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Yuzhou orYu Province was one of theNine Provinces^[1] of ancient China, later to become an administrative division around the reign ofEmperor Wu (r. 141 BC - 87 BC) of theWestern Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 9).

Pre-Qin dynasty (221 BC–206 BC) historical texts such as theYu Gong orTribute of Yu chapter of theBook of History,Erya,Rites of Zhou andLüshi Chunqiu all refer to the Nine Provinces. Yuzhou appears in all of these texts even though different names are provided for the Nine Provinces. TheRites of Zhou states that Yuzhou wasHenan Province, while theLüshi Chunqiu records: "Yuzhou was between theYellow andHan rivers. That was whereZhou was located."

In 106 BC during the reign ofEmperor Wu of theWestern Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 9), China was divided into thirteen administrative divisions (excluding the area under the central government's control), each governed by an Inspector (刺史). Yuzhou was one of the thirteen. The areas it governed included: north of theHuai River, east of theRu River basin, andFeng andPei counties inJiangsu. However Yuzhou did not have a provincial capital and was only an administrative division in name.

In 188 during the reign ofEmperor Ling of theEastern Han dynasty (25-220), Yuzhou's capital was established in Qiao County (譙縣; present-dayBozhou,Anhui). The area under Yuzhou's jurisdiction included parts of easternHenan, westernAnhui. It was in charge of twocommanderies -Yingchuan (潁川) andRunan (汝南) - and fourstates -Liang (梁),Pei (沛),Chen (陳) andLu (魯).

During theThree Kingdoms period (220-280), Yuzhou was in the state ofCao Wei (220–265) and its capital was designated in Ancheng County (northeast of present-dayZhengyang County,Henan, on the southwestern bank of the southRu River). Under its jurisdiction were ninecommanderies - Yingchuan (潁川), Chen (陳), Lu (魯), Runan (汝南), Qiao (譙), Yiyang (弋陽), Yang'an (陽安), Xiangcheng (襄城) and Ruyin (汝陰) - and twostates - Liang (梁) and Pei (沛).

During theWestern Jin dynasty (266-316), Yuzhou's capital was in Chen County (陳縣; present-dayHuaiyang County,Henan), and it governed tencommanderies andstates.

Its capital constantly changed during theEastern Jin dynasty (317-420) and its boundaries were not fixed. Yuzhou controlled theHuai River delta and parts ofAnhui andJiangsu along theYangtze River when its land area was greatest during Eastern Jin. In 329 Yuzhou's capital was set up in Wuyang County (蕪湖縣; east of present-dayWuyang, Anhui). After 338 the capital kept changing, and its locations included: Zhucheng (邾城; northwest of present-dayHuanggang,Hubei); Wuhu (蕪湖); Niuzhu (牛渚; present-dayCaishi Subdistrict,Ma'anshan, Anhui); Liyang (歷陽; present-dayHe County, Anhui); Matou (馬頭; southern bank of theHuai River at south ofHuaiyuan County, Anhui); Qiao (譙; present-dayBozhou, Anhui); Gushu (姑孰; present-dayDangtu County, Anhui). From 416 onwards its capital was in Shouchun (壽春; present-dayShou County, Anhui).

During theSixteen Kingdoms period (304-439), Yuzhou was underLater Zhao, and its capital was moved to Xuchang County (許昌縣; east of present-dayXuchang, Henan). TheFormer Qin kingdom later renamed it Dongyuzhou (東豫州; Eastern Yu Province) and designated its capital in Luoyang County (洛陽縣; northeast of present-dayLuoyang, Henan).

During theSouthern and Northern dynasties period (420-589), China was further divided into many administrative divisions so the land area in each division was reduced. Yuzhou fell under the control of several dynasties and experienced a series of renaming and changes to its capital.

• TheLiu Song dynasty (420-479) established a Nanyuzhou (南豫州; Southern Yu Province) with its capital in Gure (姑熟; present-dayDangtu County,Anhui).
• TheSouthern Qi (479-502) set up another Yuzhou in addition to Nanyuzhou, with the former's capital in Shouchun (壽春; present-dayShou County, Anhui).
• In 500 Yuzhou fell underNorthern Wei (386-535) control and was renamed Yangzhou (揚州). It was later renamed to Luozhou (洛州), and Sizhou (司州) was renamed Yuzhou, with the latter's capital in Shangcai County (上蔡縣; present-dayRunan County,Henan).
• In 506 theLiang dynasty (502-557) set up Yuzhou's capital in Hefei (合肥; present-dayHefei, Anhui). In 526 it was renamed Nanyuzhou. Towards the end of the Liang dynasty its capital was moved to Huaining (懷寧; present-dayQianshan County, Anhui). In 550 it was renamed to Jinzhou (晉州) with its capital in Nanchang (南昌; present-dayNanchang,Jiangxi). In 557 it was renamed Jiangzhou (江州).
• In 550 Yuzhou came underEastern Wei (534-550) and was renamed back to Yangzhou.
• In 573 Yuzhou came under theChen dynasty (557-589) and was renamed back to Yuzhou.
• In 579Northern Zhou (557–581) renamed Yuzhou to Yangzhou (揚州), and later to Shuzhou (舒州) and Zhenzhou (溱州).

During the early Daye era (605-618) of theSui dynasty (589–618), Yuzhou was renamed Caizhou (蔡州) and its capital designated in Luoyang (洛陽; present-dayLuoyang,Henan). In 607 it was renamed toHenan Commandery (河南郡).

Yuzhou was restored in the earlyTang dynasty (618–907) and its capital set up in Ruyang County (汝陽縣; present-dayRunan County, Henan). In 742 it was renamedRunan Commandery (汝南郡), and in 758 it was renamed back to Yuzhou. Around 762 and 763 it was renamed to Caizhou (蔡州) again.

During theKhitan-ledLiao dynasty (907–1125), Yuzhou was under the control of the Prince of Chen (陳王) lineage. It was established as a military division of the capital Shangjing (上京; present-dayBaarin Left Banner,Inner Mongolia). Its capital was near northwest of present-dayJarud Banner, Inner Mongolia.

Yuzhou was abolished during theJurchen-ruledJin dynasty (1115–1234).

• Provinces of ancient China
• Provinces of the Han dynasty

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