Five Zones (五服) Governance System

A hierarchical administrative structure organizing territory by distance from the capital.

Overview

This system divides territory into five concentric zones, each 500 li wide, with decreasing obligations moving outward from the capital.

Zone Structure

1. 甸服 - 500 li from capital

• 100 li: Submit bundled grain (纳裛)
• 200 li: Submit grain stalks (纳铚)
• 300 li: Submit straw with grain (纳秸服)
• 400 li: Submit raw grain (粟)
• 500 li: Submit processed rice (米)

2. 侯服 - 500-1000 li

• 100 li: Service appointments (采)
• 200 li: State duties (任国)
• 300 li: Regional lords (诸侯)

3. 绥服 - 1000-1500 li

• 300 li: Cultural education (揆文教)
• 200 li: Military defense (奋武卫)

4. 要服 - 1500-2000 li

• 300 li: Pacified peoples (夷)
• 200 li: Supervised settlements (蔡)

5. 荒服 - 2000-2500 li

• 300 li: Distant peoples (蛮)
• 200 li: Unrestricted zones (流)

Implementation Steps

1. Establish capital as center point
2. Measure and mark zone boundaries
3. Assign appropriate officials for each zone
4. Communicate obligations to regional leaders
5. Monitor compliance and adjust as needed

Expected Outcomes

• Organized territorial administration
• Graduated obligations based on proximity
• Clear governance hierarchy

Validation

• Verify that all five zone boundaries have been measured and marked from the capital center point
• Confirm that obligations decrease proportionally with distance from the capital
• Check that officials are assigned to each zone and regional leaders have been informed of their specific obligations