It was Emperor Huangtaiji who initiated the system of investiture of the ranks of nobility to the imperial clansmen in the Qing Dynasty. Every following generation varied a little. In 1649 (the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Shunzhi) and 1684 (the twenty-third year of the reign of Kangxi), more regulations were added to the prescriptions for the investiture of the Qing royal clan. The emperor of Qianlong in 1748 AD (the 13th year of the reign of Qianlong) increased the ranks to be as many as 14 such as Heshuo Qinwang (Infante), Shizi (the oldest son of the Qinwang), Duoluo Junwang, etc.
Considering the decentralizing result of the feods in the past dynasties, the Qing government conferred the royal titles to the vassals only and kept all of the vassals in the capital instead of enfeoffing the vassals. This at last led to the forming of the system of conferring the titles and being entitled by the Eperor to build their own mansion in the capital.
The emperor usually vouchsafed mausoleum to the dead vassals according to an explicit system. There was a detailed prescription how to decide the construction cost, height of the stele, size of the building, colors, and the number of the staff to take care of the tombs according to the rank of the dead vassal. |
