Situ was one of the highest ranking government offices in ancient China. Established in the Western Zhou dynasty, it was originally written as 司土 (pinyin: Sītǔ), meaning Administrator of Land.[1][2]
During the Han dynasty, the title became written with the different characters 司徒 (pinyin: Sītú; lit. 'Administrator of people'), which is translated variously as Minister over the Masses[3] or Excellency over the Masses.[4] It was one of the three most important official posts during the Han dynasty, called the Three Excellencies. The nominal salary for the post was 20,000 dàn (石) of grain.[5]
The title is the origin of the surname Situ.
See also
References
Citations
Sources
- Bielenstein, Hans (1980). The Bureaucracy of Han Times. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-22510-6.
- de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23 – 220 AD). Leiden, South Holland: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.