| Circuit | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The inspection circuits of the Tang dynasty in 742[1] | |||||||||||
| Dao (mainlyTang dynasty) | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 道 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | way, path, circuit | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Lu (Song andJin dynasties) | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 路 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||
| Hangul | 도 | ||||||||||
| Hanja | 道 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||||||
| Kanji | 道 | ||||||||||
| Kana | どう | ||||||||||
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Acircuit (Chinese:道;pinyin:dào orChinese:路;pinyin:lù) was ahistorical political division ofChina and is a historical and modernadministrative unit inJapan. The primary level ofadministrative division ofKorea under theJoseon and in modernNorth andSouth Korea employs the sameChinese character as the Chinese and Japanese divisions but, because of its relatively greater importance, is usually translated asprovince instead.
| "Circuit" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Chinese | Pinyin | Level |
| Han | 道 | dào | 3rd |
| Tang,Liao | 1st | ||
| Song,Jin | 路 | lù | |
| Yuan | 道 | dào | 2nd |
| Qing,ROC (12-28) | |||
| ROC (32-49) | 行政督察區 | xíngzhèng dūchá qū | |
Circuits originated in China during theHan dynasty and were used as a lower-tier administrative division, comparable to thecounty (simplified Chinese:县;traditional Chinese:縣;pinyin:xiàn, also translated as "districts"). They were used only in the fringes of the empire, which were either inhabited primarily by non-Han Chinese peoples or too geographically isolated from the rest of the Han centers of power. The system fell into disuse after the collapse of theWestern Jin dynasty.
The administrative division was revived in 627 whenTangEmperor Taizong made it the highest level administrative division and subdivided China into ten circuits. These were originally meant to be purely geographic and not administrative.Emperor Xuanzong added a further five, and slowly the circuits strengthened their own power until they became powerful regional forces that tore the country apart during theFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. During theSong andJin dynasties, circuits (“dao”) were renamedlu (路), both of which mean "road" or "path".
Dao were revived during theYuan dynasty. Circuits were demoted to the second level after theYuan dynasty established provinces at the very top and remained there for the next several centuries. The Yuan dynasty also hadlu (sometimes translated as "route"), but it was simply the Chinese word used for the Mongolian administrative unit, thecölge. The Yuanlu had little to do with the circuits (lu) in the Song and Jin dynasties and were closer in size to prefectures.[2]
Under theQing, they were overseen by acircuit intendant ortao-tai (Chinese:道臺;pinyin:dàotái). Thecircuit intendant of Shanghai was particularly influential.
During theRepublic of China era, circuits still existed as high-level, though not top-level, administrative divisions such as Qiongya Circuit (nowHainan province). After the Nationalists had successfullyreunited China in 1928, all circuits were replaced with committees or simply abandoned. In 1932,administrative circuits (Chinese:行政督察區;pinyin:xíngzhèng dūchá qū) were reintroduced and lasted until 1949.
In 1949, after the founding of thePeople's Republic of China, all of theadministrative circuits were converted intozhuanqu (Chinese:专区;pinyin:zhuānqū) in 1949 and renameddiqu (Chinese:地区;pinyin:dìqū;lit. 'prefecture') in the 1970s.
| Kinai | Tōkaidō | Tōsandō |
| Hokurikudō | San'indō | San'yōdō |
| Nankaidō | Saikaidō |
During theAsuka period (538–710), Japan was organized into five provinces and seven circuits, known as theGokishichidō (5 ki 7 dō), as part of a legal and governmental system borrowed from the Chinese.[3] Though these units did not survive as administrative structures beyond theMuromachi period (1336–1573), they did remain important geographical entities until the 19th century. The seven circuits spread over the islands ofHonshū,Shikoku, andKyūshū:
In the mid-19th century, the northern island ofEzo was settled, and renamedHokkaidō (北海道, "North Sea Circuit"). It is currently the onlyprefecture of Japan named with thedō (circuit) suffix.
Since the late 10th century, thedo ("province") has been the primaryadministrative division inKorea. SeeEight Provinces,Provinces of Korea,Subdivisions of South Korea andAdministrative divisions of North Korea for details.