Three Departments and Six Ministries
Primary administrative structure in imperial China from Sui to Yuan.
The Three Departments and Six Ministries (Chinese: 三省六部; pinyin: Sān Shěng Liù Bù) was the primary administrative structure in imperial China from the Sui dynasty (581–618) to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). The system comprised three top-level administrative structures—the Central Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs—and six ministries under the Department of State Affairs.
- field
- Imperial Chinese administration
- known_for
- Primary administrative structure from Sui to Yuan dynasties
- used_by
- China, Balhae, Goryeo, and other states in Manchuria, Korea, and Vietnam
Lore & Background
The Three Departments and Six Ministries system evolved from earlier structures. Before it, the Qin and Han dynasties used the Three Lords and Nine Ministers system, though offices with similar functions already existed. The Department of State Affairs originated in the Qin dynasty in an archival capacity, and during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, it became a channel of communications. By the Eastern Han dynasty, an office of advisors and reviewers was set up. The Central Secretariat was formally created under Emperor Wen of Wei to draft imperial edicts and balance the Department of State Affairs. The Chancellery was first instituted during the Jin dynasty and continued through the Northern and Southern dynasties period, often becoming the most powerful office. The Three Departments were the Central Secretariat (drafting policy), the Chancellery (reviewing policy and advising the emperor), and the Department of State Affairs (implementing policy). During the late Tang dynasty, the Song dynasty, and Goryeo, the Central Secretariat and Chancellery were loosely joined as the Secretariat-Chancellery. The Six Ministries—Personnel, Rites, War, Justice, Works, and Revenue—were direct administrative organs under the Department of State Affairs. During the Yuan dynasty, authority over the Six Ministries was transferred to the Central Secretariat. The Three Departments were abolished by the Ming dynasty, but the Six Ministries continued under the Ming and Qing, as well as in Vietnam and Korea.
Reader's Guide
The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was the foundational administrative framework of imperial China for nearly eight centuries, from the Sui dynasty through the Yuan dynasty. It structured the central government into three top-level bodies: the Central Secretariat for drafting policy, the Chancellery for reviewing policy and advising the emperor, and the Department of State Affairs for implementing policy. The Six Ministries—Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works—operated under the Department of State Affairs, handling specific areas of state administration. This system was adopted by neighboring states such as Balhae and Goryeo, and later influenced Vietnam and Korea. Its legacy persisted even after the Three Departments were abolished by the Ming dynasty, as the Six Ministries continued under the Ming and Qing dynasties. The system's clear division of responsibilities—drafting, reviewing, and implementing policy—provided a model for bureaucratic efficiency and centralization. The Yuan dynasty's transfer of authority over the Six Ministries to the Central Secretariat marked a shift, but the structure's core elements endured.
Did You Know?
- The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was the primary administrative structure in imperial China from the Sui dynasty to the Yuan dynasty.
- The Department of State Affairs originated in the Qin dynasty in an archival capacity.
- During the Yuan dynasty, authority over the Six Ministries was transferred to the Central Secretariat.
- The Six Ministries continued under the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as in Vietnam and Korea.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Three Departments and Six Ministries?
It is the overarching governmental framework that governed imperial China from the Sui dynasty (581–618) all the way through the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). The structure split top-level authority among three bodies—the Central Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs—while six operational ministries sat beneath the Department of State Affairs.
What powers and roles do the Three Departments and Six Ministries hold?
The three departments handled drafting imperial edicts, reviewing and deliberating policy, and executing decisions, respectively. The six ministries under the Department of State Affairs then carried out day-to-day administration across areas like personnel, revenue, rites, justice, military affairs, and public works.
How does the Three Departments and Six Ministries arc end?
The system remained the backbone of Chinese imperial administration until the Yuan dynasty concluded in 1368, after which later dynasties replaced or heavily restructured the framework. Its direct institutional life therefore spans roughly seven and a half centuries, from Sui to Yuan.
Why is the Three Departments and Six Ministries so important in the canon?
It is the single most enduring administrative model in the Chinese-history canon, shaping how emperors distributed and checked power for nearly 800 years. Its influence also radiated beyond China, being adopted by Balhae, Goryeo, and various polities across Manchuria, Korea, and Vietnam.
Which states and dynasties actually used the Three Departments and Six Ministries?
In China it ran from the Sui (581–618) through the Yuan (1271–1368). Outside China, Balhae (698–926), Goryeo (918–1392), and a range of smaller states in Manchuria, Korea, and Vietnam all incorporated the same three-department, six-ministry layout into their own governments.
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