Chancellor of China
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Chancellor of China 丞相 (Cheng Xiang) or 宰相 (Zai Xiang), was the highest rank in the imperial government in ancient China after the emperor (685 BC-6 BC, 189-1380). In the Spring and Autumn Period, Guan Zhong was the first person who became chancellor under the state of Qi in 685 BC. The title was once cancelled by Emperor Ai of Han; it was restored under the powerless Emperor Xian of Han, and Dong Zhuo became the first new chancellor in 189. Cao Cao succeeded him and for a short period, until March 15, 220, the power of Chancellor was greater than that of the emperor. Later this often happened when a dynasty became weak, usually some decades before the fall of a dynasty.
Since the Qin Dynasty, the office of chancellor was sometimes divided into two positions, the "Left Chancellor"(左丞 zuo cheng) and "Right Chancellor"(右丞 you cheng). The term "Chancellor" (丞相 cheng xiang) often refers to the more powerful "Right Chancellor," while the "Left Chancellor" was known as the vice-Chancellor; the latter was at times called "Yushi Daifu" (御史大夫, or Great Censor/Censor General, charged with defending against corruption).
During the Sui Dynasty, the executive officials of the three highest departments of the empire were called "Chancellors" together. In the Tang Dynasty, the government was divided into three branches: Executive (尚書省 shang shu sheng), Delibration (門下省 men xia sheng) and Policy-making (中書省 zhong shu sheng); the term "chancellor" referred to the head of the ministry (同中書門下二品 or 同中書門下三品 tongzhongshu menxia erpin or sanpin, respectively) of the executive branch from 643. The Executive Ministry was divided into six sections, Personnel Section (吏部 lì bu, had the power to appoint and dismiss officials), Population and Financial Section (户部 hu bu), Examination and Foreign Section (禮部 lǐ bu), Military Section(兵部 bing bu), Section for Justice (刑部 xing bu) and Section of Engineering (工部 gong bu).
In the Song Dynasty, the post of Chancellor was also known as the "Tongpingzhangshi" (同平章事), in accordance with late-Tang terminology, while the vice-chancellor was known as the "Jijunsi". Some years later, the post of Chancellor was changed to "Prime Minister" (首相 shou xiang) and the post of vice-Chancellor was changed to "Second Minister" (次相 ci xiang). In the late Southern Song Dynasty, the system changed back to the Tang naming conventions.
During the Mongolian Occupation (Yuan Dynasty), the Chancellor was not the head of the Executive Ministry, but the crown prince was the executive head. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the post became the head of the Executive Ministry again. The post was abandoned after the execution of the final Chancellor of China, Hu Weiyong, who was accused of treason (though his conviction is still strongly disputed in present times because of a lack of evidence to prove his guilt). Still, appointments of the people who held the highest post in the government were called "Appointment of Prime Minister" (拜相) until 1644.
Contents |
[edit] List of Chancellors of China
[edit] List of Chancellors of Qin Dynasty since 251 BC
| # | Name | Took Office | Left Office |
| 1 | Lü Buwei | 251 BC | 246 BC |
| 2 | Li Si | 246 BC | 208 BC |
| 3 | Zhao Gao | 208 BC | 207 BC |
[edit] List of other famous Chancellors and (since 1052) Prime Ministers
- Guan Zhong (died in 645 BC)
- Xiao He (206 BC-193 BC in office)
- Dong Zhuo (189-192 in office, first chancellor since 3 BC)
- Cao Cao (200-March 15, 220 in office)
- Zhuge Liang (221-234 of Kingdom of Shu-Han)
- Lu Yi (244-245 of Kingdom of Wu)
- Di Renjie (691-693, 697-700 in office)
- Zhang Jiuling (733-736 in office)
- Wang Anshi (1070-1075, 1076-1085 in office)
- Sima Guang (1085-1086 in office)
- Zhang Dun (1086-???? in office)
- Wen Tianxiang (1236-1283)
- Yan Song (1481-1568)
- Zhang Juzheng (1525-1582)
