A Study Of Conferment System In Liao Dynasty

Conferment system is an important content in the law system of traditional Chinese dynasties. The conferences of the nobility, as the tags of grandees’ identity, were taken seriously by the officials in every dynasty. Liao Dynasty was the power built by Khitan nationality in the northern grasslands, but it inherited the legacy of late Tang and the Five dynasties. It was striking in inheriting the characteristics of the Tang system in the conferment system in its name, rank, manorial system, and so on. The conferment system in Liao Dynasty also formed some ethnic features, and had a certain impact on later ages, so, it was an integral part of history of conferment system in ancient China. The research on the conferment system in Liao dynasty is relatively scarce, and lacks of system and integrity, there are a lot of questions to be explored. Therefore, this article takes the conferment system in Liao dynasty as the research object, and discusses its evolution, conditions of the title given in all levels, scope, standard and the title management from multi-dimensions, in order to fully reveal the basic content and characteristics of the conferment system in Liao dynasty.This paper is divided into five chapters besides the introduction and conclusion.The first chapter is about the establishment and evolution of the conferment system in Liao dynasty. First, this chapter discusses its establishment, development, evolution, the background of its changes and its basic forms. Generally speaking, it can be divided into three stages of development: earlier, middle and late period. The early period is from emperor Taizong to Muzong. The conferment began to be granted in Taizong’s period, and it still went on in the slow progress to Muzong period. This phase can be called the establishment and advancement of the conferment system in Liao Dynasty. The middle period is from emperor Jingzong to Xingzong. The conferment was more institutionalized and awarded more concentratedly, and with a strict system of rules. This phase can be called the developing and perfecting stage. The late period is from emperor Daozong. Daozong began to restrict high conferment. Five titles continued the characteristics of the middle period and had a larger scale. They can be classified into conferment evolution stage, including Tianzuo’s conferring without abiding to the grant system.The second chapter is about the dynastic title and the special title of the king of Liao dynasty. Dynastic title of Liao dynasty has three secondary levels: two-word king, one-word king, one-word prince. The conference of dynastic title can be roughly divided into three stages of development: establishment(Taizong to Muzong), prosperity(Jingzong to Xingzong), decline(Daozong to Tianzuo). Dynastic title had a wide range, with the royal and queen family as the main body, and common Khitan and alien heroes were fewer. From the conference standards, the dynastic title laid emphasis on the birth condition, while whether one had outstanding achievement was the secondary factor. In addition, dynastic title of the Liao dynasty had several levels. Special title of the king was granted mainly in the early Liao, few was granted in medium-term, primarily for the difference between groupsThe third chapter is about the county title of the king in Liao dynasty. This chapter explores the related content of the conference of the county title of the king. It can be roughly divided into three times: earlier(Before Jingzong), middle(Jingzong to Xingzong), late(Daozong to Tianzuo). County title of the king had similar scope with the dynastic title, with the imperial and queen clan having an absolute advantage, titles were given according to prominence, and titles given to royal Cousins are special. After Xingzong, not only the royal close relatives, but county title of the king of others were not given according to the prominence, instead, more were realm related titles. In addition, the order also existed between certain county titles of the king.The fourth chapter is about the five titles in Liao dynasty. This chapter mainly inspects the conference situation of the five titles in Liao dynasty. By combing and textual research, the five titles in Liao dynasty can be divided into seven levels, namely, lord protector, founding commandery duke, founding county duke, founding commandery marquis, founding county earl, founding county viscount, founding county baron. The conference of the five titles had a large scale, the recorded were more than 180 people. The priority of the conference objects were Han, almost accounted for eighty percent, others were the Khitans, but among which Khitan noble was relatively few. From the standards of conference, they were mainly given by means of reward.The fifth chapter is about the title management in Liao dynasty. The rise of the title was because of either things or work, while the fall or lose of the title was because of either crimes or failings. The manorial system had obvious traces of Tang system, but the standards were higher than Tang. The real conference was about ten percent, and no real conference was under the earl. The title of Liao dynasty had quite close correlation with officials, especially the title of the king and lord protector were concentrated; the privy council chief executive, the prime ministers of civil government, heads safeguard the capitals, khroms were common. What’s more, the titles also had glorious names.The conclusion induces and summarizes the characteristics, roles and influences of the conferment system in Liao Dynasty. Its development was on the basis of the absorption of the conferment system in central plain. It had obvious characteristics of group differentiation, it granted more widely than Sui and Tang dynasties, the scope was wider because of kinship. The operation of this system had played positive role, such as, a clear hierarchy, netting talent, consolidating the rule, and transforming social traditions, guiding the social behavior orientation. But there were also factors unfavorable to regime stability, such as, occasional conspiracies and throne competition. The conferment system in Liao Dynasty followed Sui, Tang and Five dynasties, especially it had important influence on the conferment system of Jurchen rulers. Thus, we can say that it is an integral part of in the Chinese history of conferment system.