A Study On The Phenomenon Of Selling Officials In The Tang Dynasty

The phenomenon of Official position sale is one of the main forms of officialcorruption, with a history of universality, but every dynasty has its owncharacteristics. As for the Tang Dynasty, predecessors has simply but notsystematically summarized and discussed this phenomenon.This paper studies the Official position sale phenomenon for the entire TangDynasty, including its stages, types, methods and prevention measures, as well as itsclose relationship with politics and impact on the society of Tang Dynasty, andattempts to have a more comprehensive understanding.This paper, except the structural arrangements, introduction and conclusion, isdivided into six chapters.Introduction summarizes and analyzes the current academic situation of theOfficial position sale of Tang, giving a brief description of the significance of the topic,innovation and deficiencies. Specifying to the Tang Dynasty, it puts forward a definedmeaning for Official position sale.The first chapter is divided into three historical periods (Spring and Autumn, Han,Weijin and Sui), overviews Official position sale phenomenon since ancient times tothe Sui Dynasty, and summarizes the characteristics in each period in order to have amacro picture of Official position sale before Tang.The second chapter, on the basis of previous studies on Bureaucracy, sums upthe general approaches and limitations to official of Tang Scholars, anticipating thecorrosion to system and restrictions on early Tang, which is described in the nextchapter, by the Official position sale.The third chapter discusses Tangs non-institutional Official position sale in thetwo periods. This chapter based on the characteristics of the Tang history anddevelopment of official position sale phenomenon, divides the Tangsnon-institutional official position sale into three period to discuss, focusing on theirclose ties with the political development of the Tang Dynasty.The fourth chapter discusses the phenomenon of institutional Official position sale of Tang. Tangs institutional official position sale is under development. Thischapter is divided into three areas: Zhuoqianzhi, Sidiguanzhi and Nazizhuguo.Nazizhuguo is specifically divided into Gongmachouguan(donor horse), Juanzizhuguo(donor for county) and Nazizhujun(donor for army). This chapter focuses on theanalysis of each institutional official position sales background, the office sold andconditions of purchase.The fifth chapter is the analysis of control measures to the Tangs official positionsale. This chapter studies three aspects: first is the relevant punishment provisionsin the Law of Tang Dynasty; Second is the restriction by the monitoring system; Thirdis the ban from Emperors edict. Due to the impact of human and political struggle,the crime is not often punished in accordance with the Law of Tang Dynasty, and therole played by the monitoring system of the Tang Dynasty relatively becomes larger.For emperors edict banning official position sale phenomenon is rare, it has lag. Theupper rulers take the lead to violate the ban, so edicts role is very limited.The sixth chapter will have an analysis of all the related historical documentsand have a conclusion about it. All in all, there are about four characters on sellingofficial positions during the period of Tang Dynasty, they are, firstly, institutionalselling is weak while the non-institutional selling is well developed; secondly the localgovernment (especially in Fan Zhen i.e. Tang Dynasty military governor) is more aptto selling the positions; thirdly, the positions, ranks and its rights are gradually raisedwhile the range has also expanded from the capital to the local, from the lords, freeofficials to the positions with real power and order officials. The identity of theposition-buyers are complicated，those who sell the positions have a trend of lowerofficials and independence. The passage will have a whole analysis from the inspectsof administration，the structural of society，the political systems and education toinstruct the position-selling in the time of the Tang Dynasty.