How was Sichuan governed during the Zhou and Qin dynasties?

During the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE), the territory now known as Sichuan was not governed as a unified province but was instead organized as the Ba and Shu territories. The Ba state, which emerged in the 11th century BCE in the Jialing valley, functioned as an ancient feudal state that maintained its own political identity, eventually establishing relations with the kingdom of Chu in the 5th century BCE.12

The governance of the region changed significantly during the Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE). In 316 BCE, the Qin state conquered the Ba and Shu territories, incorporating them into the growing Qin empire. Following the unification of China in 221 BCE, the emperor Shihuangdi abolished the existing feudal systems across his empire. He replaced them with a centralized administrative system of prefectures and counties, where officials were directly appointed by the central government. This integration brought the region into China’s national life, marked by major infrastructure projects such as the Dujiangyan irrigation system.213