Ministry of Works (imperial China)
| Ministry of Works | |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Gōngbù |
| Wade–Giles | Kung Pu |
The Ministry of Works or of Public Works was one of the
The Ministry of Works is also commonly translated into English as the Board of Works or of Public Works.
History
The ministry was established during the
Under the Ming and Qing, it lost some influence in favor of agencies run by palace eunuchs, provincial coordinators, and governors. It was usually considered the weakest of the six ministries.[1] During some periods (under the Southern Song and Yuan) it was merged with the Ministry of Justice.[2]
The ministry was headed by the Minister of Shangshu (pinyin: shàng shū, Chinese: 尚書; Manchu: aliha amban), who had the Standard class, Rank 3 under the Changs (in the Nine-rank system); Secondary class, Rank 2 under the Song; Standard class, Rank 1 under the Jin, Yuan and Ming up to 1380; Standard class, Rank 2 under the Ming after 1380 and Qing; and Secondary class, Rank 1 under the Qing after 1730. During the Qing dynasty, there was one minister for the Manchu and another for the Chinese.[1] He was assisted by two deputy ministers, called Shilang (pinyin: shì lang, Chinese: 侍郎; Manchu: ashan-i amban).[3]
Functions
Under the
See also
- Traditional Chinese measures
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Hucker (1985), p. 294.
- ^ Hucker (1985), p. 245.
- ^ Hucker (1985), p. 427.
- ^ a b Hucker (1958), p. 32.
Sources
- Hucker, Charles O. (1958), "Governmental Organization of The Ming Dynasty", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 21: 1–66, JSTOR 2718619.
- Hucker, Charles O. (1985). A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9576382858.