Abstract:

In the Ming Dynasty, the Ministry of Personnel Sun Piyang used the method of drawing lots for the selection of officials, and, to some extent, this made up for the shortcomings of the official appointment system. The Qing Dynasty followed the selection of officials by drawing lots in the monthly appointment of civil officials. To some extent, the time, place, and object of drawing lots changed compared to the Ming Dynasty. The emperor introduced a series of measures to prevent malpractice. Officials supervised the process, and the Nine Dignitaries reviewed it. To make it suitable for people and places, the Qing Dynasty also formulated other methods of selection, such as nominations of candidates by the governor-general, to make up for the shortcoming in the drawing of lots. Although the system of awarding officials by drawing lots guaranteed that the Ministry of Personnel had the power to select and appoint some middle and lower-level local officials , and to a certain extent, it also maintained the fairness of the appointment of officials, but the process was essentially contradictory to the principle that appointing officials should be governed by qualifications and the appropriateness.