Exposition Of Official Retirement System Of Liao Dynasty

Liao Dynasty (916 - 1125) was the political power which was established by Khitan, a north Chinese minority of ancient times. It had been existing for more than two hundred years, facing with the Northern Song political power and dividing the ancient Chinese history into South China political power and North China political power once again. Liao Dynasty was located in the northern part of China and vast in territory, playing an important role in Chinese history. There were Khitan, Bohai, Jurchen and Han nationalities exploiting natrual resources of North China together and creating splendid national culture.The official retirement system of Liao Dynasty also taked a very important part in Chinese political system history. It continued the official retirement system of Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, was effected by that of Song Dynasty and had an influence on that of Jin and Yuan Dynasty. How it formed, develpoed, became perfect and carried out reflected the rulers of Liao Dynasty made the official controling system perfect step by step. The thesis is a collection of materials about the official retirement system of Liao Dynasty and a tentitive exposition of it, on the basis of hisorical documents, research of senior scholars and more and more abundant archaeological materials. Because of lacking recording about the official retirement system of Liao Dynasty, I had to exposite it with the method of combination hisorical documents with archaeological materials, and of exposition of official system with analytical investigation of cases.The official retirement system of Liao Dynasty was drafted from Liao Taizong period,initially formed during Liao Muzong period, became more and more perfect from Liao Shengzong period. In the final phrase of Tianzuo Emperor, who was the last Emperor of Liao Dynasty, with the powerful development and unceasing offensive of Jurchen, Liao political power was destoryed progressively. The official retirement system of Liao Dynasty, the same as other political and economic system, finished with the downfall of the Liao Dynasty.The content of official retirement system of Liao Dynasty include the standard of and arrangement for official retirement, which are the third and fourth chapter. The standard of official retirement include the officials retired in accordance with convention, as a result of their age and health condition, and the officials retired as special cases: the officials continued to be in office for a long time when they up to 70 years old because the Emperors did not allow them to retire; the officials reheld posts again after they retired. Because of the different feature between Khitan officials and Han officials, I wrote the officials retirement system separately. Nevertheless, the result, as we see from the thesis, the standard of official retirement, not only the Khitan officials, but also Han officials, is 70 years old or so. But that was not very strict, some officials retired before 70 years old, some were still in office when they were 71 or 72 years old. The high-ranking officials of Khitan and Han officials can retired as special cases: continued to be in office for a long time when they up to 70 years old or reheld posts again after they retired, while the ordinary officials can not enjoy the particular treatment.The treatment of the retired officials include political, economic and funeral treatment. The political treatment had three respects: being promoted to a higher office and rank; giving glorious titles to their sons, grandsons, wives, and other relatives; some special courteous receptions, like imperial favors including chairs and walking sticks and so on. Khitan and Han officials would be promoted to a higher office and rank when or after they retired. Their sons, grandsons, wives, and other relatives would get glorious titles because of their office and rank. Generally speaking, their sons and grandsons also would get junior posts, but they would be promoted to a higher office and rank very fastly. Special political courteous receptions also included the Emperors allowed espcially the retired officials to participate in making strategic decisions on military and national significant affairs; the Emperors issued imperial edicts that allowed the old retired officials not to kowtow when they called on the Emperors; imperial favors including chairs, walking sticks, doctors and medicine and so on. The economic treatment mainly were the Royal providing official's salary and imperial favors. The official's salary was in accordance with the officials'ranks, and it was more than being office and distributed once a month. The forms of the official's salary were money, corn, servants, sheep and other forms. Sometimes the imperial favors were not very expensive, but more particular political glorious because of the Royal. The funeral treatment: after Khitan and Han officials died, the Royal would stop the morning audience with a sovereign, bestow founeral fee and tools, send other officials to be in charge of the funeral rites and compose the inscriptions on the memorial tablets within tombs.The official retirement system of Liao Dynasty had the features as follows: continued the official retirement system of Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty basically; turned round well as a whole; no officials was not willing to retire; the criterion and treatment of Khitan and Han officials showed no difference. It had an influence on that of Jin and Yuan Dynasty. Also the morden retirement system can get lessons and experience from that of history.