Household Registration System
Ancient China's household registration system emerged during the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). The system required anyone under the government's jurisdiction to register their name, age, and place of origin.
In the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 B.C.), the head of each clan was responsible for managing anything related to the land and population in their local area. However, during the Warring States period, various feudal states sought to increase their wealth and power. To achieve this goal, a household registration system was established to effectively manage their populations and collect taxes. Those who were registered under the system were referred to as "registered households". In their attempt to directly govern matters related to local land and populations, the states rolled out rules stipulating that all people were subjects of the ruler and should be registered under the category of "common people".
In addition to being an administrative tool, the system helped collect taxes. The common people categorized under the registration system were considered to have independent identities, and were responsible for paying taxes and/or provid- ing corvée labor or military service, based on their assets. They were equal before the law.
编户齐民
编户齐民是中国古代一种户籍制度，它产生于战国时期，规定政府管辖下的人都必须按姓名、年龄、籍贯等项目编入户籍。
西周时期，地方上的土地与人口归“宗族长”所有与管理。战国时期，各诸侯国为求富强，通过有效管理人口来增加税收，开始设置户籍制度，被编入户籍的百姓叫作“编户”。同时，各诸侯国开始直接管辖地方土地与人口，规定百姓都是国君的臣民，即“齐民”。两者总称“编户齐民”。
编户齐民既是行政管理制度，又是赋税制度。编户齐民具有独立的身份，其所承担的赋税和应服的徭役、兵役都与资产相关，同时在法律上拥有平等的地位。
