The Emperor and The Imperial Family
The way the imperial family of China is chosen is much more different than many other ancient civilizations. The power of being emperor did not necessarily need to pass from father to son. If the family fails to uphold the Mandate of Heaven, the power may be passed to any family worthy of the title. The Mandate of Heaven stated that if the emperor/imperial family was kind, reasonable, and did not cause any major natural disasters during their rule, they were allowed to stay in their position. If anything bad occurred, such as a revolution or a flood, it is blamed on them because it was believed that they did not uphold the Mandate of Heaven.
Technically, any man could become the emperor of China, but it is usually passed to one of the emperor’s close advisers or officials. At times, it is known that the family as a whole ruled China, not just the emperor. Many members of the imperial family took positions as government officials in order to keep power in the family.
Women in the imperial family were considered below all of the men. They stayed at home and tended to the kids, cooked and sewed clothes. Their role in society was to produce many sons. They were basically the property of their fathers, husbands or even their own sons.
Members of the Imperial family were allowed to wear yellow or gold, unlike the rest of China, as it is the color of royalty.
Watch the first 5 minutes of this video for more information (start from 1:06):
Technically, any man could become the emperor of China, but it is usually passed to one of the emperor’s close advisers or officials. At times, it is known that the family as a whole ruled China, not just the emperor. Many members of the imperial family took positions as government officials in order to keep power in the family.
Women in the imperial family were considered below all of the men. They stayed at home and tended to the kids, cooked and sewed clothes. Their role in society was to produce many sons. They were basically the property of their fathers, husbands or even their own sons.
Members of the Imperial family were allowed to wear yellow or gold, unlike the rest of China, as it is the color of royalty.
Watch the first 5 minutes of this video for more information (start from 1:06):
Nobles
The “gong”(duke), “hou”(marquis), “bo”(earl),”zi”(viscount), and “nan”(baron) were the Wǔ jué, or the “five titles of nobility”. Before 221 B.C.E., the five titles of nobility were interconnected with the family relationship of the holder towards the ruling house, but they eventually became meritocratic expressions. A meritocracy is a government or a holding of power between people selected of higher class or ability. The bearer of the title of nobility was usually given a fixed income paid by the state.
The title of jun 君 "noble" is unspecific and is commonly translated as "lord". In pre-imperial China, it and hou have the same meaning.
The order of the five titles appears in the late Warring States period 戰國 (5th cent.-221 BCE) book Mengzi 孟子.
During the Shang period 商 (17th-11th cent. BCE), the meaning and order of the titles remains unclear. The title of fangbo 方伯 seemed to have been preferred for rulers not subject to the Shang, while those within Shang territory went by bo or hou. It is still unclear if tian 田 or dian甸 were also titles of nobility during the Shang period.
The title of jun 君 "noble" is unspecific and is commonly translated as "lord". In pre-imperial China, it and hou have the same meaning.
The order of the five titles appears in the late Warring States period 戰國 (5th cent.-221 BCE) book Mengzi 孟子.
During the Shang period 商 (17th-11th cent. BCE), the meaning and order of the titles remains unclear. The title of fangbo 方伯 seemed to have been preferred for rulers not subject to the Shang, while those within Shang territory went by bo or hou. It is still unclear if tian 田 or dian甸 were also titles of nobility during the Shang period.
Officials
Ancient Chinese regions had governments controlled by dynasties. Once a dynasty defeated another dynasty, that dynasty’s ruler would become king. Qin Shi Huang became the first emperor of China. The Qin Dynasty lasted only 12 years but in that period of time, the emperor held power of all of China. The Han Dynasty succeeded the Qin Dynasty around 206 B.C., and Gaozu, the first Han emperor, decided that ministers and other government officials would help organize China. Ministers were highly educated and wealthy, with higher rankings in society and government. Higher rankings earned officials control over larger regions, while lower rankings earned officials control of local areas. There were nine rankings that officials could reach; they had to pass an exam to move up in rankings. Once someone reached the ninth rank, they would become rich and powerful.