Early Ming Provincial Administration Reforms

Timeline

1. 1372Huguang Province · HuguangIn Hongwu 5, the former Tanzhou Prefecture was renamed Changsha Prefecture, and the seat of Lizhou Prefecture was moved back from Xincheng to its old site, reflecting the early Ming consolidation and unification of prefecture-level establishments under Huguang Province.
2. 1372Sichuan Province · SichuanIn Hongwu 5, Sichuan Province elevated the Huguang Bozhou Pacification Commission and the Guizhou Pacification Superintendent's Office into the Guizhou Pacification Commission under its jurisdiction, and established the Jinzhu Chief Office, strengthening administrative integration of the southwestern frontier and laying the groundwork for the later conversion of provinces into administration commissions.
3. 1372Northern and Northwestern Ming territory · ChinaIn the first month of Hongwu 5 the Ming army launched a major northern expedition to Lingbei and added guards and battalions in Gansu and elsewhere; the court continued to weaken the provinces' combined military-civil authority, paving the way for the abolition of the branch secretariats in Hongwu 9 and the establishment of the three separate commissions: Provincial Administration, Regional Military, and Provincial Surveillance.