Ranking of Officials
During the Tang Dynasty, the nine-rank system developed into a method of classification for civil officials and military officers serving the court, from local levels to national levels. Those directly under the Emperor heading the top departments were considered First Pin (Grade), and those who are county judicial officers, for example, were generally Ninth Pin. Some of the nine grades were further divided into zhèng (正; regular), cóng (從; deputy), shàng (上; upper) and xià (下; lower) grades. Therefore in theory, the whole classification system actually holds more than eighteen ranks. In reality the subdivisions were customized in specific central and local departments; for instance, one department consisted of twelve ranks whereas another composed of sixteen.
The current Chinese cadre ranking system is loosely based on this historical system.
Read more about this topic: Nine-rank System
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