Censorate

The Censorate was a high-level supervisory agency in Imperial China, first established during the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC).^[1]

Censorate
Pre-Ming
Traditional Chinese	御史臺
Simplified Chinese	御史台
Literal meaning	Terrace of Imperial Scribes/historians
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yùshǐ Tái Wade–Giles Yü^4-shih^3 t'ai^2
Ming, Qing
Chinese	都察院
Literal meaning	Metropolitan/Chief/General Inspection Court
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Dūchá Yuàn Wade–Giles Tu^1-ch'a^2 Yüan^4
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet	Đô sát viện
Chữ Hán	都察院

The Censorate was a highly effective agency during the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the Censorate was a branch of the centralized bureaucracy, paralleling the Six Ministries and the five Chief Military Commissions, and was directly responsible to the emperor.^[2] The investigating censors were "the eyes and ears" of the emperor and checked administrators at each level to prevent corruption and malfeasance, a common feature of that period. Popular stories told of righteous censors revealing corruption as well as censors who accepted bribes. Generally speaking, they were feared and disliked, and had to move around constantly to perform their duties.

Internal structure

The Censorate was divided into three branches (院).

• The Palace Branch (殿院) was responsible for monitoring the behavior of officials during audiences. It was staffed by in-palace enquiry censors (殿中侍御史).
• The Admonishment Branch (台院) was responsible for monitoring the behavior of the emperor, to ensure that he did not make mistakes and remind him of his duties. It was staffed by enquiry censors (侍御史).
• The Detection Branch (察院) was responsible for monitoring the behavior of local officials. Monitor censors (監察御史) would tour the country in circuits to ensure the proper discharge of the functions of government and good performance of local officials.

Vietnam

 

Đô sát viện ấn (都察院印), the Great Seal of the Censorate of the Nguyễn dynasty.

During the Nguyễn dynasty a representative from the censorate served as a member of a government commission formed to create inscriptions for the 1 mạch cash coins.^[3]

See also

•  China portal
•  History portal
•  Politics portal

• Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party
• Control Yuan (Republic of China)
• National Supervisory Commission (People's Republic of China)
• Three Departments and Six Ministries (Imperial China)
  • Department of Chancellery
  • Ministry of Personnel
  • Ministry of Justice (imperial China)

References

Citations

1. Xue, Deshu; Qi, Xiuqian. "Research on Supervision System in Ancient China and Its Contemporary Reference" (PDF). Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research. 319: 415.
2. Hucker (1958), p. 49
3. François Thierry de Crussol (蒂埃里) (2011). "The Confucian Message on Vietnamese Coins, A closer look at the Nguyễn dynasty's large coins with moral maxims », Numismatic Chronicle, 2011, pp. 367-406". Academia.edu. Retrieved August 22, 2019.

Sources

• Hucker, Charles O. (December 1958). "Governmental Organization of The Ming Dynasty". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 21. Harvard-Yenching Institute: 1–66. doi:10.2307/2718619. JSTOR 2718619.
• Li, Konghuai (2007). History of Administrative Systems in Ancient China (in Chinese). Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co., Ltd. ISBN 978-962-04-2654-4.
• Lu, Simian (2008). The General History of China (in Chinese). New World Publishing. ISBN 978-7-80228-569-9.
• Wang, Yü-Ch'üan (June 1949). "An Outline of The Central Government of The Former Han Dynasty". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 12 (1/2). Harvard-Yenching Institute: 134–187. doi:10.2307/2718206. JSTOR 2718206.