英文摘要 |
In the Song dynasty, the emperor delegated daily administrative affairs to his chief ministers, and took responsibility for their effectiveness. The appointment and dismissal of chief ministers is therefore a good starting point in examining the way that imperial authority was exercised in the Song. This article will mainly focus on the procedures for appointing and dismissing chief ministers by surveying a type of official document drafted by Hanlin 翰林 academicians called mazhi 麻制, or hemp paper edicts. The article will argue that this system and procedures were significant to the consolidation and maintenance of imperial authority. Finally, building on the above foundation, the article will discuss the way imperial authority was exercised in the Song dynasty. |