On Several Problems About Sanqis In The Wei-Jin And The Southern And Northern Dynasties

The Sanqis(散骑诸官)or the six sanqis(六散骑)refers to san qi chang shi(散骑常侍),tong zhi san qi chang shi(通直散骑常侍),yuan wai san qi chang shi(员外散骑常侍),san qi shi lang(散骑侍郎),tong zhi san qi shi lang(通直散骑侍郎),yuan wai san qi shi lang(员外散骑侍郎),which were Successively set up during the the Wei-Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties.San qi chang shi and san qi shi lang were originally official positions of Wei Kingdom, which were set up in the 25 th year of Jian An(220AD). The aristocratic families had been getting more and more powerful since the Eastern Han Dynasty, and they finally defeated the eunuchs and occupied the attendant positions at court. The setting-up of san qi chang shi and san qi shi lang, to some degree, was the institutionalization of the established fact above, and was also a triumph for the aristocratic families. Generally held by members of the powerful families, these two positions were of high official ranks but without specific charge, while their prospect of promotion was nice. As they were attendant positions of the court, emperors can use them to spy and control ministers, while ministers who were in power can also do the same thing to emperors. Cao Shuang and the Sima family were the latter case.Under the same background of mightiness of the domestic powerful families,the Kingdom of Wu imitated Cao Wei to set up san qi zhong chang shi(散骑中常侍)and san qi shi lang.San qi zhong chang shi was also called san qi chang shi for short,with its number,charge,candidate and transfer and promotion the same as or similar to Cao Wei’s san qi chang shi.San qi zhong chang shi and san qi shi lang was new evidence showing that Wu imitated the institution of Cao Wei,indicating its subtle political attitude towards Cao Wei,which differs from that of Shu Han.Cao Wei’s san qi chang shi was the combine of san qi(散骑)and zhong chang shi(中常侍).However,zhong chang shi was not totally displaced.It narrowly existed during the Wei-Jin Dynasties and finally vanished in the Southern Dynasties.In the Sixteen States and Northern Dynasties,zhong chang shi not only didn’t disappear,but became more active.It almost duplicated the story of its predecessor in the Eastern Han Dynasty.This difference was meanly caused by the difference of imperial power orauthority between the north and the south.San qi chang shi and san qi shi lang were considered as qing hua(清华,means honorable),so they were eagerly wanted by the aristocratic families.The Si ma family came to the top with the support of aristocratic families,thus,the regime it established can only be a combination of aristocratic families,in which the royal family was dominant.On Si ma families’way to success,san qi chang shi and san qi shi lang developed into two series of six official positions,namely the six sanqis.Zhengyuan(正员),tongzhi(通直)and yuanwai(员外)were essencailly the same,candidates of which were either royal members or members of aristocratic families.The formation of six sanqis was the result of the aristocratic families’rise.Politics of powerful families came to an end between Jin and Song dynasties, Meanwhile, inferior gentry was rising, and they earned the title of san qi chang shi by using their political power and influence. Superior gentry, however, took owning a title of san qi chang shi as shame then. As a result, the status of san qi chang shi descended beyond any help, which miniatured the decline of the status of the six sanqis.Remarkable changes also happened to the six sanqis in themselves.Zhengyuan,tongzhi and yuanwai distinguished from each other more and more clearly.No later than the Southern Qi dynasty,Tongzhi and yuanwai became independent official positions,having their own official ranks,and yuanwai was confined to a certain member.Thus,the six sanqis were serialized,and the Northern Wei dynasty developed a different serial.The clear serialized form enabled them to enter the serial of wen san jie(文散阶)in the 4th year of Takenori of the Tang Dynasty,and this was not totally accidental.