Three Departments and Six Ministries

Quick Facts: Who was Three Departments and Six Ministries?

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Three Departments and Six Ministries

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The foundational administrative structure of imperial China, governing governance from Sui to Yuan dynasties.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Three Departments and Six Ministries (Chinese: 三省六部; pinyin: Sān Shěng Liù Bù) system was the primary administrative structure in imperial China from the Sui dynasty (581–618) to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). It was also used by Balhae (698–926) and Goryeo (918–1392), and various other states in Manchuria, Korea and Vietnam. The Three Departments were three top-level administrative structures in imperial China. They were the Central Secretariat, responsible for drafting policy, the Chancellery, responsible for reviewing policy and advising the emperor, and the Department of State Affairs, responsible for implementing policy. The former two were loosely joined as the Secretariat-Chancellery during the late Tang dynasty, the Song dynasty, and Goryeo.

Career & Major Achievements

The Six Ministries were direct administrative organs of the state under the authority of the Department of State Affairs. They were the Ministries of Personnel, Rites, War, Justice, Works, and Revenue. 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. Before the Three Departments and Six Ministries, the central administrative structure of the Qin and Han dynasties was the Three Lords and Nine Ministers (三公九卿; sāngōng jiǔqīng) system.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Nonetheless, even then, offices which fulfilled the same functions as the later three departments were already in existence. The Department of State Affairs originated in the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) in an archival capacity. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BC), the department's office was instituted as a channel of communications between the Emperor's advisors and the government as a whole. By the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220), an office of advisors and reviewers had also been set up.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1271: 1271 Milestone — The Three Departments and Six Ministries (Chinese: 三省六部; pinyin: Sān Shěng Liù Bù) system was the primary administrative structure in imperial China from the Sui dynasty (581–618) to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368).
2. 1392: 1392 Milestone — It was also used by Balhae (698–926) and Goryeo (918–1392), and various other states in Manchuria, Korea and Vietnam.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Three Departments and Six Ministries

True or False: “The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was fully re-established in the Ming Dynasty after its abolition by the preceding dynasty.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Three Departments were abolished by the Ming dynasty; while the Six Ministries continued under the Ming and Qing, the full structure was not re-established.

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• Emperor Go-Murakami — Historical peer (Died in 1368) (1368): 97th Emperor of Japan, reigning during the turbulent Nanboku-chō period.

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