Salaries
Further information: Economy of the Han DynastyDuring the Han Dynasty, the power a government official exercised was determined by his annual salary-rank, measured in grain units known as dan (石, a unit of volume, approximately 35 litres (0.99 US bsh)). However, approximately half an official's salary in grain was made in payments of cash coins, the standard of which, after 119 BC, was the wushu (五銖) coin measuring 3.2 g (0.11 oz). The other half of an official's salary consisted of unhusked grain and husked grain measured in hu (觳, approximately 20 L / 676 oz); since one hu of unhusked grain was equal to 100 coins and one hu of husked grain was equal to 160 coins, the conversion ratio for unhusked grain to husked grain was 10 to 6 (see table below). The most senior officials in central government earned a 10,000-dan salary. The officials who oversaw nine specialized ministries each earned the Fully 2,000-dan rank, while the magistrate of a county earned a 600-dan rank. Occasionally, emperors bestowed luxurious gifts of wine, foodstuffs, and silk clothes upon high officials. These gifts, in some generous cases, could equal as much as half the value of the officials' standard annual salary. Aged officials were often retired from service and given a pension. Below is a table outlining salaries measured in coin cash, unhusked grain, and husked grain for the highest to lowest-paid officials in Han officialdom:
| Salary list of 106 AD | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Rank (measured in dan) | B. Monthly Salary in Unhusked Grain (measured in hu) | C. Monthly Salary in Coin (standard currency) | D. Monthly Salary in Husked Grain (measured in hu) | E. C divided by half-value of B (measured in cash per hu) | F. Ratio of D to half-value of B |
| 10,000 | 350 | 17,500 | 105 | 100 | 60% |
| Fully 2,000 | 180 | 9,000 | 54 | 100 | 60% |
| 2,000 | 120 | 6,000 | 36 | 100 | 60% |
| Equivalent to 2,000 | 100 | 5,000 | 30 | 100 | 60% |
| 1,000 | 90 | 4,500 | 27 | 100 | 60% |
| Equivalent to 1,000 | 80 | 4,000 | 24 | 100 | 60% |
| 600 | 70 | 3,500 | 21 | 100 | 60% |
| Equivalent to 600 | 60 | 3,000 | 18 | 100 | 60% |
| 400 | 50 | 2,500 | 15 | 100 | 60% |
| Equivalent to 400 | 45 | 2,250 | 13.5 | 100 | 60% |
| 300 | 40 | 2,000 | 12 | 100 | 60% |
| Equivalent to 300 | 37 | 1,850 | 11.1 | 100 | 60% |
| 200 | 30 | 1,500 | 9 | 100 | 60% |
| Equivalent to 200 | 27 | 1,350 | 8.1 | 100 | 60% |
| 100 | 16 | 800 | 4.8 | 100 | 60% |
| Equivalent to 100 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Officials Whose Salaries are in Terms of Dou | 11 | 550 | 3.3 | 100 | 60% |
| Accessory Clerks | 8 | 400 | 2.4 | 100 | 60% |
Read more about this topic: Government Of The Han Dynasty
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