A Study On Officers Of Board Of Elections Of Official Status In The Early Northern Song Dynasty

Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status(流内铨)played an important role in the personnel management in Early Northern Song Dynasty(北宋前期).It was mainly responsible for the election and administration of Ancillary sand Regional Headquarters(幕职州县官).After the evolution of Tang and Five Dynasties,Board of Elections of Official Status was finally institutionalized in the Early Northern Song Dynasty.After the YuanFeng Restructuring(元丰改制),it was replaced by the left election of the Minister of officials(吏部侍郎左选).According to the existing literature statistics,in the early Northern Song Dynasty,there were 176 person times and 170 appointments of Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status(流内铨长官).They were called"Supervisor of Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status(判流内铨)".They were officially established as two members,and the actual situation was mostly one person.As for the selection of Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status,most of them were granted by the emperor’s special selection;Mainly from Regular Metropolitan Graduate(进士 出身),but also from a few other backgrounds(such as Hereditary by Grace(恩荫),Recommendation(荐举),the Imperial Examination of Childhood(童子举)and Special Recruitment(制举));The official rank is Court officials(朝官)and above,with great flexibility,ranging from the full third rank(正三品)(the presidents of the Six Boards(六部尚书))to the full eighth rank(正八品)(Right Exhorter(右正言)),and many posts are attached with the Honorary Title(贴职);The former post not only served as an important department of the central government,but also served as an important county government,the central organization paid equal attention to local Roads(路)and prefectures;The working age is mostly 40-60 years old,and there is no fixed term of office,ranging from a few days to two years,with an average term of office of 0.72 years;The salary is mainly determined by their official rank and the Honorary Title(贴职),which is mainly composed of money,clothes and grain.The main responsibilities of Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status are to preside over the Ancillary sand Regional Headquarters’ election,manage their department,participate in the compilation of civil service election regulations,recommend officials,participate in political discussion and so on.Most of them have the other part-time posts,too.After Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status left office,he either continued to serve in the central government or went to the local government,but his whereabouts have the following prominent characteristics:they may serve as Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status again,or as the chief of other civil service election institutions(the chief of Shenguanyuan(审官院)and Sanbanyuan(三班院)),and often as a reserve official of the minister of State(38.06%).In addition,there was a close relationship between Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status and the emperor,the minister of State,the chief of other civil servants and the petty officials of the Department.By studying the basic situation of Officers of Board of Elections of Official Status we can have a clearer understanding of the bureaucratic system of the Early Northern Song Dynasty,and even understand its position in the central administrative system of the Early Northern Song Dynasty.