What was the bureaucratic system in ancient China?

The main feature of China's ancient feudal bureaucracy is the structural defect of China's ancient national political system: centralization and bureaucracy are centralized structures under the emperor system. The emperor is at the top of this structure, sacred and inviolable. The bureaucracy of administrative officials under it is also under the leadership of the emperor, and it is impossible to form a pluralistic power structure based on the separation of powers. 1, with imperial power as the core, is composed of full-time officials. In the whole feudal society, the bureaucratic system was ultimately based on a supreme royal power, and the ultimate goal was to safeguard the authority of the imperial power and the interests of the ruling class. Whether it is the central government or local governments, the establishment of institutions and officials and the formulation of official management system should be centered on consolidating imperial power. The bureaucrats and various organs under the emperor are only tools to serve the imperial power. The early bureaucratic system was based on the personal attachment and employment relationship of "lords selling official positions and ministers selling information". The monarch respects nobles and kills princes with etiquette, punishment, reward and punishment. Although vassals are still divided by rank and nobles with different privileges, they no longer exercise power as nobles, but rule as servants of the monarch. With the development of society, they gradually formed a special management group and became an indispensable part of the national administrative system. 2. Within the bureaucratic group, official positions are strictly classified according to grades. The ancient bureaucracy is not only an administrative system, but also reflects certain social relations and class relations. Although bureaucrats at all levels under the bureaucratic system are not a class, they are attached to the state machine, which is a special organizational form of the state machine in a certain social form and has a strong class attribute. Bureaucracy embodies the interests of a certain class, such as the division of officials and the direction of operation. Under the bureaucratic hierarchy, officials can be promoted or dismissed at any time except hereditary. For example, in the bureaucracy of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the so-called "three divisions" and "three publics" were the highest officials. The three divisions are Taishi, Taifu and Taibao; The three fairs are Qiu, Situ,. Three subjects, three publics are all high positions with no real power and are not subordinate. The prime minister has developed from a vassal of the monarch under the aristocratic system to the highest consul under the autocratic monarchy, and his position in the bureaucratic system is the most important. 3. Feudal bureaucrats enjoyed privileges according to their grades, and privileges became the core of the bureaucratic system. The possession of bureaucratic power in ancient bureaucratic politics is the symbol of social class. The hierarchical subordination of political power often reflects the attachment of personal relationships. The hereditary possession of economic status, cultural status and titles also strongly promoted the desire of bureaucrats for hereditary political power. The hereditary and aristocratic tendency of bureaucrats existed widely in ancient bureaucratic countries. However, imperial power was the only orthodox authority of ancient bureaucratic countries in feudal times. Bureaucratic political power comes directly from imperial power, and official positions are generally non-hereditary, and power often ends in the body. Four. The influence of China's feudal bureaucracy on later generations Throughout the ancient history of China, the feudal bureaucracy has undergone constant development and changes, which has had a far-reaching impact on China society and played an important role in the world's ancient bureaucratic political system. During the formation, development and prosperity of the whole feudal society, it played its due role. It played a great role in maintaining the feudal rule of the landlord class and promoting the development of feudal society, mainly strengthening centralization and having a far-reaching impact on later generations. However, with the progress of society and the development of political system, its negative effects are becoming more and more serious, which seriously hinders the development of budding capitalism and social change, resulting in the stagnation of productive forces. This is the political reason why China has been in a feudal society for a long time. At the same time, due to the obvious privilege and strict hierarchy of the bureaucracy, the opposition between the government and the people was serious, which led to the outbreak of peasant wars many times. Moreover, the long-term bureaucratic system and the consciousness of "official standard" have caused some people to have power heterotopia. It is under the control of this backward feudal consciousness that some people do everything possible to seek, protect and promote officials, resort to deceit by all means, and even lose their sense of shame regardless of their personality. These negative effects still exist in our society to some extent. Only by taking history as a mirror can we know the gains and losses. This is a question worthy of our deep thought.