On The Knighted System Of Imperial Clan And Its Polital Changes

The knighted system was one of the most important regulations in ancient China, which originated from pre-Qin period and evolved from “Five Ranks” knighted system. It finally formed“Nine Ranks” system in Tang Dynasty on the basis of systems founded in Beizhou and Sui Dynasty. To a great extent, ancient China was founded and retained by the ties of blood to consolidate power. As a result, the knighted system has obvious aristocratic character and it is also regarded as the symbol of hierarchy of status. The imperial clan members as the centric power of imperial authority evidently reveals the development of domination. During the process of building the Tang dynasty, the imperial clan members as an important military force played an important role so that they were awarded local leaders on behalf of the central government after the war. However, from the period of Emperor Xuanzong, the official position awarded to imperial clan members no longer had any real power. On the contrary, the power inclined to the hands of eunuchs and local buffer region. The change of the knighted system indirectly reflects the decline of imperial power and the recession of imperial clan force.Its also reflects that the power of imperial clan members is gradually undermined and the knighted system is increasingly adopted to the bureaucratic system of Tang dynasty.