Zhongshu zhengkao 中樞政考

Zhongshu zhengkao 中樞政考 "Treatises on the management of military affairs" (literally: of the central and important) is a compendium on military administration of the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) compiled on imperial order by a team of scholars under the supervision of Ortai (Ch. E'ertai 鄂爾泰, 1677-1745).

The book was finished in 1741. In 31 juan, the book lists the administrative and judicial regulations for the Chinese Green Standard troops (lüqi 綠旗) and the Eight Banners (baqi 八旗) covering all aspects of the state officials, bestowing of titles of nobility, household managment, granaries, field systems, the military administration, postal system, passes and fords, rules to deal with bandits and miscellaneous misdoings.

The Eight Banner section furthermore includes regulations for the imperial palace guard, the procurement of horses and the construction of palace buildings. The Green Standards section includes regulations for the grain transport on the Imperial Canal as well as for the native chieftains.

A third part explains special regulations of the Eight Banners. The three parts are numbered according to three different systems (Celestial Stems, natural materials and moral conduct) to enable a quicker search in the book. The Zhongshu zhengkao can be seen as an extract of the regulations in the Da-Qing huidian 大清會典.

The Xu zhongshu zhengkao 續中樞政考 is a modernized version of the Zhongshu zhengkao. It was compiled on imperial order by a team of scholars under the supervision of Mingliyang (Ch. Mingliang 明亮, 1736-1822). The 72-juan long Xu zhengkao was finished in 1824. The first part deals with regulations for the Eight Banners, the second part with those for the Chinese Green Standard troops. A supplement to this edition was published in 1832, including 4 juan, the first covering aspects of the Banners, the other three aspects of the Green Standards.