Abstract

The article examines Chinese scholars’ views on the functioning of the provincial system in China. This system was formed in China under the Mongol Yuan dynasty in the 13th century and served as a model for the centralization of the empire. After having been developed through certain stages of transformation, it later provided the main administrative and legal structure of the region and significantly influenced the system of central and regional authorities in China in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was of great importance during the Ming and Qing dynasties that followed the Yuan dynasty and ultimately had an impact on the administrative system of present-day China. The analysis of the peculiarities of the provincial system in China helps deepen the understanding of the Yuan period and the evolution of the administrative-territorial division of China. The research objective is to present diverse views of some Chinese scholars regarding the significance of the provincial system in the history of China. The article outlines the concepts of the most authoritative Chinese scholars, characterizes the main features of the provincial system and presents the author’s own view on the above stated issue. The article consists of several parts which set out the scholarly views on the emergence and history of the provincial system, its nature, functions and significance in the Yuan Empire, and its future. The formation and development of the provincial system is still a poorly studied area in Chinese historiography. The functioning of the provincial system is mainly dealt with in general works on the history of China. This research provides an idea of the extent to which Chinese scholars have studied one of the most important administrative institutions in China.