Grand chancellor (China)

Statue of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, considered the ideal example of the loyalty, integrity and Ruist shared governance between a lord and minister in Chinese history.[1]
Grand chancellor
Chinese宰相
Literal meaningoverseeing minister
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinzǎixiàng
Wade–GilesTsai3-hsiang4
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese丞相
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChéngxiàng
Wade–GilesCh'eng2-hsiang4
Second alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese相國
Simplified Chinese相国
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiàngguó
Wade–GilesHsiang4-kuo2
Third alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese宰輔
Simplified Chinese宰辅
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZǎifǔ
Wade–GilesTsai3-fu3
Fourth alternative Chinese name
Chinese宰衡
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZǎihéng
Wade–GilesTsai3-heng2
Fifth alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese內閣總理大臣
Simplified Chinese内阁总理大臣
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinnèigé zǒnglǐ dàchén

The grand chancellor (Chinese: 宰相; pinyin: Zǎixiàng, among other titles), also translated as counselor-in-chief, chancellor, chief councillor, chief minister, imperial chancellor, lieutenant chancellor and prime minister, was the highest-ranking executive official in the imperial Chinese government. The term was known by many different names throughout Chinese history, and the exact extent of the powers associated with the position fluctuated greatly, even during a particular dynasty.

Professor Zhu Zongbin of Peking University outlined the role of "grand chancellor" as one with the power to oversee all jurisdictional matters, the right to decide and to draft edicts with other ministers, and the position of chief advisor to the emperor. This extended even to the ability to criticize the emperor's edicts and decisions.[2][3] Thus, the grand chancellor served as the emperor's chief of staff and main political advisor, often exercising power second only to the emperor. In practice, the grand chancellor was often a trusted executive aide to the emperor, but during political turmoil or power struggles between the two roles the grand chancellor could also be the emperor's primary political competitor and opponent.[4]

This balance of power means that the relation between grand chancellor (and the scholar-officials they represent) and emperor holds great significance in the Confucian thought of governance and the relation of "lord and subject" (君臣).[5][6]

"Grand chancellor" can denote several positions. During the Six Dynasties period, the term denoted a number of power-holders serving as chief administrators, including zhongshun jian (Inspector General of the Secretariat), zhongshu ling (President of the Secretariat), shizhong (Palace Attendant), shangshu ling and puye (president and vice-president of the Department of State Affairs).[7]

  1. ^ "魚水君臣 ("Fish (and) water lord (and) subject") refers to the term "君臣魚水" from Records of the Three Kingdoms, where Liu Bei refers to gaining Zhuge Liang's service as if "a fish gaining water"
  2. ^ 祝总斌 (1990). 两汉魏晋南北朝宰相制度研究. 北京市: 中国社会科学出版社. pp. 1–14. ISBN 7-5004-0700-9.
  3. ^ Theobald, Ulrich. "chengxiang 丞相, Counsellor-in-chief". chinaknowledge.de.
  4. ^ 陈克礼. "中国古代宰相制度的演变". guoxue.com. 温州大学人文学院2002级汉语言文学专业. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  5. ^ Yü, Ying-shih (2021). "Confucian Culture vs. Dynastic Power in Chinese History". Asia Major. 34 (1–2).
  6. ^ Gardner, Daniel K. (26 June 2014). Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–44, 54–58, 98–100. ISBN 9780190236809.
  7. ^ Cunrui Xiong, Victor (2017). Historical Dictionary of Medieval China. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 100. ISBN 9781442276161.