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data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries_during_the_Tang_dynasty" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries_during_the_Tang_dynasty"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Three Departments and Six Ministries during the Tang dynasty</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries_during_the_Tang_dynasty-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Early_history" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Early_history"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Early history</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Early_history-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Three_Departments" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Three_Departments"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Three Departments</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Three_Departments-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Three Departments subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Three_Departments-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Department_of_State_Affairs" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Department_of_State_Affairs"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Department of State Affairs</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Department_of_State_Affairs-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Six_Ministries" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Six_Ministries"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1.1</span> <span>Six Ministries</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Six_Ministries-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Nine_Courts" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Nine_Courts"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1.2</span> <span>Nine Courts</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Nine_Courts-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Three/Five_Directorates" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Three/Five_Directorates"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1.3</span> <span>Three/Five Directorates</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Three/Five_Directorates-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Central_Secretariat" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Central_Secretariat"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Central Secretariat</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Central_Secretariat-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Chancellery" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Chancellery"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Chancellery</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Chancellery-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Other_Departments" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Other_Departments"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Other Departments</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Other_Departments-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-References-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span 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class="mw-page-title-main">Three Departments and Six Ministries</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. 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interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%99i_kancel%C3%A1%C5%99e_a_%C5%A1est_ministerstev" title="Tři kanceláře a šest ministerstev – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Tři kanceláře a šest ministerstev" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tres_departamentos_y_seis_ministerios" title="Tres departamentos y seis ministerios – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Tres departamentos y seis ministerios" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trois_d%C3%A9partements_et_six_minist%C3%A8res" title="Trois départements et six ministères – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Trois départements et six ministères" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%82%BC%EC%84%B1%EC%9C%A1%EB%B6%80%EC%A0%9C" title="삼성육부제 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="삼성육부제" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiga_Departemen_dan_Enam_Kementerian" title="Tiga Departemen dan Enam Kementerian – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Tiga Departemen dan Enam Kementerian" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tre_dipartimenti_e_sei_ministeri" title="Tre dipartimenti e sei ministeri – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Tre dipartimenti e sei ministeri" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E7%9C%81%E5%85%AD%E9%83%A8" title="三省六部 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="三省六部" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C3%AAs_departamentos_e_seis_minist%C3%A9rios" title="Três departamentos e seis ministérios – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Três departamentos e seis ministérios" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri_Odjeljenja_i_%C5%A0est_Ministarstava" title="Tri Odjeljenja i Šest Ministarstava – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Tri Odjeljenja i Šest Ministarstava" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%8B%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%89%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%89" title="ซันเฉิ่งลิ่วปู้ – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ซันเฉิ่งลิ่วปู้" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tam_t%E1%BB%89nh_l%E1%BB%A5c_b%E1%BB%99_(Trung_Qu%E1%BB%91c)" title="Tam tỉnh lục bộ (Trung Quốc) – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Tam tỉnh lục bộ (Trung Quốc)" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-classical mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-classical.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E7%9C%81%E5%85%AD%E9%83%A8" title="三省六部 – Literary Chinese" lang="lzh" hreflang="lzh" data-title="三省六部" data-language-autonym="文言" data-language-local-name="Literary Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>文言</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-wuu mw-list-item"><a href="https://wuu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E7%9C%81%E5%85%AD%E9%83%A8%E5%88%B6" title="三省六部制 – Wu" lang="wuu" hreflang="wuu" data-title="三省六部制" data-language-autonym="吴语" data-language-local-name="Wu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>吴语</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E7%9C%81%E5%85%AD%E9%83%A8" title="三省六部 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="三省六部" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E7%9C%81%E5%85%AD%E9%83%A8" title="三省六部 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="三省六部" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q706894#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> 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<div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Administrative structure of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese imperial dynasties</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="color: #202122;background-color:#b0c4de">Three Departments and Six Ministries</th></tr><tr style="display:none;"><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #b0c4de;">Chinese name</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hani" style="font-size: 1rem;"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E7%9C%81%E5%85%AD%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:三省六部">三省六部</a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"><table class="infobox-subbox mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="display:inline-table; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;color: #202122; background-color: #f9ffbc;">Transcriptions</th></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Standard_Chinese" title="Standard Chinese">Standard Mandarin</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hanyu_Pinyin" class="mw-redirect" title="Hanyu Pinyin">Hanyu Pinyin</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn">Sān Shěng Liù Bù</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Wade%E2%80%93Giles" title="Wade–Giles">Wade–Giles</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn">San<sup>1</sup> Sheng<sup>3</sup> Liu<sup>4</sup> Pu<sup>4</sup></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #b0c4de;">Vietnamese name</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Vietnamese_alphabet" title="Vietnamese alphabet">Vietnamese alphabet</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Vietnamese-language text"><i lang="vi"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tam" class="extiw" title="wikt:Tam">Tam </a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/t%E1%BB%89nh" class="extiw" title="wikt:tỉnh">tỉnh </a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/l%E1%BB%A5c" class="extiw" title="wikt:lục">lục </a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/b%E1%BB%99" class="extiw" title="wikt:bộ">bộ</a></i></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Ch%E1%BB%AF_H%C3%A1n" title="Chữ Hán">Chữ Hán</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Vietnamese-language text"><span lang="vi-Hani">三省六部</span></span></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #b0c4de;">Korean name</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hangul" title="Hangul">Hangul</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Korean-language text"><span lang="ko" style="font-size: 1rem;">삼성육부</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hanja" title="Hanja">Hanja</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Korean-language text"><span lang="ko" style="font-size: 1rem;">三省六部</span></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"><table class="infobox-subbox mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="display:inline-table; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;color: #202122; background-color: #f9ffbc;">Transcriptions</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Revised_Romanization_of_Korean" title="Revised Romanization of Korean">Revised Romanization</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Korean-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="ko-Latn">Sam Seong Yug Bu</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/McCune%E2%80%93Reischauer" title="McCune–Reischauer">McCune–Reischauer</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Korean-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="ko-Latn">Sam Sŏng Yuk Pu</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2"> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>Three Departments and Six Ministries</b> (<a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: <span lang="zh">三省六部</span>; <a href="/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: <i><span lang="zh-Latn">Sān Shěng Liù Bù</span></i>) system was the primary administrative structure in <a href="/wiki/History_of_China#Imperial_China" title="History of China">imperial China</a> from the <a href="/wiki/Sui_dynasty" title="Sui dynasty">Sui dynasty</a> (581–618) to the <a href="/wiki/Yuan_dynasty" title="Yuan dynasty">Yuan dynasty</a> (1271–1368). It was also used by <a href="/wiki/Balhae" title="Balhae">Balhae</a> (698–926) and <a href="/wiki/Goryeo" title="Goryeo">Goryeo</a> (918–1392) and various other kingdoms in Manchuria, Korea and Vietnam. </p><p>The Three Departments were three top-level administrative structures in imperial China. They were the <a href="/wiki/Zhongshu_Sheng" title="Zhongshu Sheng">Central Secretariat</a>, responsible for drafting policy, the <a href="/wiki/Menxia_Sheng" title="Menxia Sheng">Chancellery</a>, responsible for reviewing policy and advising the emperor, and the <a href="/wiki/Department_of_State_Affairs" class="mw-redirect" title="Department of State Affairs">Department of State Affairs</a>, responsible for implementing policy. The former two were loosely joined as the <a href="/wiki/Secretariat-Chancellery" title="Secretariat-Chancellery">Secretariat-Chancellery</a> during the late <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a>, <a href="/wiki/Song_dynasty" title="Song dynasty">Song dynasty</a> and in the Korean kingdom of Goryeo. </p><p>The Six Ministries (also translated as Six Boards) were direct administrative organs of the state under the authority of the Department of State Affairs. They were the Ministries of <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Personnel" title="Ministry of Personnel">Personnel</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Rites" title="Ministry of Rites">Rites</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_War_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of War (imperial China)">War</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Justice_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Justice (imperial China)">Justice</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Works_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Works (imperial China)">Works</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Revenue_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Revenue (imperial China)">Revenue</a>. During the Yuan Dynasty, authority over the Six Ministries was transferred to the Central Secretariat. </p><p>The Three Departments were abolished by the <a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming dynasty</a>, but the Six Ministries continued under the Ming and <a href="/wiki/Qing_dynasty" title="Qing dynasty">Qing</a>, as well as in Vietnam and Korea. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries_during_the_Tang_dynasty">Three Departments and Six Ministries during the <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Three Departments and Six Ministries during the Tang dynasty"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Tang_government_structure.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Tang_government_structure.jpg/350px-Tang_government_structure.jpg" decoding="async" width="350" height="288" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Tang_government_structure.jpg/525px-Tang_government_structure.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Tang_government_structure.jpg/700px-Tang_government_structure.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1117" data-file-height="918" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a> government hierarchy</figcaption></figure> <table style="border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; font-size: 80%"> <tbody><tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Emperor_of_China" title="Emperor of China">Emperor</a><br />(<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9A%87%E5%B8%9D" class="extiw" title="wikt:皇帝">皇帝</a></span></span>, <i>huángdì</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td></tr><tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"></tr> <tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;border-bottom:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:1em"></td><td rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td></tr><tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td></tr> <tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Menxia_Sheng" title="Menxia Sheng">Chancellery</a><br /><span class="nowrap">(<small><a href="/wiki/Traditional_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Traditional characters">t</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%96%80" class="extiw" title="wikt:門">門</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8B" class="extiw" title="wikt:下">下</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>,</span> <span class="nowrap"><small><a href="/wiki/Simplified_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Simplified characters">s</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%97%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:门">门</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8B" class="extiw" title="wikt:下">下</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>,</span> <i>Ménxiàshěng</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Department_of_State_Affairs" class="mw-redirect" title="Department of State Affairs">Department of State Affairs</a><br /><span class="nowrap">(<small><a href="/wiki/Traditional_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Traditional characters">t</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%9A" class="extiw" title="wikt:尚">尚</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%9B%B8" class="extiw" title="wikt:書">書</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>,</span> <span class="nowrap"><small><a href="/wiki/Simplified_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Simplified characters">s</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%9A" class="extiw" title="wikt:尚">尚</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B9%A6" class="extiw" title="wikt:书">书</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>,</span> <i>Shàngshūshěng</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Zhongshu_Sheng" title="Zhongshu Sheng">Secretariat</a><br /><span class="nowrap">(<small><a href="/wiki/Traditional_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Traditional characters">t</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD" class="extiw" title="wikt:中">中</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%9B%B8" class="extiw" title="wikt:書">書</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>,</span> <span class="nowrap"><small><a href="/wiki/Simplified_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Simplified characters">s</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD" class="extiw" title="wikt:中">中</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B9%A6" class="extiw" title="wikt:书">书</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>,</span> <i>Zhōngshūshěng</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td></tr><tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"></tr> <tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;border-bottom:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:2em"></td><td style="height:1em;border-bottom:1px solid;width:1em"></td><td rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td></tr><tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td><td style="height:1em;width:1em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="2" style="height:1em;width:2em"></td><td style="border-right:1px solid;height:1em;width:1em"></td></tr> <tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Personnel" title="Ministry of Personnel">Ministry of Personnel</a><br />(<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%90%8F%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:吏部">吏部</a></span></span>, <i>Lìbù</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Revenue_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Revenue (imperial China)">Ministry of Revenue</a><br /><span class="nowrap">(<small><a href="/wiki/Traditional_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Traditional characters">t</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%88%B6%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:戶部">戶部</a></span></span>,</span> <span class="nowrap"><small><a href="/wiki/Simplified_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Simplified characters">s</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%88%B7%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:户部">户部</a></span></span>,</span> <i>Hùbù</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Rites" title="Ministry of Rites">Ministry of Rites</a><br /><span class="nowrap">(<small><a href="/wiki/Traditional_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Traditional characters">t</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%A6%AE%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:禮部">禮部</a></span></span>,</span> <span class="nowrap"><small><a href="/wiki/Simplified_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="Simplified characters">s</a></small> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%A4%BC%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:礼部">礼部</a></span></span>,</span> <i>Lǐbù</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_War_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of War (imperial China)">Ministry of War</a><br />(<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%85%B5%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:兵部">兵部</a></span></span>, <i>Bīngbù</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Justice_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Justice (imperial China)">Ministry of Justice</a><br />(<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%88%91%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:刑部">刑部</a></span></span>, <i>Xíngbù</i>)</td><td colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="height:2em;width:2em"></td><td colspan="6" rowspan="2" style="border:2px solid;padding:0.2em"><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Works_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Works (imperial China)">Ministry of Works</a><br />(<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B7%A5%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:工部">工部</a></span></span>, <i>Gōngbù</i>)</td></tr><tr style="height:1px;text-align:center"></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Early_history">Early history</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Early history"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Before the Three Departments and Six Ministries, the central administrative structure of the <a href="/wiki/Qin_dynasty" title="Qin dynasty">Qin</a> and <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han</a> dynasties was the <a href="/wiki/Three_Lords_and_Nine_Ministers" title="Three Lords and Nine Ministers">Three Lords and Nine Ministers</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89" class="extiw" title="wikt:三">三</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%85%AC" class="extiw" title="wikt:公">公</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B9%9D" class="extiw" title="wikt:九">九</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%8D%BF" class="extiw" title="wikt:卿">卿</a></span></span>, <i>Sāngōng Jiǔqīng</i>) system. Nonetheless, even then, offices which fulfilled the same functions as the later three departments were already in existence. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Department_of_State_Affairs" class="mw-redirect" title="Department of State Affairs">Department of State Affairs</a> originated in the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) in an archival capacity. During the reign of <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Wu_of_Han" title="Emperor Wu of Han">Emperor Wu of Han</a> (r. 141-87 BC), the department's office was instituted as a channel of communications between the Emperor's advisors and the government as a whole. By the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Han_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Eastern Han dynasty">Eastern Han dynasty</a> (25–220), an office of advisors and reviewers had also been set up. Under the reign of <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Wen_of_Wei" class="mw-redirect" title="Emperor Wen of Wei">Emperor Wen of Wei</a> (r. 220–226), the Central Secretariat was formally created to draft imperial edicts and to balance out the powerful Department of State Affairs<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTELu2008235_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELu2008235-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The office of the Chancellery was first instituted during the <a href="/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(266%E2%80%93420)" title="Jin dynasty (266–420)">Jin dynasty (266–420)</a> and carried on throughout the <a href="/wiki/Northern_and_Southern_Dynasties" class="mw-redirect" title="Northern and Southern Dynasties">Northern and Southern Dynasties</a> period (420–589), where it often became the most powerful office in the central government. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Three_Departments">Three Departments</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Three Departments"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Song_government_structure.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Song_government_structure.jpg/350px-Song_government_structure.jpg" decoding="async" width="350" height="157" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Song_government_structure.jpg/525px-Song_government_structure.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Song_government_structure.jpg/700px-Song_government_structure.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1783" data-file-height="798" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Song_dynasty" title="Song dynasty">Song dynasty</a> government hierarchy</figcaption></figure> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ming_government_structure.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Ming_government_structure.jpg/350px-Ming_government_structure.jpg" decoding="async" width="350" height="214" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Ming_government_structure.jpg/525px-Ming_government_structure.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Ming_government_structure.jpg/700px-Ming_government_structure.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1555" data-file-height="951" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming dynasty</a> government hierarchy</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Department_of_State_Affairs">Department of State Affairs</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Department of State Affairs"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Department_of_State_Affairs" class="mw-redirect" title="Department of State Affairs">Department of State Affairs</a></b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B0%9A" class="extiw" title="wikt:尚">尚</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%9B%B8" class="extiw" title="wikt:書">書</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>, <i>Shàngshūshěng</i>), also known as the <b>Imperial Secretariat</b>, was the primary executive institution of imperial China, head of the <a href="#Six_Ministries">Six Ministries</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Nine_Courts" title="Nine Courts">Nine Courts</a>, and the Three Directorates (sometimes five). The Department of State of Affairs existed in one form or another from <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a> (206 BC – 9 AD) until the <a href="/wiki/Yuan_dynasty" title="Yuan dynasty">Yuan dynasty</a> (1271–1368), but was never re-established in the following <a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming dynasty</a>.</li></ul> <p>The Department of State Affairs originated as one of the Six Chief Stewards (<i>liushang</i> 六尚) that were responsible for headgear, wardrobe, food, the bath, the bedchamber and for writing (<i>shangshu</i> 尚書, literally "presenting writings"), during the <a href="/wiki/Qin_dynasty" title="Qin dynasty">Qin dynasty</a>. The position of Chief Steward for writing (<i>shangshu</i>) became more important during the reign of <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Wu_of_Han" title="Emperor Wu of Han">Emperor Wu of Han</a> (r. 141-87 BC), who tried to escape the influence of the Grand Chancellor and Censor-in-Chief(<i>yushi dafu</i> 御史大夫) by relying on other officials. <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Guangwu_of_Han" title="Emperor Guangwu of Han">Emperor Guangwu of Han</a> (r. 25–57) created the Department of State Affairs with the <i>shangshu</i> as head of the six sections of government. It was headed by a Director (<i>ling</i> 令) and a Vice Director (<i>puye</i> 僕射), assisted by a left and right aide (<i>cheng</i> 丞) and 36 attendant gentlemen (<i>shilang</i> 侍郎), six for each section, as well as 18 clerks (<i>lingshi</i> 令史), three for each section. These six sections later became the <a href="/wiki/Six_Ministries" class="mw-redirect" title="Six Ministries">Six Ministries</a>, and their chief stewards, the Director, and Vice Director were collectively known as the eight executives (<i>bazuo</i> 八座). The power of the Department of State Affairs decreased in the succeeding dynasties of <a href="/wiki/Cao_Wei" title="Cao Wei">Cao Wei</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(266%E2%80%93420)" title="Jin dynasty (266–420)">Jin dynasty (266–420)</a> as some of its functions and authority were delegated to the Central Secretariat and Chancellery. The posts of Director and Vice Director also became less important as it was bestowed upon high ministers and noble family members who did not participate in the administrative activities of the department. Real paperwork became the purview of clerks, whose increasing influence frightened <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Wu_of_Liang" title="Emperor Wu of Liang">Emperor Wu of Liang</a>. Emperor Wu decreed that only nobility should become clerks, but none of the nobles were willing to assign their sons to such a lowly position. Members of the department refused to cooperate with Emperor Wu and resisted any changes to administration. The Department of State Affairs in the <a href="/wiki/Sixteen_Kingdoms" title="Sixteen Kingdoms">Sixteen Kingdoms</a> and <a href="/wiki/Northern_dynasties" class="mw-redirect" title="Northern dynasties">Northern dynasties</a> tended to work more similarly to the <a href="/wiki/Southern_dynasties" class="mw-redirect" title="Southern dynasties">Southern dynasties</a> over time but were dominated by barbarian peoples such as the <a href="/wiki/Xianbei" title="Xianbei">Xianbei</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the <a href="/wiki/Sui_dynasty" title="Sui dynasty">Sui dynasty</a> (581–618), the post of Director was often left vacant while two Vice Directors, <a href="/wiki/Gao_Jiong" title="Gao Jiong">Gao Jiong</a> and <a href="/wiki/Yang_Su" title="Yang Su">Yang Su</a>, handled affairs.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a> (618–907), the post of Director continued to be left vacant for the most part, and when it was filled, it was by the heir apparent like <a href="/wiki/Li_Shimin" class="mw-redirect" title="Li Shimin">Li Shimin</a> (r. 626–649) or <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Dezong_of_Tang" title="Emperor Dezong of Tang">Li Shi</a> (r. 779–804). To weaken the power of the Vice Director, who was de facto head of the institution, the position was divided into left and right Vice Directors, with the former being the senior. At times the Vice Directors were comparable in power with the Grand Chancellor and sometimes even superseded him. However, by the mid-Tang period the Grand Chancellors had regained their predominance, and Vice Directors of the department were required to have special designations to participate in policy making discussions. Thereafter the department became a purely executive institution. The six sections of government were formally divided into the Six Ministries, each headed by a Minister (<i>shangshu</i>). The six divisions were replicated at the local prefectural level, and each directly reported to their respective ministries in the central government. In addition to the Six Ministires, the Department of State Affairs was also in charge of the <a href="/wiki/Nine_Courts" title="Nine Courts">Nine Courts</a> and Three Directorates. The Department of State Affairs was one of the largest employers in the government and provided income and posts for many officials. The institution lasted until the <a href="/wiki/Yuan_dynasty" title="Yuan dynasty">Yuan dynasty</a> (1271–1368) and was never re-established in the following <a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming dynasty</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Six_Ministries">Six Ministries</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Six Ministries"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Six Ministries (六部 <i>Liù Bù</i>), also known as the "Six Boards," were government agencies directed by the <a href="/wiki/Department_of_State_Affairs" class="mw-redirect" title="Department of State Affairs">Department of State Affairs</a> and formally institutionalized during the <a href="/wiki/Cao_Wei" title="Cao Wei">Cao Wei</a> and <a href="/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(266%E2%80%93420)" title="Jin dynasty (266–420)">Jin dynasty (266–420)</a> periods. Each ministry was headed by a Minister or Secretary (<a href="/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characters" title="Traditional Chinese characters">Chinese</a>: <span lang="zh-Hant">尚書</span>; <a href="/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: <i><span lang="zh-Latn">shàngshū</span></i>; <a href="/wiki/Manchu_language" title="Manchu language">Manchu</a>: <span title="Manchu-language text"><span lang="mnc" style="font-style: normal;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Aliha_amban.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Aliha_amban.png/30px-Aliha_amban.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="29" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Aliha_amban.png/45px-Aliha_amban.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Aliha_amban.png/60px-Aliha_amban.png 2x" data-file-width="80" data-file-height="77" /></a></span></span></span>) who was assisted by two Vice-Ministers or Secretaries (<a href="/wiki/Chinese_language" title="Chinese language">Chinese</a>: <span lang="zh">侍郎</span>; <a href="/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin">pinyin</a>: <i><span lang="zh-Latn">shìláng</span></i>; <a href="/wiki/Manchu_language" title="Manchu language">Manchu</a>: <span title="Manchu-language text"><span lang="mnc" style="font-style: normal;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Ashan_i_amban.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Ashan_i_amban.png/30px-Ashan_i_amban.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="38" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Ashan_i_amban.png/45px-Ashan_i_amban.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Ashan_i_amban.png/60px-Ashan_i_amban.png 2x" data-file-width="82" data-file-height="103" /></a></span></span></span>). Each ministry was divided into four bureaus (<i>si si</i> 四司) responsible for local administration, each headed by a director (<i>langzhong</i> 郎中), who was assisted by a vice director (<i>yuanwailang</i> 員外郎). The Six Ministries structure was purely administrative. Sometimes they shared administrative duties with parallel structures such as the <a href="/wiki/Three_Bureaus" title="Three Bureaus">Three Bureaus</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Bureau_of_Military_Affairs" title="Bureau of Military Affairs">Bureau of Military Affairs</a>. The <a href="/wiki/Yuan_dynasty" title="Yuan dynasty">Yuan dynasty</a> (1279–1368) transferred authority over the Six Ministries to the Central Secretariat. The succeeding <a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming dynasty</a> (1368–1644) abolished the Central Secretariat entirely and put the Six Ministries under the direct control of the emperor. In 1901 and 1906, the <a href="/wiki/Qing_dynasty" title="Qing dynasty">Qing dynasty</a> (1644–1912) added new ministries to the structure, making the term "Six Ministries" obsolete.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Personnel" title="Ministry of Personnel">Ministry of Personnel</a></b> or <b>Civil Appointments</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%90%8F%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:吏部">吏部</a></span></span>, <i>Lìbù</i>) was in charge of appointments, merit ratings, promotions, and demotions of officials, as well as granting of honorific titles.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHucker195832_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHucker195832-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Revenue_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Revenue (imperial China)">Ministry of Revenue</a></b> or <b>Finance</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%88%B6%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:戶部">戶部</a></span></span>, <i>Hùbù</i>) was in charge of gathering census data, collecting taxes and handling state revenues, while there were two offices of currency that were subordinate to it.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHucker195833_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHucker195833-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Rites" title="Ministry of Rites">Ministry of Rites</a></b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%A6%AE%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:禮部">禮部</a></span></span>, <i>Lǐbù</i>) was in charge of state ceremonies, rituals and sacrifices; it also oversaw registers for Buddhist and Daoist priesthoods and even the reception of envoys from tributary states;<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHucker195833–35_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHucker195833–35-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> it also dealt with China's foreign relations prior to the establishment of the <a href="/wiki/Zongli_Yamen" title="Zongli Yamen">Zongli Yamen</a> in 1861. It also managed the <a href="/wiki/Imperial_examination" title="Imperial examination">imperial examinations</a>.</li> <li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_War_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of War (imperial China)">Ministry of War</a></b> or <b>Defense</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%85%B5%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:兵部">兵部</a></span></span>, <i>Bīngbù</i>) was in charge of the appointments, promotions and demotions of military officers, the maintenance of military installations, equipment and weapons, as well as the courier system.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHucker195835_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHucker195835-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In times of war, high-ranking officials in the Ministry also served as strategists and advisers to frontline commanders. Sometimes, they even served as frontline commanders themselves.</li> <li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Justice_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Justice (imperial China)">Ministry of Justice</a></b> or <b>Punishments</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%88%91%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:刑部">刑部</a></span></span>, <i>Xíngbù</i>) was in charge of judicial and penal processes, but had no supervisory role over the <a href="/wiki/Censorate" title="Censorate">Censorate</a> or the Grand Court of Revision.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHucker195836_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHucker195836-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Public_Works_(imperial_China)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ministry of Public Works (imperial China)">Ministry of Works</a></b> or <b>Public Works</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%B7%A5%E9%83%A8" class="extiw" title="wikt:工部">工部</a></span></span>, <i>Gōngbù</i>) was in charge of government construction projects, hiring of artisans and laborers for temporary service, manufacturing government equipment, the maintenance of roads and canals, standardisation of weights and measures, and the gathering of resources from the countryside.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHucker195836_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHucker195836-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Nine_Courts">Nine Courts</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Nine Courts"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Nine_Courts" title="Nine Courts">Nine Courts</a> throughout most of history were: </p> <table class="wikitable"> <caption>The Nine Courts and Ministers </caption> <tbody><tr> <th>Court</th> <th>Minister </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Court_of_Imperial_Sacrifices" title="Court of Imperial Sacrifices">Court of Imperial Sacrifices</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">太常寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister of Ceremonies (太常) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Court_of_Imperial_Entertainments" title="Court of Imperial Entertainments">Court of Imperial Entertainments</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">光祿寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister of the Household (光祿勳) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Court_of_the_Imperial_Clan" class="mw-redirect" title="Court of the Imperial Clan">Court of the Imperial Clan</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">宗正寺</span></span> or <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">宗人府</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister of the Imperial Clan (宗正) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Court_of_the_Imperial_Stud" title="Court of the Imperial Stud">Court of the Imperial Stud</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">太僕寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister Coachman (太僕) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/w/index.php?title=Court_of_the_Imperial_Treasury&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Court of the Imperial Treasury (page does not exist)">Court of the Imperial Treasury</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">太府寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister Steward (少府) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/w/index.php?title=Court_of_the_Imperial_Regalia&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Court of the Imperial Regalia (page does not exist)">Court of the Imperial Regalia</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">衛尉寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister of the Guards (衛尉) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/w/index.php?title=Court_of_State_Ceremonial&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Court of State Ceremonial (page does not exist)">Court of State Ceremonial</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">鴻臚寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister Herald (大鴻臚) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/w/index.php?title=Court_of_the_National_Granaries&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Court of the National Granaries (page does not exist)">Court of the National Granaries</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">司農寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister of Finance (大司農) </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/Court_of_Judicature_and_Revision" class="mw-redirect" title="Court of Judicature and Revision">Court of Judicature and Revision</a> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">大理寺</span></span>)</td> <td>Minister of Justice (廷尉/大理) </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Three/Five_Directorates"><span id="Three.2FFive_Directorates"></span>Three/Five Directorates</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Three/Five Directorates"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Three Directorates, or sometimes five, were originally the Directorates of Waterways, Imperial Manufactories, and Palace Buildings. In the <a href="/wiki/Sui_dynasty" title="Sui dynasty">Sui dynasty</a>, the Directorate of Armaments or Palace Domestic Service was sometimes counted as one. The Sui and <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang</a> dynasties also added the Directorate of Education to the list. The Directorate of Astronomy was added during the <a href="/wiki/Song_dynasty" title="Song dynasty">Song dynasty</a>. </p> <table class="wikitable"> <caption>Three/Five Directorates </caption> <tbody><tr> <th>Directorate</th> <th>Transliteration</th> <th>Chinese </th></tr> <tr> <td>Directorate of Waterways</td> <td><i>dushuijian</i></td> <td>都水監 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Directorate for Imperial Manufactories</td> <td><i>shaofujian</i></td> <td>少府監 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Directorate for Palace Buildings</td> <td><i>jiangzuojian</i></td> <td>將作監 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Directorate for Armaments</td> <td><i>junqijian</i></td> <td>軍器監 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Directorate of Palace Domestic Service</td> <td><i>changqiujian</i></td> <td>長秋監 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Directorate of Education</td> <td><i>guozijian</i></td> <td>國子監 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Directorate of Astronomy</td> <td><i>sitianjian</i></td> <td>司天監 </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Central_Secretariat">Central Secretariat</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Central Secretariat"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Zhongshu_Sheng" title="Zhongshu Sheng">Central Secretariat</a></b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD" class="extiw" title="wikt:中">中</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%9B%B8" class="extiw" title="wikt:書">書</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>, <i>Zhōngshūshěng</i>), also known as the <b>Palace Secretariat</b> or simply the <b>Secretariat</b>, was the main policy-formulating agency that was responsible for proposing and drafting all imperial decrees, but its actual function varied at different times.</li></ul> <p>The Central Secretariat originated during the reign of <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Wu_of_Han" title="Emperor Wu of Han">Emperor Wu of Han</a> (r. 141-87 BC) to handle documents. The chief steward for writing (<i>shangshu</i> 尚書), aided by eunuch secretary-receptionists (<i>zhongshu yezhe</i> 中書謁者)), forwarded documents to the inner palace. This organization was headed by a Secretariat Director (<i>zhongshu ling</i> 中書令) assisted by a Vice Director (<i>zhongshu puye</i> 中書仆射). These two posts came to assert significant political influence on the court, causing eunuchs to be forbidden from holding these posts by the end of the <a href="/wiki/Western_Han_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Western Han dynasty">Western Han dynasty</a>. This institution continued after the end of the <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a> into <a href="/wiki/Cao_Wei" title="Cao Wei">Cao Wei</a> and it was <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Wen_of_Wei" class="mw-redirect" title="Emperor Wen of Wei">Emperor Wen of Wei</a> who formally created the Central Secretariat, headed by a Secretariat Supervisor (<i>zhongshu jian</i> 中書監) and a Director (<i>zhongshu ling</i> 中書令). Although lower in rank than the Department of State Affairs, the personnel of the Central Secretariat worked closer to the emperor and were responsible for drafting edits, and therefore their content. Under the Wei, the Central Secretariat was also in charge of the palace library, but this responsibility was terminated during the <a href="/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(266%E2%80%93420)" title="Jin dynasty (266–420)">Jin dynasty (266–420)</a>. In the <a href="/wiki/Northern_and_Southern_dynasties" title="Northern and Southern dynasties">Northern and Southern dynasties</a>, the personnel ranged from princes and high ranking family members to professional writers. The position and responsibilities of the Central Secretariat varied greatly in this period, sometimes even being put in charge of judicial and entertainment matters.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Central Secretariat was known by a variety of names during the <a href="/wiki/Sui_dynasty" title="Sui dynasty">Sui dynasty</a> and <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a>. The Sui called it <i>neishisheng</i> (內史省) or <i>neishusheng</i> (內書省). <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Gaozong_of_Tang" title="Emperor Gaozong of Tang">Emperor Gaozong of Tang</a> (r. 618–626) called it the "Western Terrace" (<i>xitai</i> 西臺), <a href="/wiki/Wu_Zetian" title="Wu Zetian">Wu Zetian</a> (regent 684–690, ruler 690–704) called it the "Phoenix Tower" (<i>fengge</i> 鳳閣), and <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Xuanzong_of_Tang" title="Emperor Xuanzong of Tang">Emperor Xuanzong of Tang</a> (r. 712–755) named it the "Department of the Purple Mystery" (<i>ziweisheng</i> 紫微省). During the Sui-Tang period, the duty of the Central Secretariat was to read incoming material to the throne, answer questions from the emperor, and to draft imperial edicts. The Sui and Tang added posts for compilation of the imperial diary and proof-reading documents. In the Sui dynasty, the Central Secretariat Director was sometimes the same person as the <a href="/wiki/Grand_chancellor_(China)" title="Grand chancellor (China)">Grand Chancellor</a> (<i>zaixiang</i> 宰相). In the Tang, the Director was also master of court assemblies, and often where Grand Chancellors started their careers. The Central Secretariat Director took part in conferences with the emperor alongside the directors of the Department of State Affairs and the Chancellery. In the latter half of the Tang dynasty, the title of Director of the Central Secretariat was given to <a href="/wiki/Jiedushi" title="Jiedushi">jiedushi</a> (military commissioners) to give them a higher status, which deprived the title of its real value. The <a href="/wiki/Hanlin_Academy" title="Hanlin Academy">Hanlin Academy</a> gained prominence as its academicians (<i>xueshi</i> 學士) began processing and drafting documents in place of the Central Secretariat, which allowed emperors to issue edicts without prior consultation with Secretariat staff.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the early <a href="/wiki/Song_dynasty" title="Song dynasty">Song dynasty</a> (960–1279), the Central Secretariat was formally demoted and its function reduced to processing less important documents like memorials, resubmitted documents, or lists of examinations. The Central Secretariat no longer had a Director and its office was merged with that of the Chancellery, called Secretariat-Chancellery (<i>zhongshu menxia</i> 中書門下, shortened <i>zhongshu</i> 中書) or Administration Chamber (<i>zhengshitang</i>). Drafting documents became the function of a new Document Drafting Office (<i>sherenyuan</i> 舍人院). A reform during the Yuanfeng reign-period (1078–1085) restored the Central Secretariat to its former functions and the Document Drafting Office was renamed the Secretariat Rear Section (<i>zhongshu housheng</i> 中書後省). However the title of Director remained an honorific while real leadership of the Central Secretariat went to the Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs (<i>shangshu you puye</i> 尚書右仆射, or <i>youcheng</i> 右丞), who also held the title of Court Gentleman of the Central Secretariat (<i>zhongshu shilang</i> 中書侍郎). Another Court Gentleman of the Central Secretariat managed the institution and participated in court consultations. The Rear Section was managed by a Secretariat Drafter (<i>zhongshu sheren</i>). The Left Vice Director (<i>zuo puye</i> 左仆射, or <i>zuocheng</i> 左丞) held the titles of Court Gentleman of the Chancellery (<i>menxia shilang</i> 門下侍郎) and Grand Chancellor concurrently. Policy decisions were made by the Grand Chancellor before the edicts and documents were drafted and issued. In the <a href="/wiki/Southern_Song" class="mw-redirect" title="Southern Song">Southern Song</a> period (1127–1279), the Central Secretariat was merged with the Chancellery again. The Right Vice Director became Grand Chancellor of the Right while the Court Gentleman of the Central Secretariat became Vice Grand Chancellor.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Khitan_people" title="Khitan people">Khitan</a> dominated <a href="/wiki/Liao_dynasty" title="Liao dynasty">Liao dynasty</a> (907–1125) had an institution similar in function to the Central Secretariat of the early Tang dynasty, called the Department of Administration (<i>zhengshisheng</i> 政事省). The posts of Director, Vice Director, and the drafters, were mostly held by Chinese.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Jurchens" class="mw-redirect" title="Jurchens">Jurchen</a> dominated <a href="/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(1115%E2%80%931234)" title="Jin dynasty (1115–1234)">Jin dynasty (1115–1234)</a> had a Central Secretariat that functioned similarly to the Song institution, but the paperwork was done by academicians rather than professional drafters. The Right Chancellor of the Central Secretariat (<i>shangshu you chengxiang</i> 尚書右丞相) was subordinate to the Grand Chancellor. Emperor <a href="/wiki/Wanyan_Liang" title="Wanyan Liang">Wanyan Liang</a> (r. 1149–1160) abolished the institution.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Mongols" title="Mongols">Mongol</a> dominated <a href="/wiki/Yuan_dynasty" title="Yuan dynasty">Yuan dynasty</a> (1271–1368) made the Central Secretariat the central administrative office and abolished the Department of State Affairs in 1292 (revived 1309–1311). The post of Director was held by an imperial prince or left vacant, however real work went to the right and left Grand Chancellors. Under the Grand Chancellors were four managers of governmental affairs (<i>pingzhang zhengshi</i> 平章政事) and a right and left aide (<i>you cheng</i> 右丞, <i>zuo cheng</i> 左丞), who were collectively known as state counsellors (<i>zaizhi</i> 宰執). Below the state counsellors there were four consultants (<i>canyi zhongshusheng shi</i> 參議中書省事) responsible for paperwork and took part in decisions. The Central Secretariat controlled the <a href="#Six_Ministries">Six Ministries</a> and was thus functionally the heart of the government. The regions of what are now <a href="/wiki/Shandong" title="Shandong">Shandong</a>, <a href="/wiki/Shanxi" title="Shanxi">Shanxi</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hebei" title="Hebei">Hebei</a> and <a href="/wiki/Inner_Mongolia" title="Inner Mongolia">Inner Mongolia</a> were directly subordinate to the Central Secretariat.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the early <a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming dynasty</a> (1368–1644), the <a href="/wiki/Hongwu_Emperor" title="Hongwu Emperor">Hongwu Emperor</a> became suspicious of the chancellor <a href="/wiki/Hu_Weiyong" title="Hu Weiyong">Hu Weiyong</a> and executed him in 1380. The Central Secretariat was also abolished and its functions delegated to the Hanlin Academy and <a href="/wiki/Grand_Secretariat" title="Grand Secretariat">Grand Secretariat</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Chancellery">Chancellery</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Chancellery"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>The <b><a href="/wiki/Menxia_Sheng" title="Menxia Sheng">Chancellery</a></b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%96%80" class="extiw" title="wikt:門">門</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8B" class="extiw" title="wikt:下">下</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>, <i>Ménxiàshěng</i>) advised the Emperor and the Central Secretariat, and reviewed edicts and commands. As the least important of the three departments, it was discontinued after the Song dynasty. After Hu Weiyong's incident in the early Ming dynasty, the Three Departments and Six Ministries structure was formally replaced by the Six Ministries structure.</li></ul> <p>The Chancellery was originally the Court of Attendants in the <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a> (206 BC – 9 AD), which oversaw all palace attendants. It was not until the <a href="/wiki/Cao_Wei" title="Cao Wei">Cao Wei</a> and <a href="/wiki/Jin_dynasty_(266%E2%80%93420)" title="Jin dynasty (266–420)">Jin dynasty (266–420)</a> era that the institution of Chancellery was formalized. The Chancellery was led by a Director (<i>menxia shizhong</i> 門下侍中), with assistance from a gentleman attendant at the palace gate (<i>Huangmen shilang</i> 黃門侍郎 or <i>jishi Huangmen shilang</i> 給事黃門侍郎), later called Vice Director (<i>menxia shilang</i> 門下侍郎). They were responsible for advising the emperor and providing consultation prior to the issuing of edicts. During the <a href="/wiki/Southern_dynasties" class="mw-redirect" title="Southern dynasties">Southern dynasties</a> period, the Chancellery became responsible for the imperial coaches, medicine, provisions and the stables. During the <a href="/wiki/Sui_dynasty" title="Sui dynasty">Sui dynasty</a> (581–618), it also became responsible for the city gates, the imperial seals, the wardrobe and the palace administration. These new external duties were reduced in the <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang dynasty</a> (618–907) to just the city gates, the insignia, and the Institute for the Advancement of Literature. The Tang assigned several lower-ranking officials to the Chancellery to make records for the imperial diary.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Tang called the Chancellery, headed by the <a href="/wiki/Grand_chancellor_(China)" title="Grand chancellor (China)">Grand Chancellor</a>, a number of different names such as the Eastern Terrace (<i>Dongtai</i> 東臺) or the Phoenix Terrace (<i>Luantai</i> 鸞臺). In cases where the Vice Directors of the Chancellery or Central Secretariat were officiating as Grand Chancellor, a supervising secretary (<i>jishizhong</i>), took over their work in the Chancellery. The position of supervising secretary originated in the Department of State Affairs, from where they were transferred to the Chancellery in the early Tang period. They were responsible for studying the drafts of memorials and implementing corrections before they were presented to the emperor.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Chancellery began to decline in significance during the mid-Tang period as it competed in political power with the Central Secretariat. Ultimately control over the flow and content of court documents shifted over to the Central Secretariat. By the 9th century, the Chancellery was only responsible for the imperial seals, court ceremonies and the imperial altars. Some of its officials took care of lists of state examinees and household registers of state officials, while others were assigned to resubmit documents. Many of the associated titles were purely honorifics.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Chancellery only continued to exist in name during the <a href="/wiki/Song_dynasty" title="Song dynasty">Song dynasty</a> (960–1279) while its functions were carried out by the Central Secretariat and the Department of State Affairs. For example, the Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs was concurrently Director of the Chancellery. The Chancellery was reorganized into several different sections: personnel, revenue, military, rites, justice, works, the secretary's office, the office for ministerial routine memorandums, and finally the proclamations archive. In 1129, the Chancellery was merged with the Central Secretariat and became the Secretariat-Chancellery (<i>zhongshu menxia</i> 中書門下, shortened <i>zhongshu</i> 中書) or Administration Chamber (<i>zhengshitang</i>).<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Chancellery was also used in the <a href="/wiki/Liao_dynasty" title="Liao dynasty">Liao dynasty</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Jurchen_Jin_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Jurchen Jin dynasty">Jurchen Jin dynasty</a>. In the Jin dynasty, it was abolished in 1156. The <a href="/wiki/Mongols" title="Mongols">Mongol</a>-led <a href="/wiki/Yuan_dynasty" title="Yuan dynasty">Yuan dynasty</a> decided not to revive the institution.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Other_Departments">Other Departments</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Other Departments"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Aside from the "Three Departments", there were three others equal in status to them, but they are rarely involved in the administration of the state. </p> <ul><li>The <b>Department of the Palace</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%AE%BF" class="extiw" title="wikt:殿">殿</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD" class="extiw" title="wikt:中">中</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>, <i>Diànzhōngshěng</i>) was responsible for the upkeep of the imperial household and the palace grounds.</li> <li>The <b>Department of Secret Books</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%A5%95%E6%9B%B8" class="extiw" title="wikt:祕書">祕書</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>, <i>Mìshūshěng</i>) was responsible for keeping the imperial library.</li> <li>The <b>Department of Service</b> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%85%A7" class="extiw" title="wikt:內">內</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%BE%8D" class="extiw" title="wikt:侍">侍</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81" class="extiw" title="wikt:省">省</a></span></span>, <i>Nèishìshěng</i>) was responsible for staffing the palace with eunuchs.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Political_systems_of_Imperial_China" title="Political systems of Imperial China">Political systems of Imperial China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_Secretariat" title="Grand Secretariat">Grand Secretariat</a>, the highest institution in the Ming dynasty</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Censorate" title="Censorate">Censorate</a>, the central supervisory agency in Imperial China</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Three_Lords_and_Nine_Ministers" title="Three Lords and Nine Ministers">Three Lords and Nine Ministers</a>, forerunner to the Three Departments and Six Ministries <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Three_Ducal_Ministers" title="Three Ducal Ministers">Three Ducal Ministers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nine_Ministers" title="Nine Ministers">Nine Ministers</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Six_Ministries_of_Joseon" title="Six Ministries of Joseon">Six Ministries of Joseon</a>, a similar 13th-century Korean political structure</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Six_Ministries_of_the_Nguy%E1%BB%85n_dynasty" title="Six Ministries of the Nguyễn dynasty">Six Ministries of the Nguyễn dynasty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Government_of_the_Republic_of_China" title="Government of the Republic of China">Five Yuans of the Republic of China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Government_of_China" title="Government of China">Six branches of the Government of the People's Republic of China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constituent_departments_of_the_State_Council" title="Constituent departments of the State Council">Constituent departments of the State Council</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Citations">Citations</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Citations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist 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2008</a>, p. 235.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output 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.refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{margin-left:0;padding-left:3.2em;text-indent:-3.2em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul,.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul li{list-style:none}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{padding-left:1.6em;text-indent:-1.6em}}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .refbegin{font-size:90%}}</style><div class="refbegin" style=""> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTwitchett1979" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Denis_Twitchett" title="Denis Twitchett">Twitchett, Dennis</a>, ed. (1979). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=idu6-Ie1MhwC"><i>The Cambridge History of China, Volume 3: Sui and T'ang China, 589–906 AD, Part 1</i></a>. Cambridge: <a href="/wiki/Cambridge_University_Press" title="Cambridge University Press">Cambridge University Press</a>. p. 179. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-21446-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-521-21446-9"><bdi>978-0-521-21446-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Cambridge+History+of+China%2C+Volume+3%3A+Sui+and+T%27ang+China%2C+589%E2%80%93906+AD%2C+Part+1&rft.place=Cambridge&rft.pages=179&rft.pub=Cambridge+University+Press&rft.date=1979&rft.isbn=978-0-521-21446-9&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3Didu6-Ie1MhwC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AThree+Departments+and+Six+Ministries" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHucker1958" class="citation journal cs1">Hucker, Charles O. (December 1958). "Governmental Organization of the Ming Dynasty". <i>Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies</i>. <b>21</b>: 1–66. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2718619">10.2307/2718619</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2718619">2718619</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Harvard+Journal+of+Asiatic+Studies&rft.atitle=Governmental+Organization+of+the+Ming+Dynasty&rft.volume=21&rft.pages=1-66&rft.date=1958-12&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F2718619&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F2718619%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Hucker&rft.aufirst=Charles+O.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AThree+Departments+and+Six+Ministries" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLi2007" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Li, Konghuai (2007). <i>History of Administrative Systems in Ancient China</i> (in Chinese). Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co., Ltd. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-962-04-2654-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-962-04-2654-4"><bdi>978-962-04-2654-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=History+of+Administrative+Systems+in+Ancient+China&rft.pub=Joint+Publishing+%28H.K.%29+Co.%2C+Ltd.&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-962-04-2654-4&rft.aulast=Li&rft.aufirst=Konghuai&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AThree+Departments+and+Six+Ministries" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLu2008" class="citation book cs1 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source">Lu, Simian (2008). <i>The General History of China</i> (in Chinese). New World Publishing. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-7-80228-569-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-7-80228-569-9"><bdi>978-7-80228-569-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+General+History+of+China&rft.pub=New+World+Publishing&rft.date=2008&rft.isbn=978-7-80228-569-9&rft.aulast=Lu&rft.aufirst=Simian&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AThree+Departments+and+Six+Ministries" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMote2003" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Frederick_W._Mote" title="Frederick W. Mote">Mote, Frederick W.</a> (2003) [1999]. <a href="/wiki/Imperial_China:_900%E2%80%931800" title="Imperial China: 900–1800"><i>Imperial China: 900–1800</i></a> (HUP paperback ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-01212-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-674-01212-7"><bdi>978-0-674-01212-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Imperial+China%3A+900%E2%80%931800&rft.place=Cambridge%2C+MA&rft.edition=HUP+paperback&rft.pub=Harvard+University+Press&rft.date=2003&rft.isbn=978-0-674-01212-7&rft.aulast=Mote&rft.aufirst=Frederick+W.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AThree+Departments+and+Six+Ministries" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWang1949" class="citation journal cs1">Wang, Yü-Ch'üan (June 1949). "An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty". <i>Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies</i>. <b>12</b> (1/2). <a href="/wiki/Harvard-Yenching_Institute" class="mw-redirect" title="Harvard-Yenching Institute">Harvard-Yenching Institute</a>: 134–187. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2718206">10.2307/2718206</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2718206">2718206</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Harvard+Journal+of+Asiatic+Studies&rft.atitle=An+Outline+of+the+Central+Government+of+the+Former+Han+Dynasty&rft.volume=12&rft.issue=1%2F2&rft.pages=134-187&rft.date=1949-06&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F2718206&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F2718206%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.aulast=Wang&rft.aufirst=Y%C3%BC-Ch%27%C3%BCan&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AThree+Departments+and+Six+Ministries" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> </div> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline 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href="/wiki/Template:Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries" title="Template:Three Departments and Six Ministries"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Template_talk:Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Template talk:Three Departments and Six Ministries (page does not exist)"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Three Departments and Six Ministries"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Three_Departments_and_Six_Ministries" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Three Departments and Six Ministries</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Three Departments</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shangshu_Sheng" title="Shangshu Sheng">Shangshu Sheng</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zhongshu_Sheng" title="Zhongshu Sheng">Zhongshu Sheng</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menxia_Sheng" title="Menxia Sheng">Menxia Sheng</a></li> <li>(<a href="/wiki/Secretariat-Chancellery" title="Secretariat-Chancellery">Secretariat-Chancellery</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Six Ministries</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ol><li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Personnel" title="Ministry of Personnel">Ministry of Personnel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Revenue_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Revenue (imperial China)">Ministry of Revenue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Rites" title="Ministry of Rites">Ministry of Rites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_War_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of War (imperial China)">Ministry of War</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Justice_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Justice (imperial China)">Ministry of Justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Works_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Works (imperial China)">Ministry of Works</a></li></ol> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Government_of_Imperial_China" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Chinese_Imperial_Government" title="Template:Chinese Imperial Government"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Chinese_Imperial_Government" title="Template talk:Chinese Imperial Government"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Chinese_Imperial_Government" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Chinese Imperial Government"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Government_of_Imperial_China" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Government of <a href="/wiki/Chinese_Empire" title="Chinese Empire">Imperial China</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;"><a href="/wiki/Chinese_nobility" title="Chinese nobility">Nobility</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Monarchy_of_China" title="Monarchy of China">Monarchy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dynasties_of_China" title="Dynasties of China">Dynasty</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dynastic_cycle" title="Dynastic cycle">Cycle</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_sovereign" title="Chinese sovereign">Titles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Emperor_of_China" title="Emperor of China">Emperor</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Chinese_monarchs" title="List of Chinese monarchs">List</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Son_of_Heaven" title="Son of Heaven">Son of Heaven</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Heirloom_Seal_of_the_Realm" title="Heirloom Seal of the Realm">Heirloom Seal of the Realm</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Chinese_empresses_and_queens" title="List of Chinese empresses and queens">Empress</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Consort_kin" title="Consort kin">Consort kin</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imperial_Chinese_harem_system" title="Imperial Chinese harem system">Harem</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Offices</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Grand_chancellor_(China)" title="Grand chancellor (China)">Grand Chancellor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mandarin_(bureaucrat)" title="Mandarin (bureaucrat)">Mandarin (bureaucrat)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scholar-official" title="Scholar-official">Scholar-official</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Institutions</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Nine-rank_system" title="Nine-rank system">Nine-rank system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nine_Courts" title="Nine Courts">Nine Courts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Five_Directorates" title="Five Directorates">Five Directorates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imperial_examinations" class="mw-redirect" title="Imperial examinations">Imperial examinations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Taixue" title="Taixue">Taixue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guozijian" title="Guozijian">Guozijian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hanlin_Academy" title="Hanlin Academy">Hanlin Academy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Academies_(Shuyuan)" class="mw-redirect" title="Academies (Shuyuan)">Academies (Shuyuan)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Censorate" title="Censorate">Censorate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tributary_system_of_China" title="Tributary system of China">Tributary system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Historical_capitals_of_China" title="Historical capitals of China">Historical capitals</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Administration_of_territory_in_dynastic_China" title="Administration of territory in dynastic China">Territorial administration</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Yamen" title="Yamen">Yamen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tusi" title="Tusi">Tusi</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Early Imperial</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kings_of_the_Han_dynasty" title="Kings of the Han dynasty">King</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Three_Lords_and_Nine_Ministers" title="Three Lords and Nine Ministers">Three Lords and Nine Ministers</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Three_Ducal_Ministers" title="Three Ducal Ministers">Three Ducal Ministers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nine_Ministers" title="Nine Ministers">Nine Ministers</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Translation_of_Han_dynasty_titles" title="Translation of Han dynasty titles">Translated titles</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Middle Imperial</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Jiedushi" title="Jiedushi">Jiedushi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jimi_system" title="Jimi system">Jimi system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bureau_of_Military_Affairs" title="Bureau of Military Affairs">Bureau of Military Affairs</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shumishi" title="Shumishi">Shumishi</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;"><a class="mw-selflink-fragment" href="#Three_Departments">Three Departments</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shangshu_Sheng" title="Shangshu Sheng">Shangshu Sheng</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zhongshu_Sheng" title="Zhongshu Sheng">Zhongshu Sheng</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menxia_Sheng" title="Menxia Sheng">Menxia Sheng</a></li> <li>(<a href="/wiki/Secretariat-Chancellery" title="Secretariat-Chancellery">Secretariat-Chancellery</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;"><a class="mw-selflink-fragment" href="#Six_Ministries">Six Ministries</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ol><li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Personnel" title="Ministry of Personnel">Ministry of Personnel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Revenue_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Revenue (imperial China)">Ministry of Revenue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Rites" title="Ministry of Rites">Ministry of Rites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_War_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of War (imperial China)">Ministry of War</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Justice_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Justice (imperial China)">Ministry of Justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Works_(imperial_China)" title="Ministry of Works (imperial China)">Ministry of Works</a></li></ol> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Late Imperial</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Three_Bureaus" title="Three Bureaus">Three Bureaus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Remonstrance_Bureau" title="Remonstrance Bureau">Remonstrance Bureau</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imperial_Commissioner_(China)" title="Imperial Commissioner (China)">Imperial Commissioner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_Secretariat" title="Grand Secretariat">Grand Secretariat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imperial_Clan_Court" title="Imperial Clan Court">Imperial Clan Court</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_coordinator_and_provincial_governor" title="Grand coordinator and provincial governor">Grand coordinator and provincial governor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viceroys_in_China" title="Viceroys in China">Viceroys in China</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mandarin_square" title="Mandarin square">Mandarin square</a></li></ul> </div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th id="Qing" scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Qing</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Deliberative_Council_of_Princes_and_Ministers" title="Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers">Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_Council_(Qing_dynasty)" title="Grand Council (Qing dynasty)">Grand Council</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lifan_Yuan" title="Lifan Yuan">Lifan Yuan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nine_Gates_Infantry_Commander" title="Nine Gates Infantry Commander">Nine Gates Infantry Commander</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Royal_and_noble_ranks_of_the_Qing_dynasty" title="Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty">Ranks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_the_Qing_dynasty" title="Administrative divisions of the Qing dynasty">Administrative divisions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zongli_Yamen" title="Zongli Yamen">Zongli Yamen</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;">Imperial guards</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Imperial_Guards_(Tang_dynasty)" title="Imperial Guards (Tang dynasty)">Tang Imperial Guards</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shence_Army" title="Shence Army">Shence Army</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Embroidered_Uniform_Guard" title="Embroidered Uniform Guard">Embroidered Uniform Guard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imperial_Guards_(Qing_dynasty)" title="Imperial Guards (Qing dynasty)">Qing Imperial Guards</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;text-align: center;"><a href="/wiki/Dynasties_of_China" title="Dynasties of China">Dynasties</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Government_of_the_Han_dynasty" title="Government of the Han dynasty">Han</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_the_Tang_dynasty" title="Administrative divisions of the Tang dynasty">Tang</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_the_Liao_dynasty" title="Administrative divisions of the Liao dynasty">Liao</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_the_Yuan_dynasty" title="Administrative divisions of the Yuan dynasty">Yuan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Government_of_the_Qing_dynasty" title="Government of the Qing dynasty">Qing</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Separation_of_powers" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Separation_of_powers" title="Template:Separation of powers"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Separation_of_powers" title="Template talk:Separation of powers"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Separation_of_powers" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Separation of powers"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Separation_of_powers" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_powers" title="Separation of powers">Separation of powers</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Typical branches</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Executive_(government)" title="Executive (government)">Executive</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legislature" title="Legislature">Legislature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Judiciary" title="Judiciary">Judiciary</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Additional branches</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fourth_Estate" title="Fourth Estate">Fourth Estate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Civil_service_commission" title="Civil service commission">Civil service commission</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Supreme_audit_institution" title="Supreme audit institution">Auditory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Election_commission" title="Election commission">Electoral</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Attorney_General" class="mw-redirect" title="Attorney General">Prosecutory</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">By country</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_powers_in_Australia" title="Separation of powers in Australia">Australia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_powers_in_Hong_Kong" title="Separation of powers in Hong Kong">Hong Kong</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_powers_in_Singapore" title="Separation of powers in Singapore"> Singapore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_powers_in_the_United_Kingdom" title="Separation of powers in the United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_powers_under_the_United_States_Constitution" title="Separation of powers under the United States Constitution">United States</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">See also</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fusion_of_powers" title="Fusion of powers">Fusion of powers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_duties" title="Separation of duties">Separation of duties</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Judicial_independence" title="Judicial independence">Judicial independence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Judicial_review" title="Judicial review">Judicial review</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dual_mandate" title="Dual mandate">Dual mandate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unified_power" title="Unified power">Unified power</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1&useformat=desktop" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" 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