Chapter 3 Section 2 Official System of the Shang Dynasty

The Shang Dynasty (16th century BC-11th century BC), also known as Yin, was the second slavery dynasty after the Xia Dynasty.In the Shang Dynasty, the king was still the supreme ruler, also known as "One Person" and "Yu One Person", which shows that the royal power has been strengthened compared with the Xia Dynasty.The Shang Dynasty had 30 kings from Taiyi (Tang) to Emperor Xin (Zhou). In the Shang Dynasty, the official system was divided into two categories: "internal service" and "outside service".The so-called internal service officials refer to various officials within the central government and Wang Ji (jiji).The so-called foreign service officials refer to various officials outside Wang Ji and the border areas.The inscription on the big Yu [yu] tripod records:

Yin De (Bian) □ Tian (Hou Dian) Yu (and) Yin Zheng Baipi (Figure 1). "Yin Zheng Bai Pi" is the generalization of internal service officials. "Bai Pi" refers to hundreds of officials and all officials. "Yin Bian Hou Dian" is a generalization of foreign service officials. "Hou and Dian" are the two most important official titles among foreign service officials. Among the internal service officials, the most important ones are "Yin", "Zai", "Qingshi" and "Sangong".Yin means governing. It is around the king and assists the king in governing the country.One of the earliest famous ministers in the Shang Dynasty was Yi Yin.Yi is the surname, and Yin is the official name.Yi Yin was born in a humble family, and he was trusted by Shang Wang Tang, who made him his chancellor.At present, most scholars believe that "Xiang" is not an official official name in the Shang Dynasty, and "Xiang" before the Warring States Period was only used as a verb, meaning to assist.According to this, Yin is a minister who assists the prime minister of King Shang.The three kings Tang, Waibing, and Zhongren died successively, and Yiyin made Taijia king.Taijia was tyrannical and innocent, and was exiled by Yi Yin, and he was regent by himself.After Taijia repented, Yiyin welcomed him back.It shows that Yin's position is high and powerful.Zai is an official in charge of inner court affairs, and sometimes participates in outer court affairs.When Wu Ding was the king of Shang, "Hundreds of officials were in charge of themselves, and they listened to Yu Zhongzai for three years" ("The Analects of Confucius Xianwen").Qingshi, also known as "Qingshi" in later generations, is a general term for senior officials.Sangong is a kind of honorable official title set up for people.According to literature records, only Wen Wang, Jiuhou, Ehou, Yi Yin, and Fu Shuo [yue Yue] were called Sangong in the Shang Dynasty.

Historians and religious officials also occupy a special position in the internal service.Historians, there are history and internal history in the literature, and there are major history, minor history, eastern history, and western history in oracle bone inscriptions.Historians are often at the side of the king of Shang, taking notes and expressing opinions when things happen.In addition, there is a history of keeping Tibet, which is dedicated to managing archives.Religious officials have divination, wishing and so on.Bu, also known as Zhenren, is an official who presides over divination.The king of Shang was ordered to carry out divination, as well as activities such as sacrifices and wars, so the Shang Dynasty had a huge group of chaste people, called Duobu.Zhu is the official responsible for bidding farewell to ghosts and gods during sacrifices.

In the Shang Dynasty, there were many official names with the word "shi", such as Shichang, Taishi, Shaoshi, Shibao, etc., but the meanings were very different.At that time, the army was organized in divisions, and the division commanders were senior military officers.Taishi and Shaoshi are musicians who are proficient in temperament.The famous musician is Shi Juan (in other words, Shi Yan), who once composed "Excessive Music" for King Zhou.Since King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty was the king of subjugation, he was also called "the sound of obscenity" later.As for the teacher's insurance, it refers specifically to Yi Yin.After becoming Tang, Yi Yin assisted several young masters one after another, and was highly respected in the court, and was honored as Shibao.Yi Yin was also called A Heng, and Zheng Xuan, a native of the Eastern Han Dynasty, explained: "A, leaning;

Common official titles include Xiaochen.Different ministers have different status.Yi Yin is called Yi Xiaochen and has a high status.However, the status of Xiaoyu (ji and) Chen (in charge of slave farming) and Ma Xiaochen (in charge of raising horses) is relatively low.There are Yin, Ya, Shi, etc. that are similar in usage to Xiaochen.Yin of Yiyin was the assistant minister of King Shang.Duo Yin is an official engaged in general affairs around the king of Shang.Clan Yin has different explanations. It is generally believed that the grassroots social organizations in the Shang Dynasty were related to the clan, and Clan Yin was a grassroots administrative official.Asia is a military officer, and the common ones are Daya, Doya, Maya, and Sheya.At that time, chariots were used for combat and horse-drawn chariots, so Maya had the highest status, and Daya and Duoya were below Maya.Sheya is the military officer who manages the archers.In addition to Qing affairs, there are imperial affairs, my affairs, east affairs, south affairs, north affairs, west affairs, big affairs, small affairs and so on.There are a large number of duties, which are scattered in various departments of the imperial court to handle specific administrative affairs.

In addition, there are also those who use the management object as their official name, such as dog officials (painted dogs, barbarian dogs, etc.), which belong to field hunting officials.Si Gong and Si Yu are officials in charge of handicrafts and fish farming respectively. In addition to Hou and Dian in the Shang Dynasty, there were Nan, Wei, Bangbo and so on.Hou is a feudal prince.Dian, also written as "Tian", the mission is to "govern the fields and enter the valleys" for the Shang Dynasty.Male, also written as "ren", which means "one who is in charge of the king's affairs", and mostly undertakes chores of the royal family.Wei, thinking that the king of Shang guarded the place as a duty.In oracle bone inscriptions, Bangbo has "a certain Fangbo" and "a certain uncle". He is relatively independent, and some of them are the leaders or alliance leaders of one side of the princes.Hou, Dian, Nan, Wei, and Bangbo were mostly held by the wives, sons, heroes and tribal leaders of Shang kings.They all had certain obligations to the King of Shang. They usually guarded the border for the King of Shang, and when there were military affairs, they followed the call and conscripted; at the same time, they had to serve and pay tribute to the royal family.Some of them also served as internal service officials. For example, the ancestors of the Zhou Dynasty were once named Hou, and King Wen of Zhou was called Xibo, and at the same time he was the third prince of King Zhou.