Evolution of the Centralized Official System in Ancient China

The Qin and Han Centralized Official System

The Qin and Han established a system of three princes and nine ministers centered on the emperor. These three princes were the Prime Minister, Yu Shi Da Fu and Tai Lieutenant. They were responsible for administration, supervision and military affairs. The Nine Ching was the administrator of the central departments. He was often the head of the Nine Ching. He was responsible for the ceremonial and cultural education of the palace. Lang Zhongling was in charge of guarding the palace gates as the chief bodyguard, and the captain was the palace gate escort officer.

Taipu was in charge of the emperor's chariots and horses, as well as the National Horse Authority; the Lieutenant of the Court was the highest judicial official in the central government; the Pawnbroker was in charge of state affairs and the courts; and the Patriarch was in charge of the Imperial Household. The State Revenue Bureau; the Jigu Zi's duty was to collect the salt and iron valley rent tax and the state's financial revenue and expenditure; the young woman was in charge of the Hai Chize land tax and the government handicrafts to supply the royal family.

Wei and Jin centralized official system

The nine-level Zhongzheng system was inherited or recommended by the disciples of the lineage.

Tang and Song centralized official system

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the centralized dictatorship was completed and three provinces and six ministries centered on the emperor were established. The governors of the three provinces had the function of prime ministers, forming a clear division of labor and a mechanism of mutual restraint. This was an important change in the administrative system. The province of Shangshu was the central administrative center of the central bank, with 6 departments and 24 divisions under its jurisdiction.

Song Dynasty Central Official System

The central organs of the Song Dynasty were very different before and after the reign of Emperor Shenzong Yuanfeng. Before Yuanfeng, there were still three provinces and six ministries, but they were all in vain. With the "peace affairs under the same Zhongshumen" as the real prime minister, the counsellor as the vice-premier, the administrative commander-in-chief; the establishment of the Privy Council, responsible for military affairs, the transfer of envoys, iron and salt envoys, Duzhi envoys in charge of the financial affairs, thus creating a separation of administrative, military and financial powers.

The power of the prime minister had been greatly weakened. The powers of the six ministries had also been usurped by more and more organizations. For example, the Ministry of Government, power belonged to the Eastern, Western and three levels of courts; the Ministry of the Family, power belonged to the three levels of courts; the Ministry of Rites, power belonged to the Court of Rites; the Ministry of Military Affairs, power belonged to the Privy Council; the Ministry of Criminal Justice, power belonged to the Court of Justice, prosecutions were in the Prison Department of Beijing; and the Ministry of Industry, power belonged to the three Ministries

Nine Temples and Five Prisons A number of temples and prisons were similarly handed over in their transfer of power. In the fifth year of Emperor Shenzong Yuanfeng (1082), the centralized system was reformed by abolishing the three-ministerial system and all miscellaneous systems, and basically restoring the pattern of three provinces and six ministries of the Tang Dynasty.

Unlike the Tang Dynasty, the Left Attendant Shooting Gate Attendant of the Upper Book, the Right Attendant Shooting Gate Attendant of the Shangshu, the Right Attendant Shooting Gate Attendant of the Upper Book in the line of the Book Attendant, and the Book Attendant Attendant in the line of the Book Attendant were appointed to be prime ministers (later renamed Left and Right Attendant Ministers); in addition, the Privy Council was also retained. The centralized administrative system of the Yuan Dynasty changed the three-province system of the Tang and Song dynasties into a one-province system, Zhongshu Province, with Zhongshu Province as the supreme governmental organ and the six ministries as subordinates.

Ming Dynasty Centralized Official System

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the centralization of power in China's feudal imperial system developed to the extreme. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang made major adjustments to the central officials. First, the system of chancellorship, which had existed since the Qin and Han dynasties, was abolished as the cabinet system of advisers and the cabinet system of daily official business. In terms of supervision, from the Han Dynasty, the Royal Historical Podium was changed to the Capital Prosecutor's Office; in the military region, the Capital Prosecutor's Office was changed to the Fifth Military Capitol.

The six ministries were upgraded to be directly responsible to the emperor, and a huge organization of eunuchs and their control of the factory health secret service was established. One of the main elements of the restructuring of the government system was the formation of the Cabinet. Cabinet by the Hanlin College bachelor, divided into one, two, group members. Its main duty was "drafting by vote". It was to draft edicts and comment on monuments on behalf of others.

After Yongle, the Cabinet of Bachelor gradually involved in political affairs, not only consulting advisers, but also in power. The Cabinet was then changed from an advisory secretary to the emperor at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty to the center of state administration.

Central official system of the Qing Dynasty

Established by the Manchu aristocracy, the Qing Dynasty was initially discussed by the Eight Banner Lords and the Council of Consultative Ministers of the King **** with them. During the Yongzheng years, the army was frequently used in the northwest. In order to discuss military issues in a timely manner, the establishment of the military supply room. Later renamed "military aircraft office". It was called "Military Aircraft Office". It was initially a temporary body, but later replaced the Council of Ministers of Commerce and Politics and expanded its powers to become a centralized auxiliary government department under the direct control of the Emperor to deal with the military affairs of the country.

It was characterized by efficiency, speed and secrecy. The six ministries of the Qing Dynasty had been reduced in power and were no longer administrative centers. They could not issue decrees directly to their subordinates. In the Qing Dynasty, there were only the Da Lisi, Ta Chang Si, Guang Lu Si, Ta Pu Si and Hong Qi Si.

The Forbidden City was located above the sixth. Five prisons existed only in the state, the remaining four prisons were successively merged into the Ministry of Work. After the Opium War, in order to adapt to the invasion of the great powers and the need to maintain the feudal regime, the Qing court carried out official reforms and institutional adjustments (see Reform of the political system in the late Qing Dynasty).

Expanded:

Three provinces and six ministries: a well-organized central government system in ancient feudal China. It was founded in the Sui Dynasty and perfected in the Tang Dynasty. From then until the end of the Qing Dynasty, the six-ministry system remained unchanged. The three provinces refer to Zhongshu, Menxia, and Shangshu, and the six provinces refer to the ministries of government, households, rites, military, criminal affairs, and labor under the jurisdiction of Shangshu. Each department governed four divisions,*** counting twenty-four divisions.

In the process of development, the organizational form and power evolved. It was not until the Sui Dynasty that they were unified into three provinces and six ministries, which were mainly responsible for the formulation, validation and implementation of central governmental policies. Some adjustments and additions were made by rulers in different periods, which helped to strengthen the monarchical authoritarian system.

In the early Ming Dynasty, there was no Zhongshu Decree, and the six ministries were still under the jurisdiction of Zhongshu Province. In the thirteenth year of Emperor Hongwu of the Tang Dynasty, he criticized Hu Weiyong, abolished the prime minister, abolished Zhongshu, and the six ministries were directly responsible to the emperor. So far, all three provinces and six ministries have been abolished.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Ancient Chinese Centralized Official System