Historical Survey On Official Retirement In The Han Dynasty

Chinese official retirement has a long history, which could be traced back into Pre-Qin period. The official retirement has a relatively greater development in Han Dynasty, which has an important impact on future generations.Because of the strengthen of centralization, the improvement of the election official system, the rise of school education as well as the practical needs, the official retirement system have founded initially during the Han Dynasty. The majority of officials proposed retirement request to the imperial court as a result of their old age, disease, dissatisfaction with the political situation, avoiding the disaster, discontent to the political situation, giving the opportunity to the elite people, parental illness or death and some other reasons. Some officials got the consent, and then they retired smoothly. However, some officials weren’t agreed to retire, so they continued to be in office. There were also some officials, who reheld posts again after they have retired.The treatment of the retired officials included 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 and grandsons; some special treatment. The economic treatment was the Royal providing official’s salary and imperial favors. The funeral treatment:after the official died, the Royal would bestow funeral fee, bestow posthumous, and let their sons and grandsons to inherit their title, and so on. After retirement, according to various situations, the officials return home, or retain the capital, or return to their kingdom.The official retirement system of Han Dynasty is just the initial stage, mainly restricted to high-ranking officials, the retirement age and treatment have shown a great deal of arbitrariness, which weren’t strictly enforced. But official retirement has corresponding provision in the official position conditions and treatment, the number of retirement official has also increased, etc. The official retirement of Han Dynasty has a positive significance for politics and society; it also provided an important reference on retirement system of the later ages.