A Study on the Ideal Types of Monarchical Domination in the Tang and Song Dynasties: From the Perspective of the Concept of Grand Councilor

Abstract

By exploring two parts of the concept of Grand Councilor in the Tang and Song dynasties, this paper proposes two ideal types of the monarchical domination in imperial China. Tongdian by Du You and Outstanding Models from the Storehouse of Literature compiled in 1013 present two essential elements in the concept of Grand Councilor. First, the Grand Councilor referred to the members of the Privy Group (Shuji, 枢机), the monarch’s private advisors who gave confidential advice on state affairs. Second, the Grand Councilor also served as the Supreme Overseer (Zongtong, 总统), the head of officials and bureaucracy. Among the two elements, the role of the Privy Group was more fundamental to the concept of Grand Councilor. In practice, the monarchs’ Privy Group included not only Grand Councilors but also Academicians, eunuchs, and imperial favorites. Together, they constituted the pivot for the domination of monarchs in the Tang and Northern Song dynasties. The direct rule through the Privy Group system and the Entrustment system through Supreme Overseer constituted two ideal types of the monarchical domination models in imperial China.

Keywords

Tang and Song dynasties / Grand Councilor / Privy Group / Entrustment System

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