Wei Commandery (魏郡 wèi jùn) was centreed on Ye (邺), Cao Cao’s capital and the political heart of Cao Wei. The commandery was one of the most important administrative centres in northern China, serving as the base from which Cao Cao controlled the north before his son established the Wei dynasty. Ye remained an important secondary capital even after Luoyang was restored as the primary capital.
Administrative context
Commanderies (郡 jùn) were the primary administrative divisions of the Han dynasty, each governed by a Grand Administrator (太守 tàishǒu). During the Three Kingdoms period, commanderies became semi-autonomous under warlord control, though the administrative structure remained largely intact.
References
- Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志)
- Fan Ye, Book of the Later Han (后汉书)
- de Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms