Study On JiShiZhong Of The Northern Wei Dynasty

Jishizhong was established under the charge of Menxia and Sanqi ministry in the Northern Wei Dynasty as a consequence of inheriting Wei and Jin Dynasties' official systems.The complexity of Jishizhong's reform sufficiently reflects the division and integration tendency of the changes in the officials responsibilities and power within the official system which the Northern Wei Dynasty made an significant contribution to via the written records in the mid ancient times.Jishizhong was one component part of Chamberlain system initially,and then it belonged to Sanji after Taihe reform before it became attached to Menxia in Sui and Tang Dynasties.The government official rank of Jishizhong was down to vice-sixth grade(seen in Zhi Yuan Ling after Taihe reform)from vice-third grade(seen in Zhi Yuan Ling before Taihe reform)according to Guan Shi Zhi in Wei Shu.As reliable courtiers for the monarchs,the Jishizhong officials could accompany with the emperors,gave advices,took charge of national security,and took part in making policies,and they could also supervise other government departments' dealing with the momentous official affairs out of the emperors' orders.The flexible responsibilities of the Jishizhong officials enabled them to be the most beneficial to the emperors' domination in the state.The officials could just work as Jishizhong,hold other posts besides it or get the post as an advancement in the Northern Wei Dynasty,which means they could be government officials or get a sinecure as an honor when they were appointed as Jishizhong.The various appointment ways of Jishizhong led to the polarization of its division.One part of Jishizhong took the responsibility of supervising the emperors' behavior and rectifying the policies,and the other part became one of the twenty nine sinecures in Sui and Tang Dynasties.The requirements were extremely strict for the candidates for Jishingzhong as it was paramount and powerful in the Northern Wei Dynasty.The candidates had to be virtuous,knowledgeable and capable,and the ascending three generations from them had to be at least fourth grade officials simultaneously as the family background was valued for official candidates after the nobility reform at thattime.In a sum,the revolution of Jishizhong in the Northern Wei Dynasty is meaningful for the research in the development of the bureaucrat and nobility systems at that time.