Chapter 21 Section 5 Yuan Dynasty Official System

The predecessor of the Yuan Dynasty was the Mongolian Khanate, founded by Genghis Khan.At that time, the official system was relatively simple, and the feudal system of feudal lords was implemented.The method is to organize the herdsmen across the country into ten, one hundred, one thousand, or ten thousand households according to the region, and each has a chief to lead them.The head of ten thousand households and the head of one thousand households are all founding heroes, appointed by Genghis Khan, and occupy different fiefdoms and households.Households are closed for animal husbandry production and taxes in peacetime. In wartime, they are led by the lord and go out with the Great Khan.Therefore, this lord enfeoffment system is essentially a military-political organization.Genghis Khan's private property and court affairs belonged to the four Ordos.Ordo means palace account, managed and inherited by Genghis Khan's four wives and concubines respectively.Genghis Khan's pro-army has 10,000 people, known as the Qi Xue Army.Qixue means "Fan Zhi Su Wei", that is, the Su Wei Army.His members are called Qi Xue Jie, and the chief is called Qi Xue Zhichang.In addition to defending the Great Khan, Kexue was also responsible for the daily life of the Great Khan, and also handled official affairs and state affairs.The official in charge of the Khan's documents in the Qixue organization is called Bija (du) Chi.Bijachi, which means "book history", can also advise on state affairs.The judicial officer is called Zhalu Huchi, which is translated into Chinese as a judiciary officer.After the Yuan Dynasty unified China, the size of the country surpassed that of the Han and Tang Dynasties. The official system of the Mongolian Khanate could no longer adapt to the changing situation. In order to exercise effective state management, the Mongolian rulers borrowed a lot from the official systems of the Central Plains dynasties, especially the Jin Dynasty. Formed a distinctive Yuan Dynasty official system.

The most important institutions in the central government of the Yuan Dynasty were Zhongshu Sheng, Privy Council and Yushitai. The Yuan Dynasty did not adopt the three-province system established by the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but followed the Shangshu Province system of the Jin Dynasty, which was renamed Zhongshu Province.Zhongshu Province evolved from Bigechi, the guard officer of the Mongolian Khanate, also known as the capital province, and is the highest administrative agency that manages the country's government affairs.The honorary chief of Zhongshu Province is Zhongshuling, who is concurrently held by the crown prince. It is called "Xing Zhongshuling" or "Receiving Zhongshuling", but it is not permanent. It is the most important thing, and it has never done everything" ("Autumn Stream Collection" Volume 84), "Although the name is so, it is actually unknown" ("Qingya Collection" Volume 4).In fact, the chief ministers of Zhongshu Province are Prime Minister You and Prime Minister Zuo.The Yuan system still favors the right, and the status of the prime minister of the right is higher than that of the prime minister of the left.Pingzhang Zhengshi is the second deputy of the prime minister.He also participated in the consultation of Zhongshu to save trouble, was in charge of the left and right secretary, and participated in the decision of important military and state affairs.The left and right divisions each have officials such as Langzhong, Yuanwailang, and Dushi.Zhongshu Province leads the six ministries.All six departments have Shangshu, Shilang, Langzhong, Yuanwailang and so on.The functions of the six ministries were similar to those in the Song Dynasty, except that the Ministry of War was not in charge of military administration, but was only in charge of postal transmission, garrison and animal husbandry.In the seventh year of Zhiyuan (AD 1270), in the twenty-fourth year of Zhiyuan (AD 1287), in the second year of Zhida (AD 1309), the Yuan Dynasty established Shangshu Province three times, and separated powers from Zhongshu Province, but the time was different. Long (three times in total, eight years), so the end of the Yuan Dynasty basically implemented a one-province system.

It should be pointed out that the use of the name of the chief executive officer in the Yuan Dynasty was very confusing. The reason was that it was used to reward meritorious officials for a long time, and it developed viciously in the middle of the Yuan Dynasty. , Monk and Dao, etc., are often awarded the title of Zaizhi, sometimes with the word "remote grant" in front, and sometimes called the prime minister XX, Pingzhang XX, it is difficult to distinguish between official and official.It was not until the late Yuan Dynasty that the title of Jiaguan Zaizhi was controlled. The Privy Council is the highest military commanding body.In addition to cowardice, "the secret affairs of the soldiers of the world, the palace guards, the side court army wings, the conquest and defense, the Jianyue dispatch, the transfer of meritorious service, and the temperance and dispatch are all unavoidable" ("Yuan Shi Baiguan Zhi 2") ").The highest officer, the Privy Council, is not permanent. In fact, the chief is the Privy Council, and there are Tongzhi Privy Council, Privy Deputy Envoy, Qian Privy Council, Tongqian Privy Council, Court Judgment, Senate and other officials.The Privy Council of the Yuan Dynasty was slightly different from the Privy Council of the Song and Jin Dynasties. In case of a large-scale conquest, the Privy Council was set up for the use of troops.The Xing Privy Council, referred to as the Xingyuan, is temporary, and let it go after the matter is over.The army of the Yuan Dynasty was divided into two systems: Suwei (guarding the capital) and Zhenshu (guarding all parts of the country).Suwei army is divided into Qixue and five guards.After entering the Yuan Dynasty, the Qixue army was still retained, and it was in the status of a meritorious army. It was set up as the leader of Qixue, and it was under the personal jurisdiction of the emperor.Qixue was well paid, and most senior military and political officials in the Yuan Dynasty were born in Qixue.Therefore, the officials are the most dignified with the cowardly background.The five (left, right, center, front, and rear) guards are the central standing army, each with a capital commander, deputy capital commander and other officials, under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council.The town garrison was also mobilized by the Privy Council, including the Mongolian Army, the Tanma Red Army, the Han Army, and the New Affiliated Army. Hundreds of households and brand names are in charge.Military officers at all levels are hereditary, and their status is higher than that of civilian officials.

Yushitai is the highest supervisory institution.Kublai Khan once said: "Zhongshu has my left hand, Privy Secretary has my right hand, and Yushitai is owned by my doctor" ("Cao Muzi Miscellaneous").There are officials in charge of the censor, the censor Zhongcheng, the servant of the censor, and the servant of the censor.In the Yuan Dynasty, the status of Yushitai was higher than that in Tang and Song Dynasties, which changed the previous tradition of monitoring high-ranking officials by low-ranking officials.The institutions directly under Yushitai include the Dianzhong Division and the Internal Procuratorate.The Dian Zhongsi set up the Dian Zhongshi Yushi, who was in charge of inspecting court etiquette and assessing Beijing officials.The Internal Procuratorate has a supervisory censor who is in charge of spying and reporting various illegal matters. It has a certain degree of independence and is called the emperor's eyes and ears.In the Yuan Dynasty, Xingyushitai was also set up in Jiangnan and Shaanxi respectively.Yushitai (inner or main station) and Jiangnan Xingtai (Southern) and Shaanxi Xingtai (Western) are divided into 22 departments, Fuli and Henan and Liaoyang are under the jurisdiction of Eight Dao, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Huguang The ten provinces of the three provinces belong to Nantai, and the four provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan belong to Xitai.Each province set up a Suzheng Lianfang Department (it was called the Criminal Inspection Department when it was first established), and appointed envoys, deputy envoys, affairs, experience and other personnel.The pipeline supervision of the branch office of the honest and honest visit official is called the branch division. It goes on tour every August to April of the following year to supervise local officials and review cases.In the Yuan Dynasty, Yushitai could choose officials from the main station to the Suzheng Lianfang Division (approved by the emperor), which was unique in the establishment of supervisors in previous dynasties, reflecting the characteristics of the supervisory system of the Yuan Dynasty.

The Yuan Dynasty was an open regime that emphasized the use of various religions at home and abroad to strengthen ideological rule, so it established various institutions to manage religious affairs.The most important ones are the Xuanzhengyuan and the Chongfu Division.Xuanzhengyuan set up officials such as envoys, deputy envoys, Tongzhi, Qianyuan, Tongqian, court judges, and counselors to take charge of Buddhist monks and Tubo affairs across the country.Basiba, a famous Buddhist leader in Tubo, was the first head of Xuanzhengyuan, and was honored as "Emperor Teacher" and "Great Treasure King".If there is something wrong with Tubo, the Xuanzheng Yuan will set up another branch to govern it.Chongfu Division, once renamed as Chongfuyuan, was in charge of Yeli Kewen (Christianity) affairs, and managed the priests of this religion and the Cross Temple (church).Officials include Chongfu Envoy, Tongzhi, Deputy Envoy, Sicheng, Experience, Dushi, Zhaomo and other officials.According to textual research, there were 72 Yelike Wenjiao monasteries in the Yuan Dynasty.Taoism is managed by Jixian Academy.Taoism in the south of the Yangtze River is under the command of Zhengyi, a celestial master appointed by the emperor.The Yuan Dynasty greatly protected various religious temples, and Taixi [xixi] Zongyu [yinyin] Academy, which was in charge of sacrificial ceremonies, was also responsible for the repair of the temples.

In the Yuan Dynasty, there were many institutions called Yuanyuan, and there were mainly two types.The first category of officials is court envoys, co-prefects, deputy envoys, etc.In addition to the ones mentioned above, there is also the Xuanhui Court, which is in charge of the emperor's wine and meals and court banquets.Guanglu Temple is a subsidiary institution of Xuanhui Yuan.The Taichang Institute of Rituals is in charge of rituals and music, sacrifices to the ancestral temple and the country, and granting posthumous titles, etc.The Taishi Academy is in charge of astronomy and calendar matters.The Tai Hospital is in charge of medicine and various medical institutions, and at the same time prepares and serves imperial medicine.Will be a courtyard, in charge of the official handicraft industry.The Tongzhengyuan was in charge of post stations across the country, and was later divided into Dadu and Shangdu.The Dianrui Academy is in charge of the emperor's seal tokens.The Central Government Yuan is in charge of the finance, construction and supply of the Queen's Palace.The Chuzhenyuan, originally named Zhan Shiyuan, is in charge of the affairs of the auxiliary crown prince.Another type of official is the bachelor of various titles.There is Hanlin and the Academy of National History, which is responsible for drafting edicts and compiling national history.The Mongolian Imperial Academy is responsible for translating texts.Jixian Academy is responsible for schools and recruiting talents, and also handles plumbing, yin and yang, divination, etc.Under the jurisdiction of Guozijian and Guozixue.The supervisor is responsible for the teaching orders of learning, and there are officials such as Jijiu, Siye, and Cheng.The school is responsible for teaching students, and the management is led by a doctor.There are also Mongolian National Academy and Mongolian National Academy, which are not affiliated with Jixian Academy, but under the management of Mongolian Imperial Academy.Kuizhangge Academy of Sciences is in charge of Jincheng Confucian classics and history books, examines school history, and compiles "Jingshi Dadian".Under the jurisdiction of Qunyu Neisi, in charge of books and treasures; Art and Literature Supervision, in charge of translating Confucian classics in Basiba characters.

In addition, there are institutions called government offices, temples, divisions, and prisons.The mansion is called the Dazong Zhengfu, and there are several Zhalu Huchi, headed by the kings, who are in charge of the criminal names and lawsuits of the Mongolian and Semu people under the kings and son-in-law, and also manage the Mongolian and Han related prisons.Shizhengfu, set up Shizhengfu servants and Tongzhi, and take charge of the affairs of the inner court.The institution called the temple is set up as Qing and Shaoqing.Most of them are institutions in charge of Ordo.Such as Changqing Temple, Changqiu Temple, Chenghui Temple, Changning Temple, Yanhui Temple and so on.The Ordos of the Emperor and Empress of the Yuan Dynasty each had private property and households, which were inherited by relatives after death.In addition to this type of institution, there is also the Wubei Temple, which is in charge of the manufacture and supply of weapons.Taipu Temple, in charge of horse affairs.Shangcheng Temple is in charge of the imperial chariots and horses.It is worth noting that the Yuan Dynasty did not set up Dali Temple, and it was included in Yushitai with its functions.Institutions known as supervisors include Taifujian, with Taiqing, eunuchs, and young supervisors in charge of financial treasury.Inner, right and left warehouses.Dushuijian, set up a supervisor, a young supervisor, and a deputy, in charge of river embankment and canal defense.At the local level, the Dadu River Improvement Department, Shandong and Henan Xingdu Water Supervision and other institutions were established.Secretary supervisor, set up minister, eunuch, young supervisor, in charge of books.Si Tian Jian, who set up a point, a supervisor, and a young supervisor, is in charge of the research and teaching of calendar phenomena.And back to the Sitianjian, set up the same official Sitianjian, which is a special institution for minority astrology scholars to observe astronomy.The institutions that set up divisions include the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Agriculture, Qing, and Shaoqing, who are in charge of agriculture, mulberry, water conservancy, and relief.The left-behind department of Dadu (now Beijing), set up left-behind, Tongzhi, and deputy guards to guard the capital.

There were two systems in the Yuan Dynasty, one was the provincial system and the other was the chieftain system. Xingxing, that is, Xingzhongshuxing, also referred to as the province.In the Yuan Dynasty, Dadu was the capital city, and the land of Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi was called "Fuli", which was directly under the jurisdiction of Zhongshu Province.Outside the belly, there are ten provinces including Lingbei, Liaoyang, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Huguang, Jiangxi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. "Province" was originally an official signature, such as Zhongshu Sheng.Xingxing is the highest level of local administrative organization separated from Zhongshu Province.This system was learned from the Jin Dynasty. The Jin Dynasty was called Xingshang Shusheng, which was temporary and not permanent; the Yuan Dynasty was established as a permanent institution.Later, provinces evolved into synonymous with large administrative regions.During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, provinces ceased to exist as official signatures, but continued to be used as synonymous with large administrative regions.Under the provinces are roads, prefectures, states, and counties.The roads are divided into upper roads and lower roads. The upper roads are those with more than 100,000 households, and the lower roads are those with less than 100,000 households. Places with important geographical locations can be placed on the upper roads regardless of the population.There is a general manager's office on the road, the chief is called Dalu Huachi, and the second deputy of the general manager.There are Tongzhi, Zhizhong, Judgment, Tuiguan and other officials under the jurisdiction of Confucianism (school), Prison Secretary, Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau, Recording Department and other departments in charge of various specialized affairs.The setting of the government is not common, some are directly under the Zhongshu Province, some are under the province, and some are under the road.Some prefectures and counties are directly under the government, and some do not govern prefectures and counties.The government has Dalu Huachi and the prefect (or prefect) as the chief officers, and there are also co-prefects, judges, officials, governors, filing and prosecution documents, etc. in charge of various specific affairs.The state is divided into three classes according to the number of households under its jurisdiction, and the standards in Jiangnan and Jiangbei are different.More than 50,000 households in the south of the Yangtze River are Shangzhou, more than 30,000 households are Zhongzhou, and less than 30,000 households are Xiazhou.More than 15,000 households in Jiangbei are Shangzhou, more than 6,000 households are Zhongzhou, and less than 6,000 households are Xiazhou.The prefectures set up Dalu Huachi and Zhizhou as the chief executives, and other officials are set up like the government system.Counties are also divided into three classes according to the number of households under their jurisdiction.Jiangnan is divided into upper, middle and lower counties with more than 30,000 households, more than 10,000 households, and less than 10,000 households.Jiangbei is divided into upper, middle and lower counties with more than 6000 households, more than 2000 households and less than 2000 households.The county has Dalu Huachi as the chief officer, and there are county Yin, county magistrate, master book, lieutenant, Dian Shi and other officials under it.An inspection department was established in more important places, such as the Penghu inspection department on Quanzhou Road in Zhejiang Province, which governed Penghu, Ryukyu (now Taiwan) and other places.

Chieftains are set up in border minority areas.There are Xuanwei Division, Xuanfu Division, Appeasement Division, Recruitment Division, Marshal's Mansion, Wanhu Mansion, Thousand Households Office and other institutions.Officials such as Xuanwei envoy, Xuanfu envoy, appease envoy, envoy envoy, marshal, Wanhu, and Qianhu are set up, and they are held by the leaders of ethnic minorities.Some chieftains are located within the provinces, such as Huguang, Yunnan, Liaoyang and other provinces; some are located outside the province, such as Uyghur and Tubo.The establishment of chieftains in the Yuan Dynasty was the further institutionalization of Jimizhou and counties in the Tang Dynasty, and was inherited by the Ming and Qing dynasties, which was very effective in consolidating the unity of the motherland.

In the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols were the ruling nation, and households were divided into Mongolian, Semu, Han, and Nanren.The fourth-class households have obvious advantages and disadvantages in terms of political treatment, which is prominently reflected in the settings from central officials to local officials.Senior officials were basically monopolized by hereditary Mongols, Semu nobles, and a very small number of Han bureaucrats, and Han bureaucrats often served as deputy posts.For example, in Zhongshu Province, the right prime minister must be a Mongol, the Semu people can serve as the left prime minister, and the Han can only serve as Pingzhang political affairs.In the Yuan Dynasty, there were only three non-Mongol prime ministers.The same is true for Yushitai, "The surname at the end of the platform is not given" ("Yuan Shi Taiping Biography").The end of the stage refers to the imperial doctor.The national surname refers to the Mongols.As for the prime minister and Pingzhang's political affairs, the chief minister of the local secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, even non-Mongolians will not be appointed.In the Yuan Dynasty, there was also a special official name "Daluhuachi", which is the transliteration of "Guardian" in Mongolian, and it was assumed by Mongolians (occasionally Semu people) according to regulations.Many central agencies, local roads, prefectures, prefectures, and counties, as well as Wanhufu and Qianhusuo of the non-Mongolian army, all have this official.The setting of Daluhuachi also reflects the characteristics of strengthening the rule of the Mongolian aristocracy.