In the long course of history, the imperial history has encountered this kind of issue many times, and its imprint on the stone tablets of the Qing Dynasty is not uncommon.
The Qing Dynasty's bureaucratic system had a unique rule that regarded the inheritance of official positions as a family glory – children were granted by virtue of their father's or ancestor's official position"Shade"Conversely, the success of children and grandchildren can also be won for the ancestors"Canon", ie"Envelope"。
In that era of male superiority and inferiority, there was a distinction between men and women: men's honors were called"order", symbolizing the different levels of civil and military **; And the women's gift is crowned"Wife"The name. "
order"It is not only the embodiment of civil honor, but also directly related to grades, from nine grades and eighteen levels to various official ranks, each with its own exclusive title. At the same time, the rank of civil and military ** has its own unique division, which is worthy of our careful interpretation.
The rigorous official rank system of the imperial court is like a bright galaxy, from the dignity of the Guanglu doctor (Zhengyipin) to the glory of Wuxinzuo Cavalry Captain (from the ninth rank), civil officials are like the promotion of pen and ink, and military attaches are like the growth of swords and shields.
The reward system is rigorous and orderly, a product is prominent, and it can be blessed for three generations; The second and third grades are prominent, benefiting two generations; Four to seven grades, merit to pass on one person; ** product, personal honor to remember.
It was a tribute to merit and loyalty from the imperial court, and a symbol of hierarchical order.
Understanding the rules of officialdom rank and conferral is like unlocking an exclusive title guide. For example, if the three products are added to the glory of the chaser, their families can enjoy it"General Doctor"The legacy of honor.
Gifts are honorific titles (seals) before death and posthumous gifts (gifts) after death, and must be clearly distinguished. There are also strict levels of female awards: from the first rank of the lady to the ninth rank of the widow, each has its own exclusive.
When it comes to the details, Mrs. Yipin is subdivided into different categories. In the case of the three grades, for example, grandmothers, mothers, and wives are crowned"Lady"；Shichipinchi is limited to mothers and wives"Ru people"Titles; As for the nine-product inspection, only the wife can get it"Nine Rank Ru people"courtesy.
With a clear grasp of these rules, promotions and family honors unfold like a picturesque one.
Women's titles also follow a hierarchical order, and usually the ** lady above the fifth rank enjoys honor"Commandment"Titles, such as those found in film and television literature"Mrs. Fate"That's where it comes from; For the five grades and below, they are called"Edict", however"Mrs. Destiny"This term is not common.
During the Qing Dynasty, it was not uncommon for eunuch families to be common, and it was not uncommon for fathers and sons to be the same, and there were clear regulations on this: the parents or grandparents of the current ** could not benefit from the rewards of their offspring.
In addition, if several brothers are in important positions, the title is granted"Seniors are preferred"The principle of giving the family the highest honors.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the donation system prevailed, and many incumbents obtained honorary titles higher than their official ranks through economic means, such as a four-rank prefect who may purchase the title of envoy according to the procuratorate.
In this case, they enjoy the specifications of the positive three products when they are rewarded. As a result, many of the title elevations in epitaphs do not originate from actual official positions, such as those obtained by a landlord through donations"Wen Linlang"'s false name, descendants mistakenly thought that the ancestors had been **.
In reality, these titles have no real appearance, no substantive official position. In addition, there is also the act of taking the initiative to attribute honor to grandparents or parents out of respect and filial piety to the ancestors.
In general, the titles on Qing tombstones do not fully reflect the true officialdom of their families.
In ancient feudal societies,"Filial piety"This virtue is second only to"Loyalty", which was highly respected by the nobles and the bureaucracy. Some ** out of deep respect for their elders, give them personal titles or promotions, we call them"貤封"。
However, this is not an unrestricted act, and if the first to third grades** do not have such privileges, the fourth to seventh grades** cannot apply for the posthumous sealing of great-grandparents, and the eighth rank and below cannot apply for the retrohumous sealing of grandparents.
After entering the Daoguang period,"貤封"Traditional rules are eroding, and money seems to be the new way to obtain titles, and those who have money can even seek honor for their ancestors as far back as 18 generations.
It is worth mentioning that it is not the norm to be canonized, and only on the occasion of important national celebrations, officials at all levels are eligible to request canonization.
Since Kangxi, the imperial court has innovated the official system, and when the term of office ends or is promoted, you can apply for the title of ** to the Ministry of Officials (civil officials) and the Ministry of War (military attaché). But if you are careful, you may have noticed why the position of Xuan Yilang is not mentioned in the detailed civil service system of the nineteenth rank and eighteenth?
This actually hides a little-known detail of the Qing Dynasty's official ranks. For those who are in the position of a clerk (that is, the clerks of each yamen have passed the assessment), they have different titles: those who are born from the sixth rank are sealed"Xuande Lang", not"Ru Linlang"；And the positive seven products are made of"Wen Linlang"Adjusted to"Xuanyilang", the women's gifts remain the same.
This is a piece of cold knowledge about the special classification of officialdom in the Qing Dynasty.