Circuit (political division) facts for kids
A circuit (pronounced "sir-kit") was a special way that ancient governments in places like China, Japan, and Korea divided their land. Think of it like how a country today has different provinces or states. In Korean, this same word is called do (도), which means "province."
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Circuits in Ancient China
Long ago, during the Tang dynasty in China, a powerful ruler named Emperor Taizong of Tang decided to organize his huge country better. He divided China into several large areas, and these areas were called "circuits."
These circuits helped the government manage different parts of the country. They were like big regions that often followed natural features, like mountains or rivers. For a long time, the history of the Tang dynasty was about how the power shifted between these local circuits and the main government in the capital city.
Circuits in Ancient Japan
Before modern times, Japan also used a system of circuits. The country was split into a central area and seven main circuits. Each circuit was made up of several smaller provinces (called kuni).
Here are the seven main circuits:
- Hokurikudō (北陸道): This means "North Land Circuit." It had 7 provinces.
- Nankaidō (南海道): This means "South Sea Circuit." It had 6 provinces.
- Saikaidō (西海道): This means "West Sea Circuit." It had 8 provinces.
- San'indō (山陰道): This means "Mountain-north Circuit." It had 8 provinces.
- San'yōdō (山陽道): This means "Mountain-south Circuit." It had 8 provinces.
- Tōkaidō (東海道): This means "East Sea Circuit." It was the largest with 15 provinces.
- Tōsandō (東山道): This means "East Mountain Circuit." It had 13 provinces.
In the mid-1800s, a northern island called Ezo was settled. It was then renamed Hokkaidō (北海道), which means "North Sea Circuit." Unlike the older circuits, Hokkaido did not become a traditional circuit. Instead, it became a prefecture, which is a modern type of administrative area in Japan. It still has the -dō ending in its name, which makes it special compared to other prefectures.
Circuits in Ancient Korea
In Korea, after the late 900s, the main way the country was divided was into "provinces." The word for province in Korean is do (도), which is the same word used for "circuit" in Chinese and Japanese.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Circuito (división administrativa) para niños
