Zhongshu Sheng

Literal meaning

Inner (or privy) secretary's department

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhōngshū shěng
Wade–Giles	Chung¹-shu¹ sheng³

Zhongshu Sheng, commonly translated as the Secretariat, Central Secretariat or Imperial Secretariat, was one department in the Three Departments and Six Ministries government structure officially established since the Sui dynasty in the history of China. As one of the three departments, it was the main policy-formulating agency that was responsible for proposing and drafting all imperial decrees. The Song dynasty modified that tripartite division of executive agencies in the central government. Under the Song, as also under the Liao and Jin dynasties, those organs exercised much of the executive authority for the emperor.

The Central Region within the Yuan dynasty directly governed by the Central Secretariat.

Under the Mongol Yuan dynasty, the Central Secretariat with enlarged functions stood along as the sole organ to lead the civil administration in the Yuan realm, as the Yuan founder Kublai Khan wanted a centralized executive agency that took charge of all civil governing affairs throughout the empire. Models for it had long been part of Chinese imperial government, but now it was to function in a new context.^[1] The Central Secretariat also directly governed a large territory surrounding the Yuan capital Khanbaliq (modern Beijing) known as the Central Region (腹裏, fuli), including the present-day Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, the south-eastern part of present-day Inner Mongolia and the Henan areas to the north of the Yellow River (initially also the Mongolian steppe). Branch Secretariats (行中書省) were set up throughout the empire and were subordinated to the Central Secretariat. Branch Secretariats gradually became provincial-level administrative organizations or institutions known simply as the provinces (行省), though they were not exactly provinces in modern sense. There were 11 "regular" provinces in the Yuan dynasty.^[2] The Yuan Central Secretariat was adopted by the early Ming dynasty, and the Central Secretariat was led by the Chancellor of China, although unlike the Yuan it did not directly control the Central Region. It was eventually abolished after the last Chancellor Hu Weiyong was killed by Hongwu Emperor, the first emperor of the Ming, who later established the Grand Secretariat. The Central Secretariat was no longer set up again by later rulers of China, and the Three Departments and Six Ministries structure was officially replaced by the Six Ministries structure.

References

Citations

↑ Imperial China 900-1800, by Frederick W. Mote, p477-478
↑ Duosang Mongol History, Vol. 1; Zhong-gou Tong-shi; History of Zhong-gou Border Nationalities; The New Yuan-shih

Sources

Book

Hucker, Charles O. (1985). A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford University Press. p. 194.

Yuan dynasty topics

History	Division of the Mongol Empire Toluid Civil War Kaidu–Kublai war Kublai Khan's Campaigns Mongol invasion of China conquest of the Song dynasty Battle of Xiangyang Yamen Japan Vietnam Battle of Bạch Đằng (1288) Burma Battle of Ngasaunggyan Pagan Java Second Mongol invasion of Burma Esen Buqa–Ayurbarwada war War of the Two Capitals 1344 Yellow River flood Red Turban Rebellion Red Turban invasions of Goryeo Battle of Lake Poyang Ispah rebellion

Government	List of emperors family tree Empresses Imperial Preceptor Zhongshu Sheng Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs Administrative divisions of the Yuan dynasty Yuan dynasty in Inner Asia Mongolia under Yuan rule Manchuria under Yuan rule Tibet under Yuan rule Dpon-chen Korea under Yuan rule

Architecture	Cloud Platform at Juyong Pass Gulou and Zhonglou (Beijing) Miaoying Temple Pagoda of Bailin Temple Temple of Azure Clouds Jinan Great Southern Mosque

Society and culture	Yuan poetry Chao (currency) History of Liao Jin Song Menggu Ziyun Wenxian Tongkao Zhongyuan Yinyun The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars Zaju The Chalk Circle The Injustice to Dou E The Orphan of Zhao The Story of the Western Wing Semu Islam during the Yuan dynasty

Other topics	Mongols Borjigin 'Phags-pa script History of Yuan Khanbaliq Shangdu Mongol Empire Northern Yuan dynasty

Xia → Shang → Zhou → Qin → Han → 3 Kingdoms → Jìn / 16 Kingdoms → N. & S. Dynasties → Sui → Tang → 5 Dynasties & 10 Kingdoms → Liao / Song / W. Xia / Jīn → Yuan → Ming → Qing → Modern China

Defunct Chinese provinces and provincial regions

Yuan dynasty

Huguang Henanjiangbei Jiangzhe Liaoyang Lingbei Zhongshu Sheng* Xuanzheng Yuan* Jiaozhi Jinghuzhancheng Zhengmian Zhengdong

Special administrative areas	Central Secretariat* Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs*

Ming dynasty

Huguang Jiaozhi**

Special administrative areas	Beizhili* Nanzhili*

ROC (1912–49)

Andong Qahar Hejiang Hexi Liaobei Nenjiang Rehe Songjiang Suiyuan Xikang Xing'an Zhili

Special administrative regions	Chuanbian Dongsheng Hainan Qahar Rehe Suiyuan Weihai

Areas	Mongolia Tibet

Provincal fu	Nanjingfu Shuntianfu

Special administrative municipalities	Jingdu Jingu Hankou Songhu

Yuan administrative municipalities	Beijing Chongqing Dalian Guangzhou Hankou Harbin Nanjing Qingdao Shanghai Shenyang Tianjin Xi'an

PRC

Liaodong Liaoxi Mudanjiang Pingyuan Qahar Rehe Songjiang Suiyuan Xikang

Greater administrative areas	Huabei Dongbei Huadong Zhongnan Xibei Xinan

Municipalities	Anshan Benxi Changchun Dalian → Lüda Fushun Harbin Guangzhou Nanjing Shenyang Hankou → Wuhan Xi'an

Administrative territories	Chuanbei Chuandong Chuannan Chuanxi Subei Sunan Wanbei Wannan Lüda

Territories	Qamdo

* - Ministries administrative provinces or regions; ** - Special provinces

Three Departments and Six Ministries

Three Departments	Secretariat Department of State Affairs Chancellery

Six Ministries	Ministry of Personnel Ministry of Revenue Ministry of Rites Ministry of Defense Ministry of Justice Ministry of Works

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Zhongshu Sheng

References

Citations

Sources

See also