This article discusses the relationship between political structure and spatial distribution of the Yin Dynasty (From 14th century BC to 11th century BC) by unearthed literature. Content includes division of political regions, main governing structure, and so on. Firstly, the geographical concepts of Yin Dynasty were the Concept of Four Directions (Four Fang), which was divided into political space of Shang, Four Lands (Four Tu) and Four Directions from the center to the periphery. The “Shang” was the “center” of the Yin Dynasty and had different names. Archaeological data show that quantities and scale of the Yin Dynasty ruins in Anyang was absolutely the central area of the Yin regime.
As the situation around Yin regime, oracle summarize the largest range of political forces of Yin Dynasty ranged from Xi'an in the west, Beijing and Hebei in the north to the western half of Shandong in the east to the junction of Jiangsu, Henan and Anhui in the southeast and to the south of Henan. Archaeological remains reflect three levels: direct control areas by Yin royal family, vassal ethnic group areas, independent power areas like “Hou” and “Fang”.
In the main governing structure of the Yin Dynasty, there mainly were Wang (King), Zi (Prince), Fu (Lady), Zu (Groups), Hou (Marquis), and Fang (Country). “King” was the supreme ruler of the Yin Dynasty, live in the central capital “Shang”. “Zi (Prince)” belonged to the clan of the king, most of them lived in the capital, but a few in the Four Lands. “Fu (Lady)” was the spouse of king, which formed from marriage between Yin and other clans, majority of them lived in the capital. “Zu (Groups)” was the general name to different forces in the oracle, which was located all over the political space of the Yin Dynasty. Most of the “Hou (Marquis)” involved military and king orders and nature is the guarantee of the Yin royal family, so they were in Four Lands. In Oracle: “Bo(伯)” does not mean “count”, but means “leader”. Ethnic groups referring as “Fang” do not subordinate to the Yin Dynasty. They were located at the peripheral of the power of Yin Dynasty. In addition, the Zhou's system of “Fang Bo” was originated from fang in the Oracle Bones. Above all,the regional division of the political space of Yin dynasties and the analysis of the ruling structure from the inside out enrich the research content of Chinese historical political geography.