The system of Three Lords and Nine Ministers

The system of Three Lords and Nine Ministers

The System of Three Lords and Nine Ministers was a central government organizational structure that emerged in the Qin and Han dynasties (221 B.C. - A.D. 220) in imperial China. The system took shape as early as the Xia Dynasty (c. 2100 B.C. - 1600 B.C.). When a unified feudal country was established by the First Emperor of Qin, the bureaucratic systems of previous states were integrated into a complete System of Three Lords and Nine Ministers for the central government.

The "Three Lords and Nine Ministers" were senior officials in the central government. The "Three Lords" were the Prime Minister, the Grand Marshal, and the Imperial Counsellor, the three most esteemed official positions. Respectively responsible for administration, military affairs, and oversight, they represented the separation of powers in the traditional Chinese political system with administration playing the primary role. The "Nine Ministers" were the heads of functional departments. The number of functional departments – and hence of ministers – was not necessarily nine. The number "nine" suggested a complete set of official posts. This system remained in place during the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and the Southern and Northern dynasties (420-581) until it was replaced with the System of Three Departments and Six Ministries, which Emperor Wendi of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) created based on this old structure.

三公九卿制

三公九卿制是秦汉时期形成的中央政府组织架构，是中国古代封建社会的一种官员制度。三公九卿制早在夏朝就已初具规模。秦朝建立封建统一国家后综合列国官僚制度，在中央政府建立起了完备的三公九卿制。

“三公九卿”是中央政府高级官员的统称。“三公”是最尊显的三个官职的合称，即掌管行政的丞相、掌管军事的太尉和负责监察的御史大夫，其代表中国传统以行政为主导的行政、军事、监察三权分立政治体制。“九卿”是各职能部门的长官，不一定是九个人或九种官职，意味着其官职完备。这一官员制度一直沿用到两晋南北朝时期，直至隋文帝在其结构基础上创设三省六部制，三公九卿制才退出历史舞台。