Ministry of Revenue (imperial China)

The Ministry or Board of Revenue was one of the Six Ministries under the Department of State Affairs in imperial China.

Ministry of Revenue
(Pre-Sui)
Chinese度支
Literal meaningGoing Over Expenses
Accounting
Exchequer
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDùzhī
Wade–GilesTu-chih
(Sui)
Chinese民部
Literal meaningMinistry of People
Census Ministry
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMínbù
Wade–GilesMin Pu
(Tang–Qing)
Traditional Chinese戶部
Simplified Chinese户部
Literal meaningHousehold(s) Ministry
Census Ministry
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHùbù
Wade–GilesHu Pu
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᠪᠣᡳᡤᠣᠨ ᡳ ᠵᡠᡵᡤᠠᠨ
Möllendorffboigon i jurgan

Name

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The term "Ministry" or "Board of Revenue" is an English gloss of the department's purview. It is also similarly translated as the Finance Ministry or Board of Finance. In Chinese, the various names of the department never referred to the government's monetary income. Instead, prior to the Sui dynasty, it was known as the Dùzhī from its role in overseeing government expenses. Under the Sui, it was known as the "Ministry of People" (Mínbù) from its role overseeing the census and its associated taxation. From the Tang to the Qing, it was known as the "Households Department" (Hùbù), again from its role in overseeing a census reckoned in households and its associated taxation.

Administrative level

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Functions

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Charles O. Hucker wrote that the Ministry of Revenue was "in general charge of population and land censures, assessment and collection of taxes, and storage and distribution of government revenues." The ministry was usually divided into specialized bureaus:

Each bureau was headed by a director (郎中). The ministry was headed by a minister (尚書).

See also

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References

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Citations

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Sources

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  • Hucker, Charles O. (1985). A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford University Press. p. 258.
  • "Ministry (Board) of Finance," H.S. Brunnert, V.V. Hagelstrom Present Day Political Organization of China (1912: reprinted: Routledge, 2012), pp. 119–121.