Shīzhōu

Shīzhōu stood in the mountainous country of western Hubei, among the rivers and valleys of the Qīng River basin. The Ming established Shīzhōu Guard in 1371, giving its military officers authority over a network of hereditary native chiefships. These included Shīnán, Sànmáo and Zhōngjiàn, each with its own rulers and dependent offices. In 1735 the Qing replaced the chiefships with appointed administration and established Shīnán Prefecture at Ēnshī, bringing the old guard country into a new system of counties.