The Study Of Petty Officials On Grass-roots Society In Southern Sung Dynasty

Petty officials are government clerks entering through service or recruiting. And they are the people in the government. Petty officials--an identity group gradually formed with the tendency of professionalization from Sung dynasty. Meanwhile, officials restricted and used them. Civilians both feared and hated them. It also shows that when petty officials caused the disorder of local order, they had become an indispensable part of the local community. With centralization of authority, the local business was increasing from medieval China, which made the work of petty officials increased. Hence, they became the "arm" by which nation extended the power downward. Meanwhile, it made their power incresed. This is primary cause of clerks strong and officials weak. As the executor of the county business, they shaped their own authority from the pros and cons in the process of executing transaction. Although the scene of nervous relation between petty officials and the people existed indeed, that contained the neglect of actual environment and the internal logic of scholar-bureaucrat about the legitimacy of order. The node should be properly corrected. The relationship between petty officials and the rich is full of the dispute and cooperation around interests, which is the reflection of the social status of the Sung Dynasty. The latter is mian, by which petty officials conveyed the will of local. In the case gentry force was increasing gradually, the figure of petty officials had been existing in the process of their expanding influence. Petty officials played a role of the executor of official will and the communicator of local will. They don’t only extend official powers, but also showed the tendency of leaving public power.