Hereditary Officials Of Song Dynasty And Local Politics

In the bureaucrat troops of the Song Dynasty, the most of them are hereditary officials. Inthe beginning of Song Dynasty, the old system already existed. In 1015, the first law abouthereditary system was promulgated. The officials got the rights to be inherited according totheir official positions, and the positions they got were lower than Tang dynasty. Until RenEmperor, the hereditary officials were too many to become a crisis. To solve this problem,around the number and the position of hereditary officials, the government modified the law.Though the new law was not practiced, it made a big effect in future. At last, the fixed lawwas fulfilled in the dynasty of XiNing Emperor.According to the hereditary official law, the official who was not inherited must attendthe exams to get the job. The original purpose was to improve the ability of the hereditaryofficials, but the officials could avoid the examinations because of their power. Even theyattended the examination, they could also cheated to pass it and get the chance to own the job.The officials who were not inherited would be limited in getting the job in the law.Generally speaking, they could not get the superior and idle jobs. Such as the diplomat and soon. At the same time, they were promoted more slowly than those who were inherited. Andmost of the jobs they could get were in local government places.So many hereditary officials affected local politics badly, especially in the economics,military and official atmosphere. Firstly, a lot of hereditary officials tolerated their inferioritiesto collect taxes cruelly. They became richer but the country became poorer. That obstructedthe development of local business. Secondly, the hereditary military officials did notunderstand the army and seldom won in the war. They could not conduct the war and onlyknew how to exploit the soldiers. So they could not protect the local peace and even made theantinomy more serious. And the war might happen. Then, in local government, many sons ofhigh-ranking officials came from better environment. They could make use of therelationships with other officials to make them be promoted. Thus they could avoid theexamination of choosing officials. The bad atmosphere from them decayed the bureaucrattroops.Compare to the hereditary officials, the officials who got the positions through theimperial exams did a positive influence on the local politics. What they did in domestic affairs,such as redressing the wrong cases, constructing the irrigation works, reclaiming the farmland,arresting the thieves, and so on. These measures were contributing to lightening andremedying the negative influences on military and economic affairs, which were made by thehereditary officials.The quality of the hereditary officials in every dynasty was not good. But comparativelyspeaking, the hereditary officials ′positions were the lowest in the Song Dynasty. Theirpolitical status was low, either. But the influences they made on the bureaucrat troops were thebiggest.