The Shaping and Practice of the Rules Governing the Selection and Appointment of Supervisory Officials in the Legal Culture of the Yuan Dynasty

During the Yuan Dynasty, the ruling authorities maintained their control by inheriting and innovating traditional supervisory systems, leading to an unprecedented improvement in the oversight system and its regulations. As the key agents of achieving supervisory effectiveness, the selection and appointment of supervisory officials became a crucial aspect of constructing and perfecting a clean supervisory system. By examining the personal biographical data of supervisory officials and considering the institutional background of the Yuan Dynasty’s supervisory system alongside its legal framework, this study investigates the influences of official backgrounds, family lineage, and talent factors on the selection of supervisory officials from the eighth year of the Zhiyuan era to the twelfth year of the Zhizheng era. The research finds that, to some extent, the senior supervisory officials of the Yuan Dynasty achieved a degree of professionalization and stability. While the rulers prioritized family lineage as the primary criterion for selecting supervisory officials, the selection of lower- and middle-level supervisory officials placed greater emphasis on their overall qualities and professional capabilities, overcoming the traditional Chinese tendency to appoint officials based solely on “literary” or “knowledge-based” criteria.

元代的当权者为“扶大厦之将倾”，对唐宋监督体系进行继承和革新，监察制度及规范空前完善。而监察官员作为实现监察效果的执剑之人。其选拔与任用成为构建和完善廉洁监督体系的重要环节。[研究方法]通过记载监察官员的个人传记资料，在元代监察体制的制度背景下结合元代监察法律体系，以至元八年至至正十二年间元代监察官群体的考察作为基底，探究元代监察制度下官员来源、家族门第、才能因素对其选任的影响。[研究发现]元代高级监察官员在一定程度上实现了队伍专业化、稳定化，统治者在选任监察官时虽将根脚、家族门第作为首要标准，但中下级监察官员的选拔更强调其综合素质与业务能力，克服了传统中国选任官员单纯的“文字化”、“知识化”倾向。