Circuit (political division) facts for kids
A circuit (道 ; Chinese: dào; Japanese: dō) was an historical political division of T'ang China and Japan and Korea. In Korean, the same word 道 (도; do) is translated as "province".
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China
Emperor Taizong divided China into parts which were called "circuits".
The organization of government and geography in T'ang China were merged in provinces (tao 道) which were ten natural regions. In part, Tang history is about the changing balance between the provinces and a strong central government.
Japan
During the pre-modern era, Japan was divided into a central region and seven provincial regions or "circuits", including
- Hokurikudō (北陸道 , literally, "North Land Circuit"), 7 provinces (kuni)
- Nankaidō (南海道 , literally, "South Sea Circuit"), 6 provinces
- Saikaidō (西海道 , literally, "West Sea Circuit"), 8 provinces
- San'indō (山陰道 , literally, "Mountain-north Circuit"), 8 provinces
- San'yōdō (山陽道 , literally, "Mountain-south Circuit"), 8 provinces
- Tōkaidō (東海道 , literally, "East Sea Circuit"), 15 provinces
- Tōsandō (東山道 , literally, "East Mountain Circuit"), 13 provinces
In the mid-19th century, the northern island of Ezo was settled, and renamed Hokkaidō (北海道 , literally, "North Mountain Circuit").
Hokkaido did not develop as a "circuit" in the traditional way. It became a prefecture. It had a name which was different from the other prefectures because of the suffix -dō.
Korea
After the late-10th century, the province (do) was the main subdivision of Korea.
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