Political systems of Imperial China: Difference between revisions

The '''political systems of [[Chinese Empire|Imperial China]]''' can be divided into a state administrative body, provincial administrations, and a system for official selection. The three notable tendencies in the history of Chinese politics includes, the convergence of unity, the capital priority of [[absolute monarchy]], and the standardization of official selection.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Cambridge history of ancient China : from the origins of civilization to 221 B.C.|date=1999|publisher=Cambridge University Press|others=Loewe, Michael., Shaughnessy, Edward L., 1952-|isbn=0521470307|location=Cambridge, UK|oclc=37361770}}</ref> Moreover, there were early supervisory systems that were originated by local factions, as well as other political systems worthy of mention.

During the [[Warring States period]], the ancient Chinese text [[Han Feizi]] would proposeproposed the establishment of the first all-encompassing autocratic monarchy for the future of the state.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dao companion to the philosophy of Han Fei|date=2013|publisher=Springer|others=Goldin, Paul Rakita, 1972-|isbn=9789400743182|location=Dordrecht|oclc=811051672}}</ref> During the same time period, [[Shang Yang]] from the state of [[Qin dynasty|Qin]] would enact political reforms into practice.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Shang jun shu quan yi|last1=Shang, Yang, -338 B.C.|last2=商鞅, -338 B.C.|date=1993|publisher=Guizhou ren min chu ban she|others=Zhang, Jue., 张觉.|isbn=7221029148|edition=Di 1 ban|location=Guiyang|oclc=45812779}}</ref> The imperial system would eventually be constituted by the time of the establishment of the [[Qin dynasty|Qin]], which would introduce the system of Three Lords and Nine Ministers, whichas wouldwell alsoas fosterfostering the system of prefectures and counties. Units of measurements, currency, and writing would be standardized and, books and scholars of the previous regime were burned and buried; vitalto keep ideological integrity., Officialsand wereofficials thenwere to act as faculties of the law from this point forward.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Records of the Grand Historian. Qin dynasty|last=Sima, Qian, approximately 145 B.C.-approximately 86 B.C.|date=1993|publisher=Research Centre for Translation, Chinese University of Hong Kong|others=Watson, Burton, 1925-2017.|isbn=0231081693|location=Hong Kong|oclc=28322132}}</ref>

=== Consolidation and reinforcementReinforcement ===

In resolute action to settle domestic concerns , [[WestWestern Han]] conducted conclusive capital punishments, issued the Decree of Mercy and the Law of Supplementary Benefits, denounced the Hundred Schools of Thought, and only extolled [[Confucianism]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=States and social revolutions : a comparative analysis of France, Russia, and China|last=Skocpol, Theda.|date=1979|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=052122439X|location=Cambridge|oclc=4135856|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/statessocialrevo0000skoc}}</ref> By instituting the system of three provinces and six ministries, the feudal bureaucracy completed and achieved a rigorous system that diminished the prime minister's power and reinforced imperial power. Complementary to this governing body, establishment and improvement of the Imperial Civil Examination enhanced the availability of invigorated government officials which in turn provided a recurrent administration. Regulation of military power requisitioned the removal of total military authority from senior generals and local commanders. This, in turn, permitted sanctioning of three government officials to command the imperial army of which were mediated internally via privy council.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Chinese writing|last1=Qiu, Xigui|last2=裘錫圭.|others=Mattos, Gilbert Louis, 1939-, Norman, Jerry, 1936-2012,, Qiu, Xigui,, 裘錫圭|isbn=1557290717|location=Berkeley, California|oclc=43936866|year = 2000}}</ref> Within the framework of organized executive power; the administration, the military, the financial powers of the chief ministers, the privy Councillors, and the three Secretaries partitioned and absorbed the authorities of the prime minister, respectively. Regulation of financial power was acquired by arranging consignments on appropriate levels of operations to coordinate local finances. Finally, standardization of judicial powers was executed via dispatching of civil officials to serve as local judiciaries. These means and measures concentrated the sovereignty of the head of state; surmounting military, administrative, financial, and judicial authority from all levels of governance, this subsequently vanquished the foundation of feudal-vassal separation..<ref>{{Cite book|title=Polyandry and wife-selling in Qing Dynasty China : survival strategies and judicial interventions|last=Sommer, Matthew Harvey, 1961-|isbn=9780520962194|location=Oakland, California|oclc=913086388|date = 2015-09-15}}</ref>

=== Further developmentDevelopment and finalFinal shapeShape===

In the central government, the executive system of central officials was improved during [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] dynasty. It established the [[Xuanzheng Yuan|Xuanzheng Yua]] (the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs) to direct religious affairs and to govern the region of [[Tibet]]. At the local level, the provincial system was practiced.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The dawn of Tibet : the ancient civilization on the roof of the world|last=Bellezza, John Vincent.|year=2014|isbn=9781442234611|location=Lanham, MD|oclc=870098261}}</ref> At the beginning of the [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] dynasty, the prime minister was abolished, and the power was divided into six departments. The local government implemented the division of power among the three functioning departments. The [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] dynasty followed the system of the Ming dynasty, set up more military offices, put up literary prisons, thus strengthened the centralisation of authoritarianism.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Zhongguo Qing dai zheng zhi shi|date=1994|publisher=Ren min chu ban she|others=Xu, Kai., 徐凯.|isbn=7010017573|edition=Di 1 ban|location=Beijing|oclc=32676386}}</ref>

[[File:Qinshihuangdi3.jpg|thumb|First Emperor of Qin (18 February 259{{sbc}}&nbsp;BC – 10 September 210{{sbc}}&nbsp;BC)|alt=]]

== Central political systemssystem ==

[[File:Palastexamen-SongDynastie.jpg|thumb|The emperor receives a candidate during the Palace Examination.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Liu|first=Haifeng|date=2006|title=Rehabilitation of the imperial examination system|journal=Frontiers of Education in China|language=en|volume=1|issue=2|pages=300–315|doi=10.1007/s11516-006-0009-0|s2cid=195309053|issn=1673-341X}}</ref>]]

The standard of Official Selection by familial history gradually developed to emphasize talent instead. This method would eventually progress to form the standard of public examinations, to which this mechanism of cultivating talent would be institutionalized, making examinations a notoriously rigorous process to accomplish. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991024785329705106&context=L&vid=61USYD_INST:sydney&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&lang=en|title=宋元科舉三錄 / 徐乃昌校栞.; Song Yuan ke ju san lu|website=sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com|access-date=2019-06-07}}</ref>

=== Patriarchal systemsystems ===

=== Gentry system ===