The Politics of Princes and the Structure of Official Career in Southern Dynasties: Focusing on Military Councilors under Imperial Brothers and Sons
Date Issued
2010
Date
2010
Author(s)
Chao, Li-hsin
Abstract
In early imperial China, the medieval period was described as a time of aristocracy, aristocratic scholar-officials and their families have overwhelming effects in the period, , and the highlight of social classification in ideal and practical level, especially when the power of emperors is at its relatively weaker time. ‘Aristocratic Society’ is usually used to summarize the unusual political and social phenomena during this period. Southern Dynasties (420-589) is usually regarded as a climax stage of this phenomenon, and it is also a time of great transition. This dissertation focuses on the structure of official career under the politics of princes, and the military councilors in particular with investigation of its standing and importance. And through the dynamic politiical process, this dissertation tries to investigate how the interaction between society and culture cause effects to official careers and bureaucratic systems.
There are two main approaches adopted here in order to investigate the interactivity between institution, ideas and practice, one is to put the emphasis on the changing process of political power, as well as responses from socio-cultural and bureaucratic system. Another is through the institutional angle to investigate official career experience and special ways of careers combined. Military councilors under imperial brothers and sons will be the very subject of this research.
According to the dissertation, there are two sides of the politics of princes in Southern Dynasties. The emperors have relied on the imperial clan, but have watched over them at the same time. Among the members of imperial clan, imperial brothers and sons were paid extraordinary attention most. It has formed local establishments under imperial brothers and sons in the bureaucratic system, and the establishments also become center of social network and literary culture in their times. The military councilors under imperial brothers and sons with special standing and official career have reflected and appeared the unique characteristics of the politics of princes in Southern Dynasties, but also the running and structure of power. It presented the common experience of the non-first-grade scholar-officials that they have had in their official career. It means that this research discovered something important different from those research before, gives us new possibility to reinterpret the history of Aristocracy in early medieval China.
Subjects
Southern Dynasties
the politics of princes
imperial brothers and sons
scholar-officials
military councilor
official career
officialdom
bureaucratic system
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