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An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History, Literature and Art
The following table includes key terms of event history, and a wide range of special terms used in the fields of administrative history, economic history, military history, law and jurisdiction, the calendar, education and scholarship, and religion.
The terms and keywords are arranged alphabetically (Pinyin system, and some English terms), but of course they can also be sought for by the search funtion.
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T W X Y Z |
| A [top] | |
|---|---|
| academies | see shuyuan 書院 |
| amnesty from punishment | see she 赦 |
| anchashi 按察使 | surveillance commissioner |
| anfushi 安撫使 | pacification commissioner |
| B [top] | |
|---|---|
| ba 霸 | hegemonial lord |
| Bailian School 白蓮教 | see White Lotus Sect |
| bailiang 白糧 | metropolitan tribute grain |
| baguwen 八股文 | eight-legged essay |
| banks, traditional banking | see qianzhuang 錢莊 and piaohao 票號 |
| Banner land | see qidi 旗地 |
| Banner system | see baqi 八旗 |
| baochao 寶鈔 | see paper money |
| baojia 保甲 | communal self-defense system |
| baojiafa 保甲法 | see baojia 保甲 |
| baomafa 保馬法 | horse protection law (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| baqi 八旗 | Eight Banners (Qing) |
| ba wang zhi luan 八王之亂 | Rebellion of the Eight Princes (Jin period) |
| beifubing 北府兵 | elite army (Jin period) |
| biyong 辟雍 | instruction hall of the imperial palace |
| bo 伯 | earl, see wujue 五爵 |
| boshi 博士 | erudite, "professor" |
| Boxer Uprising 1900 | |
| bronze inscriptions | jinwen 金文 |
| Buddhism | |
| buqu 部曲 | private army (Cao-Wei, Jin, Nanbeichao); serfs (Sui, Tang) |
| buzhengshi 布政使 | provincial administration commissioner |
| C [top] | |
|---|---|
| caifangshi 採訪使 | investigation commissioner |
| calendar | |
| cangue | see jia 枷 |
| caoliang 漕糧 | tribute grain |
| caoyun 漕運 | transport of tribute grain |
| caoyunsi 漕運司 | see zhuanyunshi 轉運使 |
| caoyun zongdu 漕運總督 | Director-general of grain transport |
| castration, as punishment | see gong 宮 |
| censor | see yushi dafu 御史大夫 |
| Censorate | see Yushitai 衘史臺 |
| chaju zhi 察舉制 | commandery quota system of official recruitment (Han period) |
| changpingcang 常平倉 | ever-normal granaries |
| Chimei 赤眉 | Red Eyebrows, name of a peasant uprising (Han/Xin) |
| chafa 茶法 | tea administration |
| chamafa 茶馬法 | tea-horse trade, see chafa 茶法, mazheng 馬政 |
| changcheng 長城 | Great Wall |
| changwei 廠衛 | Depots and Brocade Guards |
| chengxiang 丞相 | Counsellor-in-chief |
| chi 笞 | beating with the light stick |
| chongjun 充軍 | penal military service |
| chuilian tingzheng 垂簾聽政 | regency by an empress dowager |
| cipei 刺配 | penal tattooing and exile or military service |
| circuit | see lu 路 |
| cishi 刺史 | regional inspector |
| cisi 賜死 | imperial order to commit suicide |
| concubines | see Female officials |
| Confucianism | |
| Confucian Classics | |
| contribution | see juanna 捐納 |
| Counsellor-in-chief | see chengxiang 丞相 |
| corvée labour | see yaoyi 徭役 |
| D [top] | |
|---|---|
| dafu 大夫 | grand master (Zhou); see also jiu qing 九卿 |
| dalisi 大理寺 | |
| Daoism | |
| dao-fu 道府 | = daoyuan 道員 + zhifu 知府 |
| daotai 道臺 | circuit intendant |
| daoyuan 道員 | see daotai 道臺 |
| dapi 大辟 | death penalty, see si 死 |
| dayunhe 大運河 | see Grand Canal |
| death penalty | see si 死 |
| di 禘 sacrifices | see jiaosi 郊祀 |
| diandang 典當 | pawnshop |
| dianke 佃客 | client-farmers (Jin, Nanbeichao) |
| diding 地丁 | unified field-and-poll tax, see also tanding rumu 攤丁入畝 |
| diding heyi 地丁合一 | see tanding rumu 攤丁入畝 |
| dingdai 頂戴 | hat button as a marker of rank (Qing) |
| dingfu 丁賦 | service tax |
| donglin dang 東林黨 | Donglin Faction |
| du caoyun shisi 都漕運使司 | see zhuanyunshi 轉運使 |
| duchayuan 都察院 | see Yushitai 衘史臺 |
| dudie 度牒 | tax-exemption certificate (for the clergy) |
| dudu 都督 | commander-in-chief |
| duhu 都護 | protector-general |
| duliangheng 度量衡 | weights and measures |
| Dunhuang 敦煌 | westernmost commandery of ancient China |
| duyushi 都御史 | see yushi dafu 御史大夫 |
| E [top] | |
|---|---|
| Eight Banners | see baqi 八旗 |
| eight-legged essay | see baguwen 八股文 |
| equal-field system | see juntian zhi 均田制 |
| ershideng jue 二十等爵 | twenty military ranks of honour in the Qin and Former Han empires |
| eunuchs | |
| examination system (kejuzhi 科舉制) | see also academies baguwen 八股文 chaju zhi 察舉制 gongsheng 貢生 jiansheng 監生 jinshi 進士 juren 舉人 kaoji 考績 kemu 科目 mingjing 明經 schools shengyuan 生員 shuyuan 書院 xiucai 秀才 zheng-bi zhi 征辟制 |
| exile | see liu 流 |
| F [top] | |
|---|---|
| fangtianfa 方田法 | see junshuifa 均税法 |
| fangyushi 防禦使 | defense commissioner |
| fangzhen 方鎮 | defense command |
| fanzhen 藩鎮 | frontier defense command |
| fei 剕 | cutting off a foot as punishment |
| feiqian 飛錢 | bills of exchange (Tang) |
| female officials | see nüguan 女官 |
| fengjian zhidu 封建制度 | see zhuhou 諸侯 |
| fenglu 俸祿 | salary of state officials |
| fengshan 封禪 | sacrifices to Heaven and Earth of Mt. Taishan |
| "feudal lords", regional rulers | see zhuhou 諸侯 |
| "feudal system" | see zhuhou 諸侯 |
| Five Directorates | see jiusi wujian 九寺五監 |
| fubing 府兵 | garrison militia (Northern Dynasties-Tang) |
| fushe 復社 | Revival Society, a literary society (Ming) |
| fuyi 賦役 | taxation methods |
| fuzheng 輔政 | regency |
| G [top] | |
|---|---|
| gaitu guiliu 改土歸流 | abolition of indirect rule by native chieftains |
| gong 公 | duke, see wujue 五爵 |
| gong 宮 | penal castration |
| gongcha 貢茶 | tribute tea |
| gongsheng 貢生 | tribute student |
| gongxietian 公廨田 | "office fields" for covering administrative expenses (Sui and Tang) |
| granaries | see changpingcang 常平倉, shecang 社倉, yicang 義倉; pingdi pingtiao 平糴平糶 |
| Grand Canal or Imperial Canal (dayunhe 大運河) | |
| guanchashi 觀察使 | surveillance commissioner |
| guanglu dafu 光祿大夫 | |
| guanglu xun 光祿勛 | |
| guanzi 關子 | a kind of paper money (Song) |
| guozijian 國子監 | Directorate of Education |
| H [top] | |
|---|---|
| Hanlinyuan 翰林院 | Hanlin Academy |
| haoqiang 豪強, haozu 豪族 | see menfa 門閥 |
| haoxian 耗羨 | transport-loss surcharge |
| Heavenly Mandate | see tianming 天命 |
| hedao zongdu 河道總督 | director-general of the Grand Canal |
| heqin 和親 | political marriage between China and "barbarian" rulers (Han-Tang) |
| horse administration | see mazheng 馬政 |
| hou 候 | marquis, see wujue 五爵 |
| household tax system | see hudiao zhi 戶調制 |
| hualing 花翎 | peacock feather as a marker of rank (Qing) |
| huangce 黃冊 | the yellow registers |
| Huanghe 黄河 | Yellow River |
| huangji 黃籍 | yellow household registers |
| huangjin qiyi 黃巾起義 | Yellow Turban uprising |
| huangshicheng 皇史宬 | Imperial Archives |
| huanqian 圜錢 | round coins (Zhanguo and Qin) |
| hubu 戶部 | Ministry of Revenue |
| hudeng zhi 戶等制 | household classification system |
| hudiao zhi 戶調制 | household tax system |
| huiguan 會館 | guild hall |
| huizi 會子 | a kind of paper money (Song) |
| huji 戶籍 | household registers |
| I [top] | |
|---|---|
| Ili | border region in the far west |
| Imperial Canal, see Grand Canal | |
| inspection tours | see xunshou 巡狩 |
| J [top] | |
|---|---|
| jia 枷 | the cangue, a wooden panel to be worn around the head of delinquents |
| jianguo 監國 | regency |
| jiansheng 監生 | university student |
| jiangbingfa 將兵法 | see zhijiangfa 置將法 |
| jiaoshou 教授 | teacher |
| jiaosi 郊祀 | suburban sacrifices |
| jiaguwen 甲骨文 | oracle bone inscriptions |
| jiaozi 交子 | paper money (Song) |
| jiawu zhangzheng 甲午戰爭 | First Chinese-Japanese War 1895 |
| jiedushi 節度使 | military commissioner |
| jimi 羈縻 | indirect rule over native border territories |
| jinglüeshi 經略使 | regulatory commissioner |
| jingtian zhi 井田制 | well-field system |
| jinshi 進士 | "presented scholar", title awarded to graduates of the metropolitan and palace examinations |
| jinwen 金文 | bronze inscriptions |
| jinyiwei 錦衣衛 | Brocade Guards, see changwei 廠衛 |
| jiupin 九品 | nine ranks of state officials |
| jiupin huntong 九品混通 | see hudiaozhi |
| jiupin xiangtong 九品相通 | see hudiaozhi |
| jiuqing 九卿 | Nine Chamberlains |
| jiusi wujian 九寺五監 | The Nine Courts and Five Directorates |
| jiuxi 九錫 | the nine privileges |
| juanmian 蠲免 | tax remissions or waivers |
| juanna 捐納 | contributions |
| juanshu 捐輸 | see juanna 捐納 |
| junjichu 軍機處 | Council of State |
| junshufa 均輸法 | balanced-delivery law (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| junshuifa 均税法 | equal-tax law (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| juntian zhi 均田制 | equal-field system |
| junxiang 軍餉 | military pay |
| juren 舉人 | "recommendee", title awarded to graduates of prefectural or provincial examinations |
| K [top] | |
|---|---|
| kaoji 考績 | evaluation of state officials |
| kejuzhi 科舉制 | see examination system |
| kemu 科目 | type of examinations, see also examination system |
| keze 科則 | classification system for land tax |
| king | see wujue 五爵 |
| kongqueling 孔雀翎 | peacock feather as a marker of rank (Qing) |
| koufu 口賦 | see suanfu 算賦 |
| kuping tael 庫平 | government standard weight for silver money (Qing) |
| L [top] | |
|---|---|
| lanling 藍翎 | pheasant feather as a marker of rank (Qing) |
| liangshuifa 兩稅法 | twice-taxation system |
| lianzuofa 連坐法 | collective liability |
| lifanyuan 理藩院 | Court of Colonial Affairs |
| lijia 里甲 | rural self-administration system |
| ling 令 | district magistrate or institutional director |
| liu 流 | exile |
| liubu 六部 | the Six Ministries |
| liumang 流氓 | see liumin 流民 |
| liushou 留守 | resident regent |
| liumin 流民 | peasant refugees |
| liuwang 流亡 | see liumin 流民 |
| lougui 陋規 | surcharge, "customary fee" |
| lu 路 | circuit |
| Lulin 綠林 | peasant uprising under Wang Mang, see Red Eyebrows |
| lutian 祿田 | see zhitian 職田 |
| lüyingbing 綠營兵 | Green Standard Troops (Qing) |
| M [top] | |
|---|---|
| magistrate | see ling 令 or zhixian 知縣 |
| Manchu Banners | see baqi 八旗 |
| Mandate of Heaven | see tianming 天命 |
| mazheng 馬政 | horse administration |
| menfa 門閥 | eminent or distinguished families (Wei to Tang) |
| menke 門客 | retainers |
| menxiasheng 門下省 | the Chancellery (Han to Song) |
| mensheng 門生 | see menke 門客 |
| mianhangfa 免行法 | see shiyifa 市易法 |
| mianyifa 免役法 | see muyifa 募役法 |
| mingjing 明經 | classicist, expert in the Confucian Classics |
| mingtang 明堂 | main ceremonial hall of the imperial palace |
| Ministry of Revenue | see hubu 戶部 |
| mo 墨 | penal tattooing |
| money | see huanqian 圜錢, standard cash, paper money, money of the Qing period |
| mu 牧 | regional governor |
| muyifa 募役法 | labour recruitment law (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| N [top] | |
|---|---|
| nan 男 | baron, see wujue 五爵 |
| nanxun 南巡 | see xunshou 巡狩 |
| neige 内閣 | Grand Secretariat |
| neiwufu 内務府 | Imperial Household Department |
| Nine Courts | see jiusi wujian 九寺五監 |
| nongtian shuili fa 農田水利法 | see shuilifa 水利法 |
| nüguan 女官 | see female officials |
| O [top] | |
|---|---|
| oracle bone inscriptions | jiaguwen 甲骨文 |
| P [top] | |
|---|---|
| palace memorial system | see zouzhe 奏摺 |
| paper money | |
| pawnshops | see diandang 典當 |
| pengmin 棚民 | shed people, migrant workers (Ming-Qing) |
| piaohao 票號 | the Shanxi Banks |
| pingdi pingtiao 平糴 平糶 | price regulation of grain |
| pingmifa 平米法 | field tax adjustment method |
| pingyu 平餘 | surcharge |
| poll tax | see suanfu 算賦 |
| Prime Minister | see chengxiang 丞相 |
| prince | see wujue 五爵 |
| protectorate | see duhu 都護 |
| Q [top] | |
|---|---|
| qianyin 錢引 | paper money (Song) |
| qianzhuang 錢莊 | banks |
| qidi 旗地 | Banner land |
| qing 卿 | minister (Zhou), see also jiu qing 九卿 |
| qing shi dafu 卿士大夫 | ministers, grand masters, and servicemen (Zhou) |
| qingmiaofa 青苗法 | green-sprouts law (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| quecha 榷茶 | tea monopoly, see chafa 茶法 |
| R [top] | |
|---|---|
| Red Turbans | |
| regional rulers | see zhuhou 諸侯 |
| renxun 人殉 | human sacrifice (mainly for burials) |
| rouxing 肉刑, penal mutilation | see wuxing 五刑 |
| S [top] | |
|---|---|
| sacrifices | see suburban sacrifices to Heaven and Earth (jiaosi 郊祀) fengshan sacrifices 封禪 to Heaven and Earth sacrifices to sun and moon sacrifices to the spirits of soil and grain (sheji 社稷) the five sacrifices blood sacrifices (xueji 血祭) |
| salt tax | see yanke 鹽課 |
| salt administration, salt monopoly | see yanfa 鹽法 |
| sandeng jiuze 三等九則 | see keze 科則, classification of land |
| sangong 三公 | the Three Dukes |
| sanshefa 三舍法 | law on the three colleges (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| sansheng 三省 | see shangshusheng 尚書省, zhongshusheng 中書省, menxiasheng 門下省 |
| sanxiang 三餉 | extraordinary taxes for war finance (late Ming) |
| sanzhang zhi 三長制 | "three-heads system" for household registration (Northern Wei to Tang) |
| sanzu 三族 | the extinction of three generations |
| schools | |
| shangshusheng 尚書省 | Imperial Secretariat, Department of State Affairs |
| shanrang 禪讓, shanwei 禪位 | leaving the throne to a worthy successor (and not the son) |
| she 赦, shemian 赦免 | amnesty from punishment |
| shecang 社倉 | community granaries |
| sheji 社稷 | the altars of the spirits of soil and grain |
| shengyuan 生員 | student obtaining a goventment-sponsored scholarship and a college place |
| sheren 舍人 | retainers, later secretaries, see menke 門客 |
| shezheng 攝政 | regency |
| shi 士 | serviceman (Zhou); "scholar" |
| shiyifa 市易法 | market exchange law (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| shiwei 侍衛 | imperial guardsman |
| shizu 士族, shizu 世族 | see menfa 門閥 |
| shuilifa 水利法 | hydraulic works law (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| shumishi 樞密使 | see shumiyuan |
| shumiyuan 樞密院 | Bureau of Military Affairs |
| shuyuan 書院 | academy |
| shuzui 贖罪 | buying redemption from punishment |
| si 死 | death penalty |
| sichou zhi lu 絲綢之路 | see Silk Road |
| Silk Road | |
| silver ingots as money | |
| single-whip method of taxation | see yitiaobian fa 一條鞭法 |
| Son of Heaven | see tianzi 天子 |
| suanfu 算賦 | poll tax |
| suburban sacrifices | see jiaosi 郊祀 |
| sui 歲 | traditional lunar age |
| suicide, enforced, as a penalty | see cisi 賜死 |
| sycee | see silver ingots |
| T [top] | |
|---|---|
| taichang 太常 | |
| taishou 太守 | commandery governor |
| taiwei 太尉 | Defender-in-chief |
| taixue 太學 | National University |
| tanding rumu 攤丁入畝 | fusion of the poll tax with the field tax |
| Taoism | see Daoism |
| tattooing | see mo 墨 |
| taxes | see diding 地丁 dingfu 丁賦 fuyi 賦役 hudiao zhi 戶調制 juanmian 蠲免 junshuifa 均税法 ketian zhi 課田制 keze 科則 liangshui fa 兩稅法 pingmifa 平米法 suanfu 算賦 tanding rumu 攤丁入畝 tianfu 田賦 yanke 鹽課 yitiaobian fa 一條鞭法 zhengshang 征商 zhengyifa 征一法 zuyongdiao zhi 租庸調制 |
| tea administration, tea monopoly, tea-horse trade | see chafa 茶法 |
| tianfu 田賦 | field tax |
| tianming 天命 | the Mandate of Heaven |
| tianzi 天子 | Son of Heaven, title of the king or emperor |
| tidu xuezheng 提督學政 | provincial educational commissioner |
| Thirteen Classics | |
| tribute grain | see caoliang 漕糧 |
| tribute tea | see gongcha 貢茶 |
| tu 徒 | penal servitude |
| tuntian 屯田 | military agro-colonies |
| tusi 土司 | native chieftain |
| W [top] | |
|---|---|
| Wang Anshi, reforms of | |
| waiqi 外戚 | kinsmen of empresses and consorts |
| wanli changcheng 萬里長城 | see Great Wall |
| weights and measures | |
| well-field system | see jingtian zhi 井田制 |
| wenyin 紋銀 | see silver ingots |
| White Lotus Sect (Bailianjiao 白蓮教) | |
| wu ba 五霸 | the five hegemonial lords |
| wubao 塢堡 | fortified manors (Jin) |
| wubi 塢壁 | see wubao 塢堡 |
| Wu-Chu qiguo zhi luan 吳楚七國之亂 | see Rebellion of the Seven Princes |
| wujian 五監 | see jiusi wujian 九寺五監 |
| wujue 五爵 | the five titles of nobility |
| wuli 五禮 | the five types of rites |
| wusi 五祀 | the five sacrifices |
| wuxing 五刑 | the five capital punishments |
| wuxu bianfa 戊戌變法 | Reform movement of 1898 |
| X [top] | |
|---|---|
| xia 祫 sacrifices | see jiaosi 郊祀 |
| xiangbing 廂兵, xiangjun 廂軍 | prefectural armies (Song) |
| xiangshe 鄉射 | village or district archery contest |
| xiangbing 鄉兵, xiangyong 鄉勇, | village militia |
| xiangyue 鄉約 | community compact |
| xinhai geming 辛亥革命 | Revolution of 1911 |
| xiucai 秀才 | "cultivated talent", title awarded to graduates of a type of state examination |
| xuanfushi 宣撫使 | pacification commissioner |
| xuanweishi 宣慰使 | pacification commissioner |
| xueji 血祭 | blood offerings |
| xunfu 巡撫 | provincial governor |
| xunshou 巡狩, xunxing 巡幸 | inspection tours |
| Y [top] | |
|---|---|
| yamen 衙門 | district administration |
| yandang 閹黨 | eunuch faction (ministers siding with the eunuchs) |
| yanglian yin 養廉銀 | anti-corruption allowance |
| yanfa 鹽法 | salt administration |
| yanglao 養老 | ancient ceremony of "nourishing the aged" |
| yanke 鹽課 | salt tax |
| yantieshi 鹽鐵使 | salt-and-iron commissioner |
| yaoyi 徭役 | corvée labour |
| yi 劓 | cutting off the nose as punishment |
| yicang 義倉 | charity granaries |
| yin 尹 | metropolitan magistrate |
| yinding 銀錠 | see silver ingots |
| yinhu 蔭戶 | client households, see yinke 蔭客 |
| yinke 蔭客 | clients, dependents of eminent families (Jin, Nanbeichao) |
| yinliang 銀兩 | see silver ingots |
| yitiaobian fa 一條鞭法 | single-whip method of taxation |
| yulin tuce 魚鱗圖冊 | "fish scale registers" for land registration for land allotment (Ming) |
| yunhe 運河 | see Grand Canal |
| yuping 餘平 | surcharge |
| yushi dafu 御史大夫 | Censor-in-chief |
| Yushitai 衘史臺 | Censorate |
| Z [top] | |
|---|---|
| zaixiang 宰相 | Councellor-in-chief, see chengxiang |
| zhang 杖 | beating with the heavy stick |
| zhantian ketian zhi 占田課田制 | land quota and tax quota system (Jin) |
| zhao-mu 昭穆 | intra-lineage rank system |
| zheng-bi zhi 征辟制 | internal recommendation system of official recruitment (Han period) |
| zhengshang 征商 | commercial taxes |
| zhengyifa 征一法 | unified taxation method |
| zhezhongfa 折中法 | equitable exchange method (salt administration) |
| zhifentian 職分田 | see zhitian 職田 |
| zhifu 知府 | prefect |
| zhijiangfa 置將法 | law on military commands (Wang Anshi reforms) |
| zhiqian 制錢 | standard cash |
| zhitian 職田 | "office fields" to provide salaries in grain (Jin to Yuan) |
| zhixian 知縣 | district magistrate |
| zhizheng 執政 | regency |
| zhizhou 知州 | prefect, see zhifu 知府 |
| Zhong-Fa zhanzheng 中法戰爭 | Chinese-French War in 1883-1885 |
| zhongshusheng 中書省 | Palace Secretariat |
| zhuanzheng 專政 | regency or (illegal) dominance of the government |
| zhuangtian 莊田 | manors, large estates, latifundia |
| zhuangyuan 莊園 | see zhuangtian 莊田 |
| zhuanyunshi 轉運使 | transport commissioner |
| zhuhou 諸侯 | regional rulers, "feudal lords" (Zhou) |
| zi 子 | viscount, see wujue 五爵 |
| ziqiang yundong 自強運動 | Self-strengthening Movement in the late 19th cent. |
| zongdu 總督 | governor-general |
| zongfa 宗法 | ancestral lineage system |
| zongli yamen 總理衙門 | Foreign Office |
| zongzhu duhu 宗主督護 | local administration and defense by clan heads (Jin) |
| zouzhe 奏摺 | palace memorial |
| zuo-za 佐雜 | subofficial functionary |
| zuyongdiao zhi 租庸調制 | tripartite tax system |
| zuyin 足銀 | see silver ingots |