Bei Gong Qi asked Mencius, “What was the system of the Zhou dynasty for distributing ranks and salaries?”
Mencius replied, “The detailed regulations can no longer be known. The feudal lords, resenting that these regulations were detrimental to their own interests, destroyed all the relevant records. However, I have heard a general outline of it. There were five ranks of nobility: the Son of Heaven formed one rank; the Dukes formed one; the Marquises formed one; the Earls formed one; and the Viscounts and Barons formed a single rank. There were also six grades of officials: the Ruler of a state formed one grade; the Ministers formed one; the Great Officers formed one; the Scholars of the highest grade formed one; those of the middle grade formed one; and those of the lowest grade formed one.
The Son of Heaven’s domain was a thousand li square. The domains of the Dukes and Marquises were each a hundred li square; those of the Earls were seventy li square; and those of the Viscounts and Barons were fifty li square, making four grades in all. States with territories of less than fifty li could not gain an audience with the Son of Heaven and were attached to the feudal lords; they were called dependent states. The Ministers in the Son of Heaven’s court received land equivalent to that of a Marquis; Great Officers received land equivalent to an Earl; and Scholars of the highest grade received land equivalent to a Viscount or Baron.
A large state had a territory of a hundred li square. The ruler’s salary was ten times that of a minister; a minister’s salary was four times that of a great officer; a great officer’s salary was twice that of a scholar of the highest grade; a scholar of the highest grade received twice that of a middle-grade scholar; a middle-grade scholar received twice that of a lowest-grade scholar. The lowest-grade scholars received the same salary as commoners employed in government service; their salary was sufficient to replace the income they would have earned from farming. In a medium state, with a territory of seventy li square, the ruler’s salary was ten times that of a minister; a minister’s salary was three times that of a great officer; the multiples for the grades below the great officer were the same as in a large state. In a small state, with a territory of fifty li square, the ruler’s salary was ten times that of a minister; a minister’s salary was twice that of a great officer; the multiples for the grades below were also the same as in a large state.
The yield of a farmer was based on a hundred mu of land per man. For a hundred mu of well-manured land, a superior farmer could support nine people; a slightly inferior farmer, eight; a medium farmer, seven; a slightly inferior medium farmer, six; and an inferior farmer, five. The salaries of commoners employed in government service were graded according to these agricultural yields.”
Note
This passage from the Wan Zhang II chapter of the Mencius represents Mencius’ recollection and reconstruction of the political and economic system of the Zhou dynasty. Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand its philosophy through the following dimensions:
- The Loss of Historical Texts and the Confucian Reconstruction of Institutions
Mencius begins by stating that the detailed regulations “can no longer be known,” revealing the historical reality of the Warring States period, where rituals collapsed and texts were lost. In their quest to expand power, feudal lords deliberately destroyed the hierarchical documents established by the Zhou kings. Nevertheless, Mencius attempted to restore an ideal political blueprint based on the “general outline” preserved by the Confucian tradition. This indicates that what Mencius described here may not be a hundred percent historical fact, but rather the “ought-to-be” political order in his mind. Confucians often used “appealing to antiquity” to express contemporary political demands; here, the Zhou system served as an ideal vehicle for promoting benevolent governance and hierarchical order. - The Political Ethics of Differentiated Order and Hierarchy
By meticulously listing the five ranks of nobility, six grades of officials, and the proportional multiples of their salaries, Mencius demonstrated the Confucian advocacy for a “differentiated order.” In Mencius’ view, social stability was built upon clear hierarchies and proper names. Rulers, ministers, great officers, and scholars each had their specific duties and salaries. This strict hierarchical distribution was not merely an allocation of material wealth, but also of political power and moral responsibility. The core of this institutional design was to “define boundaries and prevent disputes,” using clear regulations to prevent the usurpation of power and social turmoil. - “Sufficient to Replace Farming”: The Economic Foundation for the Independence of Scholars
Mencius repeatedly emphasized in his discourse that “the lowest-grade scholars received the same salary as commoners employed in government service; their salary was sufficient to replace the income they would have earned from farming.” This is a crucial element in Confucian political philosophy. Mencius believed that scholars (intellectuals and officials) must possess an independent economic source so they can dedicate themselves to governing the state and seeking the welfare of the people, without having to farm for survival or resort to corruption. This discourse established the legitimacy of the “salaried class” in ancient China, while also implicitly placing demands on the rulers: the state must provide officials with decent compensation, which serves as the material prerequisite for their integrity and public service.
北宮錡問曰：「周室班爵祿也，如之何？」 孟子曰：「其詳不可得聞也。諸侯惡其害己也，而皆去其籍。然而軻也，嘗聞其略也。天子一位，公一位，侯一位，伯一位，子、男同一位，凡五等也。君一位，卿一位，大夫一位，上士一位，中士一位，下士一位，凡六等。 「天子之制，地方千里，公侯皆方百里，伯七十里，子、男五十里，凡四等。不能五十里，不達於天子，附於諸侯，曰附庸。天子之卿受地視侯，大夫受地視伯，元士受地視子、男。 「大國地方百里，君十卿祿，卿祿四大夫，大夫倍上士，上士倍中士，中士倍下士，下士與庶人在官者同祿，祿足以代其耕也。次國地方七十里，君十卿祿，卿祿三大夫，大夫倍上士，上士倍中士，中士倍下士，下士與庶人在官者同祿，祿足以代其耕也。小國地方五十里，君十卿祿，卿祿二大夫，大夫倍上士，上士倍中士，中士倍下士，下士與庶人在官者同祿，祿足以代其耕也。耕者之所獲，一夫百畝。百畝之糞，上農夫食九人，上次食八人，中食七人，中次食六人，下食五人。庶人在官者，其祿以是為差。」
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