Chancellor of the Tang dynasty facts for kids

The chancellor (Chinese: 宰相; pinyin: zǎixiàng) was a very important job in ancient China during the Tang dynasty. Chancellors were high-level officials who helped the emperor rule the country. This list also includes chancellors from the Wu Zhou dynasty, which was a short period when Empress Wu Zetian ruled. Historians usually see this time as part of the Tang dynasty.

What is a Chancellor?

A chancellor was like a chief advisor or prime minister to the emperor. They helped manage the government and make big decisions. The Tang dynasty had a special system where several high-ranking officials could be considered chancellors at the same time. This made the government run more smoothly.

How the Job Started

The Tang dynasty learned a lot about how to run a government from the earlier Sui dynasty. The first Sui emperor, Emperor Wen of Sui, set up five main departments to manage different parts of the country:

• Shàngshūshěng (尚書省) – This was the main department for state affairs.
• Ménxiàshěng (門下省) – This was like the Chancellery, where important decisions were reviewed.
• Nèishǐshěng (內史省) – This was the Legislative Bureau, which helped create laws.
• Mìshūshěng (秘書省) – This was the Palace Library, in charge of records and books.
• Nèishìshěng (內侍省) – This was the Eunuch bureau, which handled palace matters.

The main department, the Shàngshūshěng, was seen as the most important. Its leaders were usually considered chancellors. But the heads of the legislative and examination departments were also sometimes called chancellors.

How Chancellors Were Organized

Early Tang Government

When the Tang dynasty began, Emperor Gaozu mostly followed the Sui system. However, he made one big change: he created a single leader for the main executive department, called the Shàngshūlǐng. He gave this important job to his second son, Lǐ Shìmín.

After Li Shimin became emperor in 626, he left the Shàngshūlǐng job empty. No one else dared to take such a high position after him. So, the executive department was then led by its two vice-directors.

Around this time, Emperor Taizong decided to make it official that there could be many chancellors. The leaders of the executive, examination, and legislative departments were all considered chancellors. The legislative department was even renamed Zhōngshūshěng.

Sometimes, the emperor would also give the title of chancellor to other high-level officials, even if they weren't heads of these main departments. These officials were called "participators in the administration's governance." Later, this title became more formal, meaning "equivalent to officials of the third rank." These were like "chancellors in practice."

Changing Names

Over time, the names of the examination and legislative departments changed many times. Because of this, the official titles for chancellors also changed to match the new department names. For example, during Emperor Xuanzong's rule, the legislative department was briefly called Zǐwéishěng. So, the chancellors were called Tóng Zǐwéi Huángmén Sānpǐn.

A slightly lower but still powerful chancellor title was created in 682, meaning "equivalent to participators." After a big rebellion called the Anshi Rebellion, this "second grade" chancellor title became very common and was used for the rest of the Tang dynasty. After 705, the leaders of the main executive department were only considered chancellors if they also received one of these special "chancellor in practice" titles.

What Chancellors Did

The chancellors had regular meetings in a special place called the Zhengshi Tang, which means "the Hall of State Matters." This hall was first located in the examination department, but later moved to the legislative department.

During Emperor Xuanzong's time, a chancellor named Zhang Shuo reorganized the hall. He created five offices under the chancellors. These offices handled important tasks like:

• Civil service (government jobs)
• State secrets
• Military matters
• General governance
• Criminal law

Later in the dynasty, chancellors started taking turns being on duty. This made sure that at least one chancellor was always available. When important documents were sent to the emperor, all chancellors would sign them, whether they were on duty or not. This showed that decisions were made as a team.

Important Tang Chancellors

Many people served as chancellors throughout the Tang dynasty. They came from different backgrounds and helped shape the empire. Here are a few examples of people who held these powerful positions:

• Li Shimin (as Shangshu Ling 618–626): Before he became emperor, he held the highest chancellor position.
• Fang Xuanling (629–648): A very famous and trusted chancellor under Emperor Taizong, known for his wisdom.
• Wei Zheng (632–642): Another key advisor to Emperor Taizong, known for giving honest and sometimes critical advice.
• Wu Zetian (690–705): While not a chancellor herself, she ruled during the Wu Zhou interregnum and had many chancellors serving under her.
• Di Renjie (691–700): A highly respected chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign, known for his fairness and intelligence.
• Yao Chong (710–716): A prominent chancellor during Emperor Xuanzong's early reign, known for his reforms.
• Li Linfu (736–752): A powerful chancellor during Emperor Xuanzong's later reign, who held great influence.
• Guo Ziyi (764): A famous general who also held the honorary title of Shangshu Ling.
• Pei Du (815–830): A respected chancellor known for his strong leadership during a difficult period.

This list does not include people who were given chancellor titles as honorary awards, but only those who actively served in the government's top roles.

See also

• Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet
• Grand chancellor (China)