The System of Three Departments and Six Ministries

The System of Three Departments and Six Ministries

The System of Three Departments and Six Ministries was a central administrative system in imperial China. The departments and ministries refer to the authorities responsible for exercising power. The system was established in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and improved during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), with subsequent feudal rulers making adjustments to reinforce their autocratic monarchy.

The "Three Departments" – the Central Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs – constituted the central government. The Central Secretariat drafted official documents on behalf of the emperor. The Chancellery was in charge of reviewing imperial edicts and signing off memorials to the throne and had the power to reject any documents. The Department of State Affairs, the highest administrative body responsible for implementing imperial decrees, had the "Six Ministries" under its direction, which each handled a specific brief – personnel management, finance, rites, the military, justice, and public works. With their responsibilities clearly defined, the Three Departments and Six Ministries checked and balanced one another in carrying out the functions of the state. This well-organized central administrative structure, which reflects ancient Chinese people's wisdom in governance, played an essential role as a political system in China's history.

三省六部制

三省六部制是中国古代封建社会的一套中央行政体制，三省和六部是其中的中枢权力机构和权力执行机构的总称。三省六部制确立于隋朝，完善于唐朝，不同时期的封建统治者为加强君主专制曾进行调整和补充。

“三省”代指中央政府，分别是中书省、门下省、尚书省。其中，中书省作为中央政策、文书的制定机构，负责以皇帝名义草拟制定官方文书；门下省作为中央最重要的文书审核机构，负责审查诏令，签署章奏，有权驳回；尚书省作为中央最高的行政事务管理机构，负责朝廷政令的执行。尚书省下设“六部”，分别为吏部、户部、礼部、兵部、刑部、工部，分工处理具体政务。三省六部职责明确，互相牵制，履行国家不同职能。作为一套组织严密的中央行政体制，三省六部制集中体现了中国古人的管理智慧，成为后来中国历史上的一项重要政治制度。