The Research Of Zhou Dynasty's Shi Officers

Shi officers system is an important official position system during Zhou Dynasty.It is one of the focuses of academic circles in recent years to study the related problems of the system.This article is to study the issues related to the shi officers system in the Zhou Dynasty.According to the order of the times,it can be divided into three parts:the Shang Dynasty,the Western Zhou Dynasty,and the Spring and Autumn Period.We hope to explore the changes and characteristics of the shi officers system during the Zhou Dynasty by examining the classification,functions,and status of the division of officers in each period.First of all,this article discusses the relevant conditions of the shi officers in the Shang Dynasty.The meaning of the Chinese character of the "Shi" is to refer to the hill above the land.With the development of the times,the meaning of the "Shi" has increased.There are three usages in the Shang Dynasty inscriptions:place name,official name,and army.The Shang Dynasty was in the early period of ancient Chinese society and the official system was not yet perfect.Therefore,the scope of the shi officer' responsibilities in the Shang Dynasty was relatively broad and there was no fixed function.According to the oracle inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty and historical documents,the functions of the shi officers during this period included participating in diplomats' activities,military affairs and receiving tributes,ranking status and power.In the period of the Western Zhou Dynasty,the shi officers system had a certain degree of development.This is mainly reflected in:First,the hereditary position.The best example of this is a group of bronze vessels of the guo season clan.We know from the inscriptions that each generation of the guo clan is the shi officer.Second,the diversification of functions.During the western Zhou dynasty,the responsibilities of shi and officials covered various aspects such as military,administrative,education and king's affairs.Third,an increase in the number of jobs.In the western Zhou dynasty bronze inscription,there are about 100 pieces of materials related to the Shi,and there are a large number of them,including senior officials such as prime minister and many middle and underclass officials.During the western Zhou dynasty,the system of Shi officials was more perfect than that of the Shang dynasty,and the variety of division officials was more abundant.However,the division of the shi officer during this period is not divided,and the division of labor is not clear.During the spring and autumn period and warring states period,various vassal states made appropriate changes to the official system in order to adapt to the new situation.There are four characteristics of shi officer in this period:first,the education function is gradually strengthened;Second,the position of the staff is biased toward rituals and music;the high-priority shi officer have been rare;third,they are set to meet social development settings.The "Chushi" is responsible for the management of the city;the fourth is that the civil and military divisions begin to change regardless of circumstances,and the staff is gradually fixed.The position of the officer at this time is not the same as that of the Western Zhou Dynasty.Especially in the Warring States era," High officials are exempt from the penalties prescribed by the law." has become a thing of the past,and the position of the officer has been declining.There are thirty-three teacher officers in "The Rites of Zhou".There are six types that can be compared with the Western Zhou Dynasty,and there are fourteen types that confirm each other during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.From this viewpoint,The shi officer system in the book is closer to the official system of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.The division of the officers in "The Rites of Zhou" is meticulous and the professional title is clear.This is different from the situation of the officers in the Zhou Dynasty.This aspect shows that the shi officer is an idealized state in the book.On the other hand,it also proves that there is a certain realistic basis for the source of shi officers in "The Rites of Zhou".