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| Central Secretariat (Tang dynasty) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Central Secretariat (Tang dynasty) |
| Native name | 中書省 |
| Established | 7th century |
| Abolished | 10th century (varied) |
| Jurisdiction | Tang court |
| Headquarters | Chang'an |
Central Secretariat (Tang dynasty) The Central Secretariat (中書省) was the principal policy-formulating secretariat serving the Emperor of Tang and the Tang dynasty court in Chang'an and later Luoyang. It originated in the late Sui dynasty reforms and became a key organ alongside the Department of State Affairs and the Chancellery during the Kaiyuan era and Tianbao era, shaping edicts, advising on appointments, and drafting imperial proclamations. Its prominence intersected with figures such as Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong, and Zheng Tian and with crises including the An Lushan Rebellion and the Huang Chao Rebellion.
The Secretariat traces antecedents to the Sui dynastyʼs secretarial institutions and the Zhongshu Sheng prototypes under Emperor Wen of Sui and Emperor Yang of Sui, consolidated during Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Emperor Taizong of Tang reforms. Early Tang administrative codifications in the Zhen Guan Code and Tang Code formalized its responsibilities alongside the Three Departments and Six Ministries model, a system influenced by earlier Han dynasty and Jin dynasty precedents. Key political episodes such as the Fanzhen Wars and the An Lushan Rebellion exposed tensions between the Secretariat, regional military governors like An Lushan and Li Baochen, and centralizing reforms promoted by court factions including the Niu-Li Faction conflicts.
The Secretariat occupied offices within the Imperial Secretariat complex in Chang'an and later in Luoyang, comprising the Head (中书令), Deputy (中书侍郎), and chief editors (中书舍人). Its structure interfaced with the Six Ministries—Ministry of Personnel (Tang dynasty), Ministry of Revenue (Tang dynasty), Ministry of Rites (Tang dynasty), Ministry of War (Tang dynasty), Ministry of Justice (Tang dynasty), and Ministry of Works (Tang dynasty)—through documented channels. Secretariat clerks managed memorials, drafts, and seals in coordination with the Imperial Censorate and offices of the Grand Councilor; ceremonial procedures referenced protocols from the Tang ritual code and the Daming calendar records.
The Secretariat drafted imperial edicts, petitions, and policy memorials, advising the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and successors on appointments and proclamations. It served as the primary drafting bureau for decrees responding to crises such as the An Lushan Rebellion and for coordinating military directives with commanders like Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi. The office reviewed proposals from provincial authorities including Jiedushi circuits, liaised with the Censorate on impeachment cases involving ministers like Li Linfu, and organized records relied upon by historiographers compiling dynastic histories such as the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang.
Senior posts included the Zhongshu Ling (often held by trusted chancellors), the Zhongshu Shilang, and several Zhongshu Sheren editors; notable holders encompassed Feng Deyi, Wei Zheng, Zheng Tan, and Pei Du. Civil appointments often derived from success in the imperial examinations and patronage networks tied to aristocratic clans like the Li clan of Zhaojun and the Wang family of Taiyuan. Secretarial officials coordinated with magistrates of prefectures such as Jingzhao Prefecture and military governors of circuits such as Hebei Circuit, while also interacting with eunuch factions exemplified by figures like Li Fuguo during the late Tang.
The Secretariat functioned within the Three Departments and Six Ministries framework, complementary to the Chancellery (Tang dynasty) which reviewed drafts, and the Department of State Affairs which implemented policies through the Six Ministries. Tensions arose with the Imperial Censorate over oversight and with the Palace Secretariat and eunuch-controlled units during the reigns of Emperor Dezong of Tang and Emperor Xizong of Tang. Coordination with military offices such as the Horse and Carriage Secretariat and logistical bureaus became crucial during campaigns led by generals like An Lushan‑era commanders and later anti-rebel leaders including Huang Chao opponents.
Throughout the Tang period the Secretariat underwent reforms: Tang legal codifications in the Kaiyuan era adjusted its remit, while post‑rebellion decentralization empowered Jiedushi and altered secretariat influence. During reforms advocated by statesmen like Zhang Yanshang and Yao Chong, the office saw shifts in personnel selection, paperwork protocols, and the balance with the Chancellery (Tang dynasty). Late Tang crises prompted ad hoc consolidations of authority by eunuchs and chancellors such as Huang Chao aftermath restructurings; during the Five Dynasties period successor regimes modified or absorbed Secretariat functions into new organs under rulers like Li Keyong and Zhu Wen.
The Secretariat model influenced subsequent administrations in the Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming dynasty, and Qing dynasty adaptations of central agencies, informing institutions like the Zhongshu Sheng (Song) and administrative practices recorded in the History of the Five Dynasties. Its archival and drafting conventions shaped bureaucratic norms preserved in the Old Book of Tang and legal commentaries by scholars such as Sima Guang. The institutional memory of the Secretariat persisted in legal codes, bureaucratic etiquette, and the career trajectories of officials who transitioned into later dynastic services under rulers including Emperor Taizu of Song and Emperor Hongwu.