Retirement from Office

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaSep 2024

3.3

Word count: 453 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In ancient China, an official's normal retirement was called zhi shi; ancients also commonly used terms such as zhi shi, zhi zheng, and xiu zhi, all referring to an official resigning and returning home. It originated in the Zhou dynasty, and after the Han dynasty it became an established system.

Editor's review

This book centers on zhi shi, the ancient institution of official retirement. Starting from the origin of the name, it traces the evolution of terms such as zhi shi, zhi zheng, and xiu zhi, and sets out how the practice originated in the Zhou dynasty and gradually took shape as a system after the Han. Though brief, it singles out the "exit" phase of institutional history that is easily overlooked, showing readers that the ancient bureaucratic system involved not only selection and promotion but also a set of arrangements for retirement and returning home. Its strength lies in clear conceptual analysis and the pairing of names with realities, making it suitable as an introductory read for understanding traditional officialdom and political culture. Readers should not expect detailed personal stories or court and country anecdotes; it is more like a key that helps readers recognize relevant terms when reading histories and notebooks and understand the ritual order behind the ancients' "resigning office and returning home." It is suitable for keeping at one's desk for occasional reference and for reading alongside chapters on the history of officialdom and legal institutions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Introductory readers interested in the history of ancient officialdom and political institutions
Those who often encounter terms such as zhi shi and xiu zhi when reading histories and need reference explanations
Readers who like to understand traditional cultural institutions by starting from concepts

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a wealth of personal stories or court and country anecdotes
Specialist researchers seeking detailed institutional provisions and quantitative analysis
General readers looking for light, recreational reading

Reading tips

Begin with the section on terminology, getting clear on terms such as zhi shi, zhi zheng, and xiu zhi, then return to the institutional evolution.
Consult it as a terminological reference when encountering related terms in historical texts.
Read it alongside chapters on the history of officialdom, noting the difference between its Zhou-dynasty origins and its Han-dynasty consolidation.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
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FAQ

Is zhi shi the same as retirement today?

Both refer to an official leaving office and returning home to spend his later years, but ancient zhi shi was tied to ritual, official rank, and court favor, and was not a social-security retirement system in the modern sense. By tracing names and origins, this book helps readers see both the connections and the differences.

Is this book a general institutional history or an explanation of concepts?

Judging from the introduction, it focuses on tracing the origin of names and the formation of the institution; it is concise and closer to conceptual explanation and institutional overview than to an all-encompassing general history. It is suitable as an introductory and reference aid.

Can someone without a background in ancient history read it?

Yes. The book is organized around core terms and has a low threshold, but it is best to have a general grasp of the historical outline from the Zhou to the Han dynasty, which makes the process of institutional formation easier to understand.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.