, Jiyang was put under the administration of Jinan City as a county directly governed by the city