The

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

(1636–1912) of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

developed a complicated peerage system for

royal and noble ranks Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duk ...

Rule of inheritance

In principle, titles were downgraded one grade for each generation of inheritance. * Direct imperial princes with the ''Eight Privileges'' were downgraded for four generations, after which the title can be inherited without further downgrades. * Direct imperial princes without the ''Eight Privileges'' were downgraded until the rank of ''feng'en jiangjun'', which then became perpetual. * Cadet line imperial princes and lords were downgraded until they reached ''feng'en jiangjun'', which could be further inherited three times before the title expired completely. * For non-imperial peers, the title could be downgraded to ''en jiwei'' before becoming perpetually heritable. Occasionally, a peer could be granted the privilege of ''shixi wangti'' (; "perpetual heritability"), which allowed the title to be passed down without downgrading. Throughout the Qing dynasty, there were 12 imperial princely families that had this privilege. They were known as the " iron-cap princes". The noble titles were inherited through a system of loose

primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

: The eldest son from the peer's first wife was usually the heir apparent, but inheritance by a younger son, a son of a concubine, or brother of the peer was not uncommon. According to their birth (by the chief consort, secondary consort or concubines) and their father's rank, non-heir sons of imperial princes were also entitled to petition for a lower title than the one they would have received had they been the heir. Non-heir sons of other peers were also occasionally granted a lower title. Whether imperial or not, the inheritance or bestowal was never automatic, and had to be approved by the Emperor, the

Ministry of Personnel The Ministry of Personnel was one of the Six Ministries under the Department of State Affairs in imperial China, Korea, and Vietnam. Functions Under the Ming, the Ministry of Personnel was in charge of civil appointments, merit ratings, promotio ...

, or the

Imperial Clan Court The Imperial Clan Court or Court of the Imperial Clan was an institution responsible for all matters pertaining to the imperial family under the Ming and Qing dynasties of imperial China. This institution also existed under the Nguyễn dynasty o ...

. Imperial princes, upon reaching adulthood at the age of 20, had to pass tests in horse-riding, archery and the

Manchu language Manchu (Manchu:, ) is a critically endangered East Asian Tungusic language native to the historical region of Manchuria in Northeast China. As the traditional native language of the Manchus, it was one of the official languages of the Qing dyn ...

before they were eligible for titles. Imperial princesses, other than the Emperor's daughters, were usually granted titles upon marriage, regardless of age. Princesses' titles were also usually fixed after they were granted, and were not affected by changes in their fathers' nobility ranks.

Grading system

''Yunjiwei'' ("sub-commander of the cloud cavalry") was originally a military rank created in the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...

, but it was later turned into a military honour in the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

as part of the ''xun guan'' () system. The Qing dynasty abolished the separate military honour system and merged it into the nobility rank system, using ''yunjiwei'' as the lowest grantable rank of nobility, and the basic unit of rank progression. For example, a ''yunjiwei'' who received another grant of ''yunjiwei'' became a ''jiduwei''. A ''first-class duke plus yunjiwei'' was the equivalent of 23 grants of ''yunjiwei''.

Official rank (''pin'')

The Qing dynasty, much like previous dynasties, used an "official rank" system (). This system had nine numbered ranks, each subdivided into upper and lower levels, in addition to the lowest "unranked" rank: from upper first ''pin'' (), to lower ninth ''pin'' (), to the unranked (), for a total of 19 ranks. All government personnel, from the highest chancellors to the lowest clerk, held an official rank ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

'', which determined their salary, uniform, privileges and order of precedence. This ''pin'' system existed in parallel to the noble ranks detailed in this article. Many higher noble titles ranked above this system (). And while some titles corresponded to a ''pin'', they were considered equivalents of convenience rather than actual official ranks.

Titular names

Historically, Chinese noble titles were usually created with a ''shiyi'' (;

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

) each, although the fief could be only nominal. The

Hongwu Emperor The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang (), courtesy name Guorui (), was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1368 to 1398. As famine, plagues and peasant revolts in ...

of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

enfeoffed cadet branch princes and other nobles in different regions of China. The Qing dynasty ended this tradition; with only a few exceptions, no fief was ever named. No Qing prince was enfeoffed with territory. Instead, noble titles were created without a name, or were bestowed a ''meihao'' (; titular name). These names were usually descriptive of the peer's merit, virtue, or the circumstances leading to his ennoblement. The Dukes Yansheng kept their traditional fief in Shandong under Qing rule. Titular names were unique for imperial princes, while non-imperial peers' titular names may overlap. Following

tradition, single-character names were reserved for ''qinwang''s, while ''junwang''s used two-character names. All other peers normally had two-character names, but could receive up to four characters. Since noble titles were primarily awarded for military service, the titular names predominantly described martial virtues, e.g., ''zhongyong gong'' (; "loyal and brave duke"). However, a particularly common titular name was ''cheng'en gong'' (; "duke who receives grace"), which was frequently granted to the Empress's family members.

Imperial clan

Eight Privileges

At the top of the imperial hierarchy, the highest six ranks enjoyed the "Eight Privileges" (; ''jakūn ubu''). These privileges were: # Promotional books inscribed on jade, set of seals for correspondence, red carriage wheels, purple horse reins, right for reported entry, red walls of the residence, use of corner lanterns, use of leopard tail guns # Precious stones on the mandarin hat crests, clothes with encircled dragon patterns, use of imperial porcelain tea sets, purple reins, red wheels, doornails on the gate, employment of guards. # Finials on mandarin hats embellished with precious stones, use of two-eyed peacock feather, surcoats with encircled dragon patterns, purple reins, right to enter the imperial palace by horse, leopard tail guns, separate manor in the capital, employment of officials and eunuchs. Peacock feathers, however, were prohibited for princes above the rank of ''beizi'' and direct imperial clansmen. The "Eight Privileges" entitled the prince to participate in state councils and share the spoils of war. However, the prince was also bound to reside in the capital and render service to the imperial court. In 1816, the princes were forbidden from reporting matters via eunuchs. Thus, most of the princes employed officials as managers of domestic affairs. The range of tasks of those officials included conveyance of memorials on behalf of the prince. The supervisor of princely manor held lower 4 rank in 9-pin system.

Male members

* ''Heshuo qinwang'' (''hošo-i cin wang''; ), commonly simplified to ''qinwang'', translated as "Prince of the First Rank" or "Prince of the Blood". "Heshuo" ("hošo") means "four corners, four sides" in Manchu. ** ''Shizi'' (; ''šidzi''), meaning "heir son", refers to the heir apparent to a ''qinwang''. * ''Duoluo junwang'' (''doro-i giyūn wang''; ), commonly simplified to ''junwang'', translated as "Prince of the Second Rank" or "Prince of a

Commandery In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...

". ** ''Zhangzi'' (; ''jangdzi''), meaning "eldest son" or "chief son", refers to the heir apparent to a ''junwang''. * ''Duoluo beile'' (''doro-i beile''; ), means "lord", "prince" or "chief" in Manchu, commonly simplified to ''beile'', and translated as "Prince of the Third Rank", "Venerable Prince", or "Noble Lord". "Duoluo" ("doro") means "virtue, courtesy, propriety" in Manchu. It was usually granted to the son of a ''qinwang'' or ''junwang''. As ''beile'' is the best known Manchu, non-Chinese title, it is commonly used to refer to all Manchu princes. * ''Gushan beizi'' (''gūsa-i beise''; ), commonly simplified to ''beizi'', and translated as "Prince of the Fourth Rank", "Banner Prince" or "Banner Lord". "Gushan" ("gūsai") means "banner" in Manchu, a reference to any of the

Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu households ...

. "Beizi" ("beise") is the plural form of "beile", but since 1636, "beile" and "beizi" were used to refer to two different ranks of nobility. The four ranks above were granted solely to direct male-line descendants of the Emperor. These titles below were granted to cadet lines of the imperial clan. * ''Feng'en zhenguo gong'' ( ''kesi-be tuwakiyara gurun-be dalire gung''; ), translated as "Duke Who Receives Grace and Guards the State", simplified to "Duke Who Guards the State", also translated as "Defender Duke by Grace" or "Duke of the First Rank". * ''Feng'en fuguo gong'' ( ''kesi-be tuwakiyara gurun-de aisilara gung''; ), translated as "Duke Who Receives Grace and Assists the State", simplified to "Duke Who Assists the State", also translated as "Bulwark Duke by Grace" or "Duke of the Second Rank". The above six ranks are titles that enjoy the "Eight Privileges". The titles below do not enjoy the "Eight Privileges" and have no imperial duties. * ''Burubafen zhenguo gong'' ( ''jakūn ubu-de dosimbuhakū gurun-be dalire gung''; ), translated as "Duke Without the Eight Privileges Who Guards the State", also translated as "Lesser Defender Duke" or "Duke of the Third Rank". * ''Burubafen fuguo gong'' ( ''jakūn ubu-de dosimbuhakū gurun-be aisilara gung''; ), translated as "Duke Without the Eight Privileges Who Assists the State", also translated as "Lesser Bulwark Duke" or "Duke of the Fourth Rank". All of the above titles are ''chaopin'' (), outranking official ranks. The ranks below are ranked first to fourth ''pin'' respectively. The first three ''jiangjun'' ranks are each further subdivided into four classes: ''first class plus yunjiwei'', ''first class'', ''second class'', and ''third class''. * ''Zhenguo jiangjun'' (; ''gurun be dalire janggin''; ), translated as "General Who Guards the State", "Defender General", or "(Hereditary) General of the First Rank". * ''Fuguo jiangjun'' (; ''gurun de aisilara janggin''; ), translated as "General Who Assists the State", "Bulwark General", or "(Hereditary) General of the Second Rank". * ''Fengguo jiangjun'' (; ''gurun be tuwakiyara janggin''; ), translated as "General Who Receives the State", "Supporter General", or "(Hereditary) General of the Third Rank". * ''Feng'en jiangjun'' (; ''kesi-be tuwakiyara janggin''; ), translated as "General Who Receives Grace", "General by Grace", or "(Hereditary) General of the Fourth Rank". This rank has no sub-classes. This title is not granted ''per se'', but were given to heirs of ''fengguo jiangjun''s. Regardless of title and rank, an imperial prince was addressed as "''A-ge''" (; ''age''; ), which means "lord" or "commander" in Manchu. ;Comparison of imperial ranks for male members

Female members

The following titles were granted to female members of the imperial clan: * ''Gulun gongzhu'' (; ''gurun-i gungju''), translated as "State Princess", "Gurun Princess" or "Princess of the First Rank". It was usually granted to a princess born to the Empress. "Gulun" means "all under Heaven" in Manchu. * ''Heshuo gongzhu'' (; ''hošo-i gungju''), translated as "Heshuo Princess" or "Princess of the Second Rank". It was usually granted to a princess born to a consort or concubine. "Heshuo" ("hošo") means "four corners, four sides" in Manchu. * ''Junzhu'' (; ''hošo-i gege''), translated as "Princess of a

" or "Princess of the Third Rank". It was usually granted to the daughter of a ''qinwang''. Also called ''heshuo gege'' (和碩格格) or ''qinwang gege'' (親王格格), lit. "lady of a prince of the blood". Daughters of qinwang also could be promoted to ''heshuo gongzhu'' or ''gulun gongzhu'' if they were adopted as emperor's daughters''.'' * ''Xianzhu'' (; ''doro-i gege''), translated as "Princess of a County" or "Princess of the Fourth Rank". It was usually granted to the daughter of a ''junwang'' or ''shizi''. Also called ''duolun gege'' (多倫格格) or ''junwang gege'' (郡王格格), lit. "lady of a prince of a commandery". Could be promoted to ''junzhu'' in special circumstances. * ''Junjun'' (; ''beile-i jui doro-i gege''), translated as "Lady of a Commandery" or "Lady of the First Rank". It was usually granted to a daughter born to a secondary consort of a ''qinwang'' or to the daughter of a ''beile''. Also called ''duolun gege'' (多倫格格) or ''beile gege'' (貝勒格格), lit. "lady of a prince (of the third rank)". Could be promoted to ''xianzhu''. * ''Xianjun'' (; ''gūsa-i gege''), translated as "Lady of a County" or "Lady of the Second Rank". It was usually granted to a daughter born to a secondary consort of a ''junwang'' or to the daughter of a ''beizi''. Also called ''gushan gege'' (固山格格), lit. "lady of a banner", or ''beizi gege'' (貝子格格), lit. "lady of a prince (of the fourth rank)". * ''Xiangjun'' (; ''gung-ni jui gege''), translated as "Lady of a Village" or "Lady of the Third Rank". It was usually granted to the daughters of dukes with eight privileges or daughters born to a secondary consort of ''beile''. Also called ''gong gege'' (公格格), lit. "lady of a duke". * ''Zongnü'' (), translated as "Clanswoman". This is not a granted title, but the honorific given to all daughters of dukes without eight privileges and ''jiangjun''s, as well as all other untitled princesses. However, ** Daughters born to a secondary consort of a ''beizi'' are called ''wupinfeng zongnü'' (五品俸宗女), "clanswoman with stipend of the fifth ''pin''". ** Daughters born to a secondary consort of a ''feng'en zhenguo gong'' or ''feng'en fuguo gong'' are called ''liupinfeng zongnü'' (六品俸宗女), "clanswoman with stipend of the sixth ''pin''". Comparison of titles for imperial princesses

Princesses' consorts

''Efu'' ( ), also known ''Fuma'' (), translated as "Prince Consort". Its original meaning was "emperor's charioteer". It was usually granted to the spouse of a princess above the rank of ''zongnü''. The ''efu''s were separated into seven ranks corresponding to the rank of the princesses the ''efu'' married. ''Efu''s who married ''gulun gongzhu''s and ''heshuo gongzhu''s held ranks equivalent to the ''beizi''s and dukes respectively. The remaining ''efu''s had equivalent official rank from the first to fifth ''pin''. An ''efu'' retained his title and privileges as long as the princess remained his primary spouse – even after her death. However, if an ''efu'' remarried or promoted a consort to be his primary spouse, he lost all rights obtained from his marriage to the princess.

Princess consorts

The following titles were granted to consorts of imperial princes: * Primary consort (嫡福晋, dí fújìn) also called Great consort (大福晋, pinyin: dà fújìn, ''amba fujin''), was given to the main wives of imperial princes above the rank of junwang. Imperial dukes' wives were titled Madame ( 夫人; ''fū rén'')''.'' The main spouse of the Crown Prince was given the title “Crown Princess Consort" (皇太子妃). Primary consorts of the emperor's sons could also be entitled "Imperial Princess Consort" (皇子妃). The title “Crown Princess Consort" was equivalent to the Imperial Noble Consort, while "Imperial Princess Consort" was equivalent to Noble Consort. The title "great consort" was granted to primary consorts of

Nurhaci Nurhaci (14 May 1559 – 30 September 1626), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Qing (), was a Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late 16th century in Manchuria. A member of the House of Aisin-Gioro, he reigned ...

and

Hong Taiji Hong Taiji (28 November 1592 – 21 September 1643), also rendered as Huang Taiji and sometimes referred to as Abahai in Western literature, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizong of Qing, was the second khan of the Later Jin ...

and were equivalent to empress. Primary consorts were selected through receiving a ruyi scepter. * Secondary consort (側福晉, pinyin: cè fújìn, ''ashan-i-fujin'') was granted to secondary wives of imperial princes above the ranks of junwang. Secondary consort of crown prince was given the title "Crown Prince's Side Concubine" (皇太子侧妃). Secondary consorts of emperor's sons could also be entitled "Prince's Side Concubine" (皇子侧妃). Secondary consort were selected by receiving an embroidered fragrant pouch. * Mistress (格格, pinyin: gégé), little consort (小福晋, pinyin: xiǎo fújìn, ''ajige-i-fujin''), concubine (妾, qie) or (庶福晋, pinyin: shufujin) was granted to concubines of imperial princes, dukes and generals. A mistress of the crown prince was titled "Crown Prince's Concubine" (皇太子庶妃, pinyin: huáng tàizǐ shù fēi), while a mistress of imperial prince was honoured as "Imperial Prince's Concubine" (皇子庶妃, pinyin: huángzǐ shù fēi).If the prince had more than one mistress, they could be granted honorific names derived from their birth clans names. Mistress was selected by receiving 100

taels Tael (),"Tael" entry
at the

Minning, Prince Zhi of the First Rank was honoured as

Empress Xiaomucheng Empress Xiaomucheng (1781 – 17 February 1808), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan, was a consort of the Daoguang Emperor. Life Family background Empress Xiaomucheng's personal name was not recorded in history. * Father: Buyan ...

, Lady Sakda, primary consort of

Yizhu The Xianfeng Emperor (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), or by temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing (), given name Yizhu (), was the eighth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigned from 1850 ...

was honoured as

Empress Xiaodexian Empress Xiaodexian (12 April 1831 – 24 January 1850), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Sakda clan, was a consort of the Xianfeng Emperor. Life Family background Empress Xiaodexian's personal name was not recorded in history. Her family ...

. The same rule was for primary consort of the imperial prince who died before the marriage, e.g. Lady Nara, primary consort of Yongkui, Prince Li of the First Rank. Palace maids from prince's residence could be promoted in case of princess consort's death or in case when they had children with a prince, ex.

Wang Yuying Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thail ...

Yongxuan Aisin-Gioro Yongxuan (永璇; 31 August 1746 – 1 September 1832) was a Qing Dynasty imperial prince and Qianlong Emperor's eighth son. Life Yongxuan was born on 31 August 1746 at the Palace of Eternal Spring in the Forbidden City. His mother ...

's servant was promoted to secondary consort. Remaining spouses could be promoted to higher positions in special circumstances, ex. lady

Wanyan The Wanyan (; Manchu: ''Wanggiyan''; Jurchen script: ) clan was among the clans of the Heishui Mohe tribe living in the drainage region of the Heilong River during the time of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty. Of the Heishui Mohe, the clan was count ...

Yongcheng Yongcheng () is county-level city in Henan province, China, and is the easternmost county-level division of the province, bordering Anhui province on all sides except the northwest and due north. Yongcheng has significant coal deposits and some ins ...

's unranked spouse was given a title of secondary consort. If imperial prince ascended the throne, his primary consort was named as empress, secondary consorts were named as noble consorts, consorts or concubines and mistresses were granted titles from first class female attendant to concubine or consort and given honorific names. Princess consorts held titles according to their husbands. If the prince was demoted, princess consort could be treated appropriately. After the demotion of prince, princess consort returned her regalias to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If the prince was born in a non-iron cap cadet line, his future title depended on the position of his consort. Nevertheless, they addressed themselves as "qie". On the other hand, princess consort was mainly addressed as "fujin" or "furen" according to the title of her husband. All princess consorts regardless of rank were listed in imperial genealogy (Jade Tables). Princess consorts could wear chaofu befitting imperial consorts on solemn ceremonies, but were prohibited from wearing yellow-grounded robes. The crown of princess consort had peacocks instead of phoenixes and no tiers on the finial. Princess consort wore jifu with roundels of dragons matching patterns on the surcoat of her husband and tiara with phoenixes. Imperial duchesses wore jifu with medallions of flowers like imperial consorts below the rank of noble lady. ; Comparison of imperial titles for women

Others

At the beginning of the Qing dynasty, before the rank system was formalised, non-standard titles were also used, such as: * ''Da beile'' (; ' 'amba beile''), translated as "Grand ''Beile''", assumed by

Daišan Daišan (Manchu: ; 19 August 1583 – 25 November 1648) was an influential Manchu prince and statesman of the Qing dynasty. Family background Daišan was born in the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the second son of Nurhaci, the founder of ...

during the tetrarchy, and by Huangtaiji prior to his ascension. * ''Zhang gongzhu'' (), translated as "Grand Princess", "Chief Princess", "Elder Princess" or "Princess Imperial", was granted to various daughters of

and Huangtaiji. Title could be granted to eldest daughter of the Emperor or Emperor's sister. * ''Da zhang gongzhu'' (大长公主), translated as "Grand Princess Imperial", was never used in hierarchy, but could be granted to Emperor's paternal aunt. The only holder of this title was Gurun Princess Yongmu, daughter of

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang Bumbutai ( mn, Бумбутай; mnc, m= ; zh, 布木布泰; 28 March 1613 – 27 January 1688), of the Khorchin Mongol Borjigit clan, was the consort of Hong Taiji. She was 21 years his junior. She was honoured as Empress Dowager Zhaosheng ...

and aunt of the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...

Non-imperial nobility

Standard non-imperial titles

The following are the nine ranks of the peerage awarded for valour, achievement, distinction, other imperial favour, and to imperial consort clans. * ''Gong'' (; ''gung''), often referred to as ''min gong'' (; "commoner duke") to differentiate from the imperial (; "imperial duke"). Translated as "Duke" or "Non-imperial Duke". The title (; "

commandery In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...

duke") existed from around the Cao Wei period until the early years of the

, along with (; "

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

duke"). * ''Hou'' (; ''ho''), translated as "Marquis" or "Marquess". * ''Bo'' (; ''be''), translated as "Count". The above three ranks are ''chaopin'' (), outranking official ranks. The four following ranks were all evolved from leadership ranks in the Manchu banner army, originally called ''ejen'' (額真; "lord" or "master" in Manchu) and later ''janggin'' (章京; "general" in Manchu). * ''Zi'' (; ''jinkini hafan''), translated as "Viscount". * ''Nan'' (; ''ashan-i hafan''), translated as "Baron". * ''Qingche duwei'' (; ''adaha hafan''), translated as "Master Commandant of Light Chariot", roughly equivalent to a commander of a

chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order (distinction), order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic Military order (religious society), military orders of the ...

. All of the above ranks are sub-divided into four classes; in order: ''first class plus yunqiwei'', ''first class'', ''second class'', and ''third class''. * ''Jiduwei'' (; ''baitalabure hafan''), translated as "Master Commandant of Cavalry", rough equivalent of an officer of a chivalric order. This rank is subdivided into two classes: ''jiduwei plus yunjiwei'', and simply ''jiduwei''. * ''Yunqiwei'' (; ''tuwašara hafan''), translated as "Knight Commandant of the Cloud", rough equivalent of a knight bachelor. * ''Enjiwei'' (; ''kesingge hafan''), translated as "Knight Commandant by Grace", rough equivalent of an esquire. This title was not granted ''per se'', but bestowed on the heirs of ''yunjiwei''s without the privilege of perpetual inheritance.

Pre-standard non-imperial titles

At the beginning of the Qing dynasty, during

's and Huangtaiji's reigns, the noble ranks were not yet standardised. Several titles were created that did not fit into the above system, mostly for defectors from the

. These titles were similar to the titles used in the Ming dynasty, and lack the Manchu nomenclature and the noble rank system introduced later. * ''Qinwang'' (; ''cin wang''), "Prince of the Blood", created for

Wu Sangui Wu Sangui (; 8 June 1612 – 2 October 1678), courtesy name Changbai () or Changbo (), was a notorious Ming Dynasty military officer who played a key role in the fall of the Ming dynasty and the founding of the Qing dynasty in China. In Chinese ...

and

Shang Kexi Shang Kexi (尚可喜; Shang Ko-hsi; August 25, 1604 – November 12, 1676) was a Chinese general of the Ming and Qing dynasties. His family had migrated to Liaodong in 1576 and his father, Shang Xueli, served in the army guarding the northe ...

. * ''Junwang'' (; ''giyūn wang''), "Prince of a

", created for Fuhuan and

Fukang'an Fuk'anggan (Manchu language, Manchu:, Transliterations of Manchu, Möllendorff: fuk'anggan; ; 1748–1796), courtesy name Yaolin (), was a Manchu people, Manchu noble and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was from the Fuca (clan), Fuca clan () and ...

. * ''Wang'' (; ''wang''), "Prince", created for Yangguli and several Ming defectors. The relation between ''wang'' and ''junwang'' is unclear: in both Ming and Qing traditions, single-character titular names were reserved for ''qinwang''s, while ''junwang''s received two-character titular names, but these ''wang''s were created with both single and two-character titular names. Both Wu Sangui and Shang Kexi were promoted from ''wang'' to ''qinwang'', but no ''wang'' was ever promoted to ''junwang'' or vice versa. * ''Beile'' (; ''beile''), "Lord", "Prince" or "Chief" in Manchu. It was the generic title of all Manchu lords during the Ming dynasty. Under the Qing dynasty, this title was generally reserved for imperials, but was retained by the princes of

Yehe Nara (Manchu: , Wade-Giles: nara hala, Chinese: , or ) is a clan name shared by a number of royal Manchu clans. The four tribes of the Hūlun confederation () – Hada (), Ula (), Hoifa () and Yehe () – were all ruled by clans bearing this ...

after their submission to

. * ''Beizi'' (; ''beise''). Normally reserved for imperials, it was uniquely created for

, before he was further elevated to ''junwang''. * ''Chaopin Gong'' (), "High Duke", a unique rank created for Yangguli, before he was further elevated to ''wang''. This title ranks just below ''beizi'' and above all other dukes. * ''Gong'' (; ''Gung''; "Duke"), ''Hou'' (; ''ho''; "Marquess"), and ''Bo'' (; ''be''; "Count"), similar to the later standard titles, but created without subclasses (). Additionally, there were banner offices that later evolved into hereditary noble titles. Despite being used as noble titles, these offices continued to exist and function in the banner hierarchy. To distinguish the noble titles from the offices, they were sometimes called "hereditary office" () or "hereditary rank" (). * ''Gūsa ejen'' (), meaning "master of a banner", later Sinicised to become ''dutong'' (), meaning "colonel"; ** Evolved into ''zongbing'' (), meaning "chief commander"; ** Then into ''amba janggin'' (), meaning "grand general"; ** Then into ''jinkini hafan'' (), meaning "prime officer"; ** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''zi'' (), meaning "viscount". * ''Meiren-i ejen'' (), meaning "vice master", Sinicised to become ''fu dutong'' (), meaning "vice colonel"; ** Evolved into ''fujiang'' (), meaning "vice general"; ** Then into ''meiren-i janggin'' (), meaning "vice general"; ** Then into ''ashan-i hafan'' (), meaning "vice officer"; ** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''nan'' (), meaning "baron". * ''Jalan ejen'' (), meaning "master of a sub-banner", Sinicised to become ''canling'' (), meaning "staff captain"; ** Evolved into ''canjiang'' (), meaning "staff general", or ''youji'' (), meaning "vanguard" or "skirmish leader"; ** Then into ''jalan janggin'' (), meaning "general of a sub-banner"; ** Then into ''adaha hafan'' (), meaning "chariot officer"; ** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''qingche duwei'' (), meaning "master commandant of light chariot". * ''Niru ejen'' (), meaning "master of an arrow" (an "arrow" was a basic unit of a banner army), later Sinicised to become ''zuoling'' (), meaning "assistant captain"; ** Evolved into ''beiyu'' (), meaning "rearguard"; ** Then into ''niru janggin'' (), meaning "general of an arrow"; ** Then into ''baitalabura hafan'' (), meaning "adjutant officer"; ** Which was finally Sinicised to become ''ji duwei'' (), meaning "master commandant of cavalry".

Comparison of non-imperial nobility titles

Notable titles

Duke Yansheng The Duke Yansheng, literally "Honorable Overflowing with Wisdom", sometimes translated as Holy Duke of Yen, was a Chinese title of nobility. It was originally created as a marquis title in the Western Han dynasty for a direct descendant o ...

(; "Duke Overflowing with Sagacity), granted to the heirs of the senior northern branch of

Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...

Qufu Qufu ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Shandong province, East China. It is located about south of the provincial capital Jinan and northeast of the prefectural seat at Jining. Qufu has an area of 815 square kilometers, and a total population of ...

. * Duke Haicheng (; "Duke East of the Sea"), granted to Ming loyalist

Zheng Keshuang Zheng Keshuang, Prince of Yanping (; 13 August 1670 – 22 September 1707), courtesy name Shihong, art name Huitang, was the third and last ruler of the Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan in the 17th century. He was the second son of Zheng Jing and ...

, the once independent king of the Taiwan-based

Kingdom of Tungning The Kingdom of Tungning (), also known as Tywan by the British at the time, was a dynastic maritime state that ruled part of southwestern Taiwan and the Penghu islands between 1661 and 1683. It is the first predominantly Han Chinese state in ...

who surrendered to the Qing Empire in 1683, and his heirs. * Duke Cheng'en (承恩公, ''Chéng‘ēn Gōng, "''Duke Who Receives Grace"), granted to fathers and brothers of empresses. This title had 3 subclasses. * First Class Duke Zhongyong (一等忠勇公,''Yīděng Zhōngyǒng Gōng,'' "Duke of Loyalty and Courage"), granted to Fuca Fuheng for Xinjiang campaign. * Count Zhongcheng (; "Count of Loyalty and Sincerity"), granted to

Feng Xifan Feng Xifan ( 17th century), pseudonym Xifan (), was an official and general of the Kingdom of Tungning on the island of Taiwan in the late 17th century. He was from Longxi County, which is around present-day Qiling Village, Longwen District, ...

, a former Ming loyalist official in the Kingdom of Tungning. * Marquis Jinghai (; "Marquis Pacifying the Sea"), granted to Shi Lang and his heirs. * Hereditary Magistrate of Guogan County (), granted to Ming loyalist Yang Guohua (楊國華/杨国华), the ruler of the

Kokang Kokang ( my, ကိုးကန့်; ) is a region in Myanmar (Burma). It is located in the northern part of Shan State, with the Salween River to its west, and sharing a border with China's Yunnan Province to the east. Its total land area i ...

region in present-day Myanmar. * Marquis Yan'en (; "Marquis of Extended Grace"), granted to the heads of a cadet branch of the

House of Zhu The House of Zhu () was the ruling house of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and the Southern Ming (1644–1662) in Chinese history. After the fall of the Ming dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty started persecuting the Zhu clan, hence a number ...

, the imperial clan of the

. * Count Zhaoxin (), granted to

Li Shiyao Li, li, or LI may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects * Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political tec ...

(李侍堯), a descendant of

Li Yongfang Li Yongfang (; died 1634) was a Chinese general of the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty known for defecting to the Qing dynasty, due to the Ming dynasty losing the city of Fushun in Liaoning to the Qing. Li Yongfang along with many other Han Chinese ...

(李永芳). * First Class Marquis Yiyong (； “Marquis of Determination and Courage"), granted to

Zeng Guofan Zeng Guofan, Marquis Yiyong (; 26 November 1811 – 12 March 1872), birth name Zeng Zicheng, courtesy name Bohan, was a Chinese statesman and military general of the late Qing dynasty. He is best known for raising and organizing the Xiang A ...

and his descendants. * Second Class Marquis Kejing (; "Marquis of Respect and Tranquility" ), granted to

Zuo Zongtang Zuo Zongtang, Marquis Kejing ( also spelled Tso Tsung-t'ang; ; November 10, 1812 – September 5, 1885), sometimes referred to as General Tso, was a Chinese statesman and military leader of the late Qing dynasty. Born in Xiangyin County ...

and his descendants. * First Class Marquis Suyi (; ”Marquis of Peace and Determination"), granted to

Li Hongzhang Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; 15 February 1823 – 7 November 1901) was a Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important ...

and his descendants.

Non-imperial nobility titles for women

Mingfu (命妇, Mìngfù; "noblewoman") was granted to wives of officials, non-imperial aristocrates and collateral clanswomen. Also, mothers of imperial consorts were granted a title of "mingfu" according to the rank held by her daughter as well as sisters of imperial consorts and ''fujins''. Noblewomen were divided into 7 ranks according to the rank of her husband and her daughter, if her daughter was an imperial consort. If the title held by mingfus' husbands was divided into subclasses, they could be treated equally. Mingfus holding rank equivalent to wives of imperial generals conducted court ceremonies, ex. promotions of imperial consort, weddings of princes and princesses (if they married into Manchu or Han family) and rites, while lower rank ladies attended to them. Mingfu, whose husband was granted a title above the rank system (Duke, Marquis or Count), was treated similarly to imperial duchess, but enjoyed less privileges than imperial clanswoman. Collateral Gioro ladies were treated as mingfu from 1st to 3rd rank. Noblewomen were addressed as "furen" ("Madam") regardless of rank. However， * Wives of officials who received nobility title, were ranked according to the rank held by their husbands and could be further promoted. Sometimes, mingfus were given honorifical names, ex. Tatara Meixian, primary spouse of Niohuru Lingzhu, was styled as "Madam of Gaoming" by

personally. * Sisters of imperial consorts, who weren't members of imperial family (primary consorts or imperial consorts) were given a title of mingfu and receive a title according to the position of their husbands. * Mingfu retained her title even after divorce if her sister or daughter was imperial consort. * Wives and mothers of dukes and aristocrats, who received pre-standard titles could be addressed as "fujin" – a title typical for imperial princess consort. For example, mother of

Fuk'anggan Fuk'anggan ( Manchu:, Möllendorff: fuk'anggan; ; 1748–1796), courtesy name Yaolin (), was a Manchu noble and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was from the Fuca clan () and the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Eight Banners. Fuk'anggan's father ...

, lady Yehenara was mentioned and addressed as "fujin", as a mother of Prince Jiayong of the Second Rank (嘉勇郡王). Fukang'an's wife, lady Irgen Gioro was also addressed as "fujin". Their names were not listed in Jade Tables. * Close friends and servants of imperial consorts who weren't members of ruling clan could receive a title of mingfu and rarely could be addressed as "gege". Although Sumalagu,a confidant of

, was entitled as mingfu, grand empress dowager Xiaozhuang addressed her as "gege" (imperial princess). Differently to imperial clanswomen, mingfus wore crowns with three bejeweled plaques and finial consisting of one coral, silk bandeaus with embroidered golden dragons chasing after a flaming pearl and blue-grounded chaofu on solemn ceremonies. Lower- ranking ladies could not wear surcoats with roundels of flowers and auspicious symbols unlike imperial duchesses and clanswomen. Collateral clanswomen could wear surcoats with rampant four-clawed dragons above the magnificent sea-waves pattern ( lishui) and white caishui (pointed kerchief fastened to the robe like a pendant). Wives of officials wore sleeveless vest matching

Mandarin square A mandarin square ( zh, t=補子, s=补子, hp=bŭzi, w=putzŭ; mnc, m=, v=sabirgi; vi, Bổ tử; Chữ Nho: 補子; ko, 흉배/胸背, hyungbae), also known as a rank badge, was a large embroidered badge sewn onto the surcoat of officials ...

of her husband and Ming Dynasty style tiaras, as depicted on ancestral portraits.

Civil and honorary titles

With a few exceptions, the above titles were, in principle, created for only military merits. There were also titles for civil officials. While there were a few Manchu civil titles, the most important civil titles followed the Han Chinese Confucian tradition, derived from high bureaucratic offices or imperial household offices that evolved into honorary sinecures. These were sometimes granted as special privileges, but also often as a practical means of conferring official rank promotion without giving specific responsibilities. Examples of such titles were ''taibao'' (太保; "Grand Protector"), ''shaoshi'' (少師; "Junior Preceptor"), ''taizi taifu'' (太子太傅; "Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince"), furen (夫人, "Madam"/“Lady") and ''dafu'' (大夫; "Gentleman"). These titles were non-heritable. In addition, there were also honorary and hereditary titles granted to religious and cultural leaders, such as: * ''Wujing Boshi'' (), a title used in the Hanlin Academy. It was awarded the southern branch of Confucius's descendants in

Quzhou Quzhou is a prefecture-level city in western Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the upper course of the Qiantang River, it borders Hangzhou to the north, Jinhua to the east, Lishui to the southeast, and the provinces o ...

, and

Mencius Mencius ( ); born Mèng Kē (); or Mèngzǐ (; 372–289 BC) was a Chinese Confucianism, Confucian Chinese philosophy, philosopher who has often been described as the "second Sage", that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confuc ...

's descendants in

Zoucheng Zoucheng () is a county-level city in the south of Shandong province, China. Before it became a city, it was known as Zou County or Zouxian. Zoucheng is located about 20 km south of the city of Qufu, and like Qufu, is administratively under ...

, as well as descendants of Confucian sages (e.g. Confucius's disciples and prominent

Neo-Confucian scholars Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in t ...

), and descendants of

Guan Yu Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on ...

and the

Duke of Zhou Dan, Duke Wen of Zhou (), commonly known as the Duke of Zhou (), was a member of the royal family of the early Zhou dynasty who played a major role in consolidating the kingdom established by his elder brother King Wu. He was renowned for acting ...

. There were 22 of them.

Zhang Zai Zhang Zai () (1020–1077) was a Chinese philosopher and politician. He is most known for laying out four ontological goals for intellectuals: to build up the manifestations of Heaven and Earth's spirit, to build up good life for the populace, to ...

's descendants received the "Wujing Boshi" appointment along with those of

Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...

Cheng Hao Chéng Hào (, 1032–1085), Courtesy name Bóchún (), was a Chinese philosopher and politician from Luoyang, China. In his youth, he and his younger brother Cheng Yi were students of Zhou Dunyi, one of the architects of Neo-Confucian c ...

, Cheng Yi and

Zhou Dunyi Zhou Dunyi (; 1017–1073) was a Chinese cosmologist, philosopher, and writer during the Song dynasty. He conceptualized the Neo-Confucian cosmology of the day, explaining the relationship between human conduct and universal forces. In this w ...

. * Zhengyi Si Jiao Zhenren (), an honorary title awarded to

Zhang Daoling Zhang Ling (; traditionally 34–156), courtesy name Fuhan (), was a Chinese religious leader who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty credited with founding the Way of the Celestial Masters sect of Taoism, which is also known as the Way of the F ...

's descendants and the

Celestial Masters The Way of the Celestial Masters is a Chinese Daoist movement that was founded by Zhang Daoling in 142 AD. Its followers rebelled against the Han Dynasty, and won their independence in 194. At its height, the movement controlled a theocratic stat ...

Ranks of protectorates and tributary states

The Qing imperial court also granted titles to princes of its protectorates and tributary states, mainly in

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

. The vassal titles were generally inherited in perpetuity without downgrading. The ranks roughly mirrored those of the imperial clan, with a few differences: * ''Han'' (; ''han''), ranked higher than ''qinwang'', and ranked only below the Emperor and the Crown Prince in the Qing hierarchy. Sometimes also called ''hanwang'' (; "Khan-King"). The Emperor also used the title of ''dahan'' (; "Great Khan") instead of ''Emperor'' in communiqués to the Central Asian states. * Vassal princes who did not have the "Eight Privileges". There were no distinctions between dukes with or without the "Eight Privileges". There were only two ducal ranks: ''zhenguo gong'' and ''fuguo gong''. * Instead of the ''jiangjun'' ranks, the vassal lords held these titles: ** ''Taiji'' (; ''tayiji''), for members of the Borjigin clan. ** ''Tabunang'' (; ''tabunang''), for descendants of

Jelme Jelme ( mn, Зэлмэ, ''Zelme'', ; 1160 – 1207) was a general and close companion of Genghis Khan. He was the older brother of Subutai and was of the Uriankhan clan.Richard A. Gabriel, ''Subotai the Valiant: Genghis Khan's Greatest General'', ...

. The ''taiji'' and ''tabunang'' are equal in rank, and both subdivided into five classes: ''

jasagh A jasagh ( засаг, or засаг ноён; ; lit. Power, Authority) was the head of a Mongol banner or khoshun during the Qing dynasty and the Bogd Khanate. The position was held by hereditary succession by certain Mongol princes, most of whom ...

'', ''first class'', ''second class'', ''third class'', and ''fourth class''. ''Jasagh'' is ''chaopin'', above official ranks, while the rest were equivalent to the first to fourth ''pin''. Under the ''

tusi ''Tusi'', often translated as "headmen" or "chieftains", were hereditary tribal leaders recognized as imperial officials by the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties of China, and the Later Lê and Nguyễn dynasties of Vietnam. They ruled certain e ...

'' system, the Qing Empire also recognised various local tribal chieftainships of ethnic minority tribes. This was mainly applied in the mountain regions of

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

, but also in western and northern borderlands. They were the

Chiefdom of Bathang Chiefdom of Bathang (), or Chiefdom of Batang (), was an autonomous Tusi chiefdom that ruled Bathang (present day Batang County of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) during the Qing dynasty period. Bathang belonged to the Chiefdom of Lijiang ...

Chiefdom of Chuchen Chiefdom of Chuchen (), also known as Rabden or the Chiefdom of Greater Jinchuan (), was an autonomous Gyalrong Tusi chiefdom that ruled Greater Jinchuan (present day Jinchuan County, Sichuan) during the Qing dynasty. The rulers of Chuchen used th ...

Chiefdom of Lijiang The Chiefdom of Lijiang (; Naxi: ) was a Nakhi autonomous Tusi chiefdom that ruled Lijiang during Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty. History At first, Lijiang was ruled by Yuexi Zhao (越巂詔). Later, it was annexed by Nanzhao. According to leg ...

Chiefdom of Lithang Chiefdom of Lithang (), or Chiefdom of Litang (), was an autonomous Tusi chiefdom that ruled Litang (present day Litang County of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) during the Qing dynasty period. Lithang, Bathang, Chakla and Derge were call ...

, Chiefdom of Mangshi,

Chiefdom of Tsanlha Chiefdom of Tsanlha (; ), also known as Chiefdom of Lesser Jinchuan (), was an autonomous Gyalrong people, Gyalrong Tusi, chiefdom that ruled Lesser Jinchuan (present day Xiaojin County, Sichuan) during Qing dynasty. The rulers of Tsanlha used the ...

Chiefdom of Yao'an Chiefdom of Yao'an (), ruled by the Gao clan, was a Bai autonomous ''Tusi'' chiefdom during Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty. The chiefdom located at the convergence of Yunnan and Sichuan. The Gao clan were descendants of Gao Shengtai, whom was th ...

, Chiefdom of Yongning,

Mu'ege Mu'ege ( Nasu: ; ) was a Nasu Yi chiefdom in modern Guizhou that existed from 300 to 1698. Since 1279, Mu'ege was conquered by the Yuan dynasty and became Chiefdom of Shuixi () under the Chinese ''tusi'' system. Shuixi was one of the most po ...

Chiefdom of Muli A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

and Chiefdom of Langqu. The Qing Empire had two vassals in Xinjiang, the

Kumul Khanate The Kumul Khanate was a semi-autonomous feudal Turkic khanate (equivalent to a banner in Mongolia) within the Qing dynasty and then the Republic of China until it was abolished by Xinjiang governor Jin Shuren in 1930. The Khanate was located in ...

and the

Turfan Khanate Turpan (also known as Turfan or Tulufan, , ug, تۇرپان) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of the autonomous region of Xinjiang, China. It has an area of and a population of 632,000 (2015). Geonyms The original name of the cit ...

Other honours and privileges

In addition to systematized rank titles listed above, there were also other honorific titles and privileges, mostly non-heritable: * There were various Mongol/Manchu/Turkic titles, granted mainly to non-Han vassals and officials. '' Bitesi'', '' baksi'', '' jarguci'' were civil honours, while '' baturu'', '' daicing'', '' cuhur'' were military honours. ''

Jasagh A jasagh ( засаг, or засаг ноён; ; lit. Power, Authority) was the head of a Mongol banner or khoshun during the Qing dynasty and the Bogd Khanate. The position was held by hereditary succession by certain Mongol princes, most of whom ...

'' was granted to vassals with autonomous power, while ''

darhan Tarkhan ( otk, 𐱃𐰺𐰴𐰣, Tarqan, mn, or ; fa, ترخان; ; ar , طرخان; alternative spellings ''Tarkan'', ''Tarkhaan'', ''Tarqan'', ''Tarchan'', ''Turxan'', ''Tarcan'', ''Turgan, Tárkány, Tarján'') is an ancient Central Asia ...

'' was a hereditary title divided into three classes. These titles were mostly awarded to Manchus and Mongols in the early Qing dynasty, but gradually fell out of use as the court became increasingly Sinicised. * The privilege of wearing feathers on the mandarin hat; this privilege was known as ''lingyu'' (): ** Peacock feathers () were usually worn by imperial princes, prince consorts, imperial bodyguards and some high-ranking officials. Exceptionally, peacock feathers may be granted as a special honour. Two-eyed and three-eyed feathers were very rarely bestowed – only seven peers ever received the three-eyed feathers, while two dozens received the two-eyed feathers. ** Blue feathers () were usually worn by household officials of the imperial and princely houses. Like peacock feathers, blue feathers may be granted as a special honour, usually to officials of the sixth ''pin'' and below. ** Although a badge of honour, the feathers also symbolised bond servitude to the Emperor. As such, direct imperial clansmen and imperial princes ranked ''beile'' and above were prohibited from wearing feathers. * The privilege of wearing the yellow jacket (; "yellow jacket of martial merit"). This is usually the uniform of imperial bodyguards, but it could also be bestowed upon anyone by the Emperor. A rare honour in the early Qing dynasty, it was diluted through excessive grants in the late Qing era. The jacket may only be worn in the Emperor's presence. * The privilege of wearing imperial girdles (to both the recipient and his issue): ** The yellow girdles () were normally reserved for direct imperial clansmen (), but may be granted to collateral imperial clansmen, known as ''gioro'' () as an honour. The yellow girdle entitled the wearer to be tried by the

as opposed to the general or banner courts. ** The red girdles () were normally reserved for collateral imperial clansmen, or ''gioro'', as well as demoted direct imperial clansmen. Non-imperials may be granted the Gioro surname and be adopted into the imperial clan, thus the privilege of wearing the red girdle. ** The purple girdles () were normally reserved for demoted ''gioro''. Uniquely, the family of Dahai, the "saint of Manchu" and the inventor of the Manchu script, was granted the privilege of wearing purple girdles, to symbolise his family as the "second clan of Manchu ''(inferior only to the Aisin-Gioro)''". * Enshrinement in the

Imperial Ancestral Temple The Imperial Ancestral Temple, or Taimiao () of Beijing, is a historic site in the Imperial City, just outside the Forbidden City, where during both the Ming and Qing Dynasties, sacrificial ceremonies were held on the most important festival o ...

(). Granted to deceased peers (and sometimes also their wives), therefore a privilege for all his descendants. They were worshipped alongside the imperial ancestors, and their descendants had the privilege of sending representatives to participate in the imperial ancestral rituals. Imperial and Mongol princes were housed in the east wing of the temple, while the others were housed in the west wing. This was an extremely high honour, granted only 27 times throughout the Qing dynasty.

Zhang Tingyu Zhang Tingyu (, October 29, 1672 – May 19, 1755) was a Han Chinese politician and historian who lived in the Qing dynasty. Biography Zhang Tingyu was born in Tongcheng in Anhui province. In 1700, he obtained a ''jinshi'' position in the ...

was the only Han subject to ever receive this honour, while Heling was the only person to have this honour revoked. * Bestowal of Manchu, noble or imperial surnames (). Occasionally, a non-Manchu subject would be granted a Manchu surname, or a Manchu would be granted a more prestigious surname, or even the imperial surname "Gioro", thus adopting into the imperial clan. * Promotion within the banner hierarchy: ** A non-bannerman can be inducted into the banner system. ** A

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

bannerman (; ''nikan gūsa'') may be elevated into a Manchu banner (; ''manju gūsa''). ** A bannerman from the lower banners (plain red, bordered red, bordered white, plain blue, and bordered blue banners) can be elevated into the upper banners (plain yellow, bordered yellow, and plain white) (). This was especially common for the imperial consorts and their clansmen. * Court beads (). The court beads were part of the court uniform; the length of the beads normally corresponded to the courtier's ''pin''. When a courtier

kowtow A kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by prostration, that is, kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground. In Sinospheric culture, the kowtow is the highest sign of reverence. It was widely used to show reverence ...

ed, the beads must touch the ground. Longer court beads were granted as a special favour regardless of the courtier's ''pin''. This was often granted to elderly courtiers to relieve them of the physical hardship of kowtowing. * The

Spencer Museum of Art The Spencer Museum of Art is an art museum operated by the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Spencer Museum seeks to "...present its collection as a living archive that motivates object-c ...

has six long pao robes ( dragon robes) that belonged to Han Chinese

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

of the Qing dynasty. Ranked officials and Han Chinese nobles had two slits in the skirts while Manchu nobles and the Imperial family had 4 slits in skirts. All first, second and third rank officials as well as Han Chinese and Manchu nobles were entitled to wear 9 dragons by the Qing Illustrated Precedents. Qing sumptuary laws only allowed four clawed dragons for officials, Han Chinese nobles and Manchu nobles while the Qing Imperial family, emperor and princes up to the second degree and their female family members were entitled to wear five clawed dragons. However officials violated these laws all the time and wore 5 clawed dragons and the Spencer Museum's 6 long pao worn by Han Chinese nobles have 5 clawed dragons on them. *Traditional

Hanfu ''Hanfu'' () is the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese. There are several representative styles of ''hanfu'', such as the (an upper-body garment with a long outer skirt), the (an upper-body garment with a long underskirt ...

robes given by the Ming Emperors to the Chinese noble Dukes Yansheng descended from

are still preserved in the Confucius Mansion after over five centuries. Robes from the Qing emperors are also preserved there. The Jurchens in the Jin dynasty and Mongols in the Yuan dynasty continued to patronize and support the Confucian Duke Yansheng.

Etymology of Manchu titles

With only a few exceptions, most Manchu titles ultimately derived from Han Chinese roots. * ''Han'', used by the Emperor himself and a few Mongol lords, was borrowed from the Turko-Mongol '' Khan'', ''Khaan'' or ''Khagan''. In Manchu, however, the word is written slightly differently for the Emperor and other Khans. * ''Beile'' was usually considered indigenous Manchu titles, evolved from earlier Jurchen ''bojile'', which may ultimately be derived from the Turkic title ''bey'' or ''beg'' or even Chinese ''bo'' (伯, "count"). * ''Beise'' was originally the plural form of ''beile'', but later evolved into a separate title. * ''Janggin'' derived from the Chinese military title ''jiangjun'' (將軍, "general"). In Manchu, however, ''janggin'' evolved into a nominal title distinct from the military office, which is translated in Manchu as ''jiyanggiyūn''. * ''Taiji'' or ''tayiji'' derived from Chinese ''taizi'' (太子, "crown prince"). In Chinese, it was used exclusively by heirs of imperial, royal or princely titles. Among the Mongols, however, the Borjigits have long used it as a distinct title. * ''Tabunang'' ("son-in-law") was originally the title given to a Mongol prince consort who married a Borjigit princess. It was granted to

, and his descendants continued to use this title. * ''Fujin'' (福晉) is a consort of a prince ranked ''junwang'' or above. This word evolved from Chinese ''furen'' (夫人; "lady", "madame" or "wife"), but was reserved for high-ranked ladies. ''Furen'' was used by lower-ranked married ladies. * ''A-ge'' (阿哥) is a Manchu word meaning both "lord, chief" and "elder brother". It is derived from the Mongolic word ''aka'', and cognate with the Turkic word ''agha''.

References

{{Qing dynasty junwangs Chinese nobility Qing dynasty princely peerages